Provided the dust isn't caked on too bad and the fans seem to be spinning normally, then if you are still seeing overheating problems thermal paste is probably the issue. After a few years give or take, depending on use, it can dry out and become pretty useless. That's definitely an Intel fan/heatsink though. Looks like a stock one but still shouldn't overheat unless you are overclocking.
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Yes I am pretty sure I haven't been overclocking, but it's been a few years since I bought the machine. When I did, it was a top of the line set up. Now I've already done one GPU upgrade and some HDD upgrades, but I'm already thinking of investing in a new machine sometime in the future. It's currently got an i7-4770 @ 3.4GHZ but I'm wondering if the motherboard (ASUS Z87-K) could do with a fresher CPU or if I should invest in a new mobo too.
I'm drooling over at the System76 offerings, but I got delusions of grandeur and suddenly the computers were over 40k€. Maybe I went a bit overboard there. Nope, I'm definitely not that rich yet.
The thermal paste may be the best option still. And maybe more HDD/SDD, as I'm running out of space.
That's a pretty high-end cpu for that motherboard. There's probably no cpu upgrade worth it. Haswell CPUs are still pretty expensive at the high end. You could probably get $75 on eBay for that 4770...more if it is the 4770K. That CPU is still good enough for modern gaming with a decent GPU but it all depends on what you do with your computer. I for one never sell old parts...I just keep building.
My use is currently mainly in photoediting and occasional streaming or videoblogging. I do light gaming with time constraints. After the cpu started overheating I haven't been able to play or stream.
I just checked it up, and it seems the Haswell is quickly coming to end of its limits compared to new processors. Well it was bound to happen. Maybe I'll upgrade one day. But for photo edits, it'll still do nicely for a few years.
Even my laptop, a Lenovo T500 from 2008 is still usable, while I guess it has similar kinds of problems with overheating, and the battery life is abysmal. Can't use it for photo edits no longer, but as a general purpose traveling office it has served me well.