Honestly used to think metal tools were just better, no question. Then I was trying to adjust a metal level outside on a frosty morning and my skin practically fused to it. Swapped to one with a plastic body and it's a totally different feel. You don't even think about the cold, you just get the work done. Kind of a dumb thing to have a strong opinion about before, but it really does change everything.

That flash and bang will do it. You never trust a dead panel again.

Wait, didn't some tech site do a big test on this? Honestly, I read something a while back about how thermal paste really does dry out over a few years. It stops moving heat from the chip to the cooler. Tbh that's probably why old laptops and consoles start overheating and sounding like jets. They showed pictures of the paste looking like dried up clay. Makes total sense now why replacing it helps so much.

Relate to that, @bailey.evan, it's like waiting for a website to load.

Dental mirror worked for me too.