A user's workstation is experiencing intermittent shutdowns. After gathering information and questioning the user, you suspect an overheating issue. Upon opening the case, you confirm that excessive dust build-up is causing the CPU heat sink to fail in dissipating heat properly. What is the next best step to resolve this issue?
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Apply a new layer of thermal paste to the CPU.
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Update the BIOS.
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Clean the dust from the heat sink and any other internal components affected.
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Replace the CPU as it is likely damaged due to overheating.
Cleaning the dust from the heat sink and the internal components will allow for proper airflow and heat dissipation, which should resolve the overheating issue leading to intermittent shutdowns. Applying thermal paste and updating the BIOS are good practices in general, but they would not primarily address the problem at hand. Replacing the CPU might be the next step if it was damaged due to overheating, but there is no indication that this is the case here.
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Why is dust build-up a problem for the CPU heat sink?
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What are some signs that a computer is overheating?
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How often should I clean my computer's internal components?