Computer lagging when it gets hot / graphically intensive games? Question.

[WoWPlayerHorde]

Ok so I've asked a series of many questions over the last few days and have appreciated all the answers, great forum. So here I am yet again as you all have been extremely helpful. I found a quad core intel desktop that I have been bringing back to life slowly but surely, when I play games like age of Conan ( graphically intensive for this quad core ) the computer begins to lag, when I put a fan on the desktop it stops lagging. Does this thing just need to be cleaned out or am I pushing it too hard?

Edit: I also know it's hard to determine the cause without actually you looking under the hood, but it seems to lag even with no games running on a very hot day, so it seems to have more to do with heat then graphics, as the lagging happens running age of Conan or even just internet explorer, if it's hot enough out it doesn't matter if the graphics card is getting heavy use or not.

 

[FuryRosewood]

inspect the heatsink fans for dust, if they appear dusty, they need to be cleaned with compressed or canned air, also be certain the heatsink is firmly attached. sometimes with push pins, they can become worked out if not put in properly

 

[Darren]

Download and run HWMonitor. See what your CPU and GPU temperatures are when gaming.

 

[Twiki]

It seems to be pretty well heat related. Beside checking the HSF for dust and tight fit, what about the cooling system for the case? Does your case have fans and is it enough?