My pc has been a bit slow lately, and on Monday it almost ground to a complete halt. I would start it up and barely manage to log on to Windows before it would freeze. Ironically the freezing turned out to be caused by an overheated cpu - more than a 100 °C.
Did some research and concluded that a fresh application of thermal paste between the cpu and heatsink might help as what was left of the old stuff was pretty dry. So off to the shop I went.

Unfortunately computer shops in Malaysia are for the most part manned by young males, who works on the assumption that if you’re female you may know how to use a computer and its peripherals, but you can’t possibly have any idea about what actually goes on inside the casing. This was proven to me once again.

Young guy: “Yes?”
Me: “I need some thermal compund, please”
Young Guy: ” Huh?”
Me: “You know, the stuff you put between a cpu and the heatsink”
Young Guy: “You don’t need that!”
Me: “My computer is overheating. I’ve cleaned the fan on the heatsink, but it is still overheating, and the old stuff is pretty much gone, so I think perhaps I do”.
Young Guy calls out to another Young Guy and asks what he thinks.
2nd Young Guy: ” You don’t need that. What chip is it?”
Me: “Pentium 4″
2nd Young Guy, shaking his head: “No. You don’t need it!”
Me: “I still want to buy some”
Young Guy, looking very doubtful: “Ok then”
Young Guy: “Why don’t you just bring your pc in for us to look at for free?”
Me: “I prefer to fix it myself”
Young Guy, looking even more doubtful: “Ok, you try this then, and if it doesn’t work just bring it in and we’ll find out what’s wrong with it” - said in a voice that says he’s sure I’ll be back for help.

Went home, applied the thermal paste and since then my pc has worked at its old speed and a resonable 57-58 °C.