Question – 10 Years with my i5-6600K & GTX 1070 FTW – Maintenance vs. Upgrade Advice?

Hi everyone,

I’d like to share my PC build and its history, along with the stress tests I’ve recently done, and get some opinions from more experienced users about thermal paste, noise optimization, and possible upgrades.
This system has been in use for almost 10 years, and my goal is to understand whether it still makes sense to keep it as it is, perform some preventive maintenance, make it quieter, or start planning an upgrade.

PC Specifications​

  • CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K @ 3.5 GHz (stock)
  • CPU Cooler: CRYORIG H7 (49 CFM)
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170XP-SLI (ATX, LGA1151)
  • Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2×8 GB) DDR4-3000 CL15
  • Storage: PNY CS2211 480 GB SATA SSD
  • Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W – 80+ Gold, Semi-modular
  • GPU: EVGA FTW GAMING NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8 GB
  • Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M
  • Case Fans: 2×140 mm front intake + 1×120 mm rear exhaust (RPM ~900 under load)
  • OS: Windows 10 Pro 22H2 (Build 19045.6466)
  • NVIDIA Driver: 582.28

Stress Tests Performed​

I recently ran several stress tests to evaluate thermals, stability, and overall health.:

GPU​

  • Unigine Heaven (20 minutes loop)
    • Max GPU temperature: 74 °C
    • Core clock: ~2012 MHz (stable)
    • No artifacts, no crashes, no throttling

CPU & RAM​

  • OCCT CPU + RAM (default settings, 15 minutes)
    • Max CPU temperature: 72 °C
    • CPU usage: 100%
    • CPU clock: ~4.2 GHz (Turbo working correctly)
    • Power draw: ~88 W
    • No errors reported
  • Cinebench R23 (Multi-core, 10-minute loop)
    • Score: ~5139 points

Overall, temperatures and performance seem very solid for the age of the system (AFAIK)

Thermal Paste​

The CPU is using Artic Silver 5 since the day I built my rig and the GPU is still using its original thermal paste. Since I also work as a technician and perform maintenance on other systems, I’m considering buying thermal paste that:

  • Is reliable and long-lasting
  • Is safe for CPUs and GPUs
  • Works well for general maintenance tasks

Questions:
-Based on my current temps, would you replace the thermal paste now or wait?
-Which thermal paste would you recommend for long-term use and professional maintenance? (I’m considering options like Arctic MX series, Noctua NT-H2, etc.)

Noise & Cooling Optimization​

According to HWInfo sensor data, the system currently runs:
– 2×140 mm front intake fans at ~890–930 RPM
– 1×120 mm rear exhaust fan at ~940 RPM
– CPU fan (Cryorig H7) around ~1050–1100 RPM under load

At these speeds, the system is already fairly quiet and maintains good temperatures.

Questions:
– Would upgrading to higher-end fans (Noctua / be quiet! / Arctic) make a noticeable noise improvement at similar RPM?
– Is there any real benefit in adding top exhaust fans in this case, or would it be unnecessary given current thermals?
– Would fan curve tuning alone be the best next step instead of hardware changes?

Upgrade Thoughts​

Based on stress testing and current fan behavior, the system appears healthy and thermally stable. My main goals at this point are:

  • Long-term reliability
  • Low noise
  • Reasonable temperatures
  • Smart, cost-effective decisions

I’m not chasing maximum performance, but rather looking for informed opinions on whether any preventive maintenance or small improvements are worthwhile after 10 years of use.

Thanks in advance for your time and feedback — I’d really appreciate hearing your thoughts.