PC was better

[PhillipeTheGamer]

When i first got my Alienware 17 (Ge Force GTX 860M, Intel Core i5-4210M CPU @ 2.60Ghz, 800 GB RAM, Windows 8) the first game i installed was Arma 3, and i was capable of running almost completely Ultra with the FPS around 50-55, but around a year later, when i started playing it again, it can barely run well on High. I have tried formatating my PC and still no change. I must say that i have tried overclocking once, so maybe that is a problem? Or is it because it just got old?

 

[Pummel]

It could be that your fans are full of dust. Open up the back and clean out the dust. It could also be that the heat paste on your CPU/GPU needs to be renewed.

 

[PhillipeTheGamer]

It could be that your fans are full of dust. Open up the back and clean out the dust. It could also be that the heat paste on your CPU/GPU needs to be renewed.

A friend did recommend that, but i never thought it actually could be it. I'll try that and come back with the results

Update: I just cleaned my fans, and performance seems to be the same, and i checked the heat paste. While there's some of it around the CPU, the top i a bit open(no paste over it). Maybe that is the problem? If not, what else could it be? How come was i able to play the game better before?

 

[Pummel]

The most important part on the CPU is to cover the middle (best is to cover equally everything).
If that doesn't solve it, then there could be a problem with the GPU, but on laptops it's almost impossible to open them up. But to be honest, Arma 3 on ultra settings with a 860M? No way. I have a brand new MSI Dominator Pro with 980M and I cannot play Arma 3 on Ultra settings. High settings I get 50fps.