You write about the HDD but let's get a Web Speccy report link so all can see what condition the HDD is today. It will also tell use more about other issues.
Before you run the Web Speccy and make a report could you turn the following off and reboot?
https://www.howtogeek.com/224981/how-to-stop-windows-10-from-uploading-updates-to-other-pcs-over-the-internet/
After the reboot make the Web Speccy report link. How is at https://www.piriform.com/docs/speccy/using-speccy/publishing-a-speccy-profile-to-the-web
So basically my pc has been lagging for about a week now after i did some maintenance inside of it, everything seemed fine when i turned it on and then the next day i started to get some major lagg/stuttering while trying to play cs go accompanied by my headset constantly cutting out and me having to replug it in to make the mic on it work the audio was still working but cutting in and out and voices would lagg on discord, all my other hardware is working fine though and i tried changing usb ports which leads me to believe its not the motherboard. So i went back inside my computer to change the thermal paste which is what i did and i found this when i removed one of the cpu cooler standoffs https://imgur.com/a/qiTrO https://imgur.com/a/a8Gz8 . So i started to think this damage may of caused my problems but im still not sure as they are so intermittent, some days my pc will be fine and the next day i literally can't do anything as my pc is just jumping about when i try and do even the simplest tasks. Im still really not sure what to do im trying to replace the harddrive as my one is very old and showing some errors which i don't think is the cause of the problem but its not helping. As for the lagg/stuttering im worried that if i go out on a limb and replace the motherboard and it does not solve the issue im gonna be back at square 1 again and i don't even know if what ive done in those pictures is enough damage to cause these issues. I really need help any is appreciated ive been obsessing over this for about a week now and i am very upset about it.
Note: Moderated edited link to fix link. (You added a period to the URL.)

Chowhound
Comic Vine
GameFAQs
GameSpot
Giant Bomb
TechRepublic