Laptop stuttering after installing new cooling fan?

[LEDWATER]

I installed a new cooling fan to my HP Pavilion gaming laptop 15-ec0010nr. After installing it, my computer randomly started stuttering. I also tried to replace my thermal paste, but some of the screws were on too tight. (My first time replacing thermal paste in like... Forever.) I gave up on it for now and would try again later. Does anyone know what happened or what I did wrong?

[Garp_senchau]

@LEDWATER, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

It sounds like your HP Pavilion Gaming is experiencing performance stuttering after replacing the cooling fan. Since you also attempted to replace the thermal paste but couldn't fully complete the process, a few things might be causing this issue:

If the fan isn’t seated properly or isn’t working at full speed, your laptop could be thermal throttling, causing stutters. Check if the fan is running correctly, and ensure no connectors are loose.

If you started removing the heatsink but didn’t replace the thermal paste, the old paste may not be making proper contact, leading to overheating. If possible, try applying fresh paste once you manage to loosen those tight screws.

After hardware changes, resetting the BIOS to default settings can help. 

Double-check all cables and components. If something wasn’t reconnected properly, it could be affecting performance.

Since this issue started right after replacing the fan, I’d focus on cooling and thermal paste first. If your laptop gets too hot, it will throttle and cause stuttering. 

I hope these steps help resolve the issue

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

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Regards,