A user reports that a PC seems to be running more slowly than usual. A technician checks system resources, but disk, CPU, and memory usage seem to be fine. The technician sees that GPU temperature is

Spyware collects information about user activity but typically does not cause high GPU temperatures or significant system slowdowns by design.

Cryptominer malware secretly uses a computer's processing power, especially the GPU, to mine cryptocurrency without the user's consent. This intensive GPU usage explains the high GPU temperature and potential system slowdowns, while CPU, disk, and memory might appear normal if the cryptominer is optimized to leverage the GPU.

Ransomware encrypts files and demands a ransom but does not typically cause sustained high GPU temperatures.

A boot sector virus infects the boot sector of a hard drive, affecting the system's ability to boot, but doesn't primarily manifest as high GPU usage.