Recently I realized my CPU cooler (CRYORIG H7 49 CFM CPU Cooler) was on backwards. I realized I had installed it so that the fan was trying to intake air through the back of the case (the exhaust fan) and exhaust air through the front of the case (the intake fan) I opened up my PC and switched it around. Upon doing this I realized shorty after that while my computer booted my CPU performance was now and is currently greatly reduced.
What's weird is that the thermals seem great, but I am still getting frame drops in Far Cry 5 and in Tom Raider. Before I would get 140 to 100 FPS now I get 81 to 50 FPS in Far cry 5 and I went from 126 to 100 in Tomb Raider. What's even weirder is that I bench marked my CPU and system with user bench mark and it I got a better score then I've ever gotten and my computer keeps telling me that everything is running smoothly.
I fear that I may have shorted something out, and it maybe a mother board issue but that is only a best guess. I of course made sure the PC was off but, IDK I'm really at a loss here so anything you can think of to help would be much appreciated because this problem is bugging the *censored* out of me.
The way I see it the main question seems to be:
What causes a CPU to preform worse in CPU intensive games/apps besides of course poor thermals?
Things I've tried but haven't worked
Resetting windows
Re installing drivers
Re installing Far cry 5
Re installing Tomb Raider
Updating the BIOS
Unplugging all cables from my PSU and plugging them back in, making sure all connections are tight and secure on the PSU and mother board headers
Wiping away excess thermal paste
Re downloaded NVIDIA control panel and experience.
Tightened down CPU cooler bracket evenly as I could to ensure even heat transfer
Moved the CPU cooler to were it was, still got same performance.
Re seating RAM
Crying
Taking Adderal
Checking my thermals with Core temp
Optimizing my fan curve with my BIOS. That is also what I did previously when my system was working normally.
Scanned the drive that my games are on for errors and moved Far cry 5 to other drive
Other things that I did that maybe could be an issue.
Moved RAM every time I needed to access CPU fan header. Perhaps the Ram I got was set to a faster speed by default and I didn't notice. XMP is currently off.
removed one HDD and reinstalled my 1TB HDD
500GB HHD was a boot drive for another version of windows
Banged a screw against the mother board by accident
Sprayed out dust so with maybe some got in the wrong place?
Yanked on the CPU cooler cord to get it out, perhaps loosening the wire to much.
Moves the location of two fan splitters from one mother board fan header to another
Perhaps reset my BIOS settings when I unplugged everything.
Messed with some Java and NVIDIA settings to try and get mine craft to run better
Had excesses thermal paste that maybe shorted something out
Reinstalled a few different hard drives and had windows auto run a disk checker a few times when I had to hit the power switch on my PC. No errors were found however.
PC part picker part list
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bDhnq3
