How do I fix temperature spikes and lag in Silent Hill 2?

I was terrified by the stutter in Hotel Arcadia. My Thermalright PA140 WHITE Peerless Assassin was flailing, with HWiNFO showing core temps jumping between 65-72°C. I tried reapplying thermal paste, but the input lag persisted, making the game unplayable. I switched to the GamePP Fan Curve Configuration Panel and locked the fan speed from 1200 to 1800 RPM. RTSS monitoring revealed the frame interval dropped from 8.3-12.1ms to 5.1-6.4ms. The system now stays at 68-74°C, and I finally saved my sanity.