TF2 freezes >_<

[Puckey]

So, basically about 2 days ago TF2 started to freeze. It now freezes about once or twice every 15-20 seconds, and the freezes last from 1 to 5 seconds. It is extremely annoying, as one can imagine, and tend to get in the way at the worst possible time (e.g. crossing a chokepoint using Your Eternal Reward without disguise).

I am running a windows 7 laptop, (Before this bullshit starts, I'd just like to mention that it's a decently powerful one ) and like I mentioned it was working fine earlier. I've already defragged my game cache, but that's about all I know to do.
[Edit: As suggested by LTBlood over IRC, I've cleared my tf\downloads folder. Will update.]
[Follow-up edit: It helped, probably cut the freezes by half. Are we onto something? Also, it seems to get worse whenever grenades or rockets are launched.]

Also, can I add the AD tag to my name? I thought "AD Puckey" would look cool

[Ultimate100]

I'm not sure why you get the lag spikes. However, as far as I know you are free to use the [AD] tag in your nick anytime.

[Patchouli]

i have those lagspikes, too
nothing you can do about it
might be the slow harddrive

[Puckey]

When did yours start, Patchouli?
Seeing as they randomly started, and clearing \tf\downloads helped, there must be something else...

[Patchouli]

i can slowly see my harddrive dying
so it increased little by little over the past few month

[Conor]

Look at what temperatures your Graphics cards and cpu gets using a monitoring program while running TF2 windowed. Could be overheating or something. My old cpu ended up reaching temps of 100 ·C when playing L4D2.

[Puckey]

God damn, a cpu at boiling point?

B2t, I've noticed now this is only on multiplayer, so does that rule a CPU/Graphics card issue? It works fine on bots.
Better yet, now it's worse than before, but I'm back home from the beach. I'm just gonna go ahead and assume that my internet connection is better than the one at the hotel I stayed at, yet somehow it's much worse. The freezes are now about 5 seconds long with 3-7 seconds in between each one, and now it's a full blown freeze instead of slowing down.

What the hell is going on?

[Xana]

sounds crazy.
My only suggestion, is get better GFX card?

[Puckey]

They've stopped, don't know how, but they have.