Need to clean the pc out - advice please!

SAM81

SAM81

SAM81

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Ok so I haven't opened my pc case for about 2 years - its getting warmer and I can here the fans spinning louder as the machine is under load. I want to open the case, take everything apart and give it a good clean out but am unsure what is the best way to do this.

My thinking is to strip it all down, grab a can of compressed air and blow the dust out - would this work and is this safe? Also where can i get a can of compressed air from?
 
i would take the case out side and use the compressed air to blow it all out.

i wouldn't bother taking the pc apart as the air will move all the dust anyway.

you can get compressed air from places like b&q or a hobby shop.

cant link you to the main shop you get it from as its a competitor.
 
schizo220168 said:
i would take the case out side and use the compressed air to blow it all out.

i wouldn't bother taking the pc apart as the air will move all the dust anyway.

you can get compressed air from places like b&q or a hobby shop.

cant link you to the main shop you get it from as its a competitor.
Click to expand...

No competitor hinting!
 
Every year or so, I will take the whole lot apart and just go over it with a veery soft paintbrush to loosen the dust. After which, I just go over it with the hoover (Bearing in mind that the hoover tubing shouldnt physically touch any of the components, as I may knock and break something)
 
If you have, or know anybody who has a workshop compressor and one of the little blower attachments, they work a treat. I dont have an air blower but just use my paint sprayer attachment which does the same thing (with no paint in it of course).
 
Yea air duster works well, short sharp bursts and yea take it outside (I didnt and room was a dust cloud). Also the paintbrush works really well on the fins of the coolers - as sturmtruppe said use a very soft one. Give the fan blades and vents a good brushing as well. Dust tends to kinda stick to the leading edges of the blades so these need a good clean.
 
someone elsewhere mentioned putting the case in the boot of your car, taking it to the petrol station, and use the free air there under the pretence of pumping your spare tyre...
 
Well for now i just used the paint brush plus hoover technique. Wasnt as bad as i expected actually, front filters were bad but inside was terrible.

Now cleaning it out will obviously help but i wouldnt mid getting your opinions on what the temps should be like. Im running a C2D6700 overclocked to 3ghz. This is using the stock cooler. Also using a 8800gtx with the stick cooler. Any idea what temps i should be looking at for these components?
 
A paintbrush and a toothbrush is whats needed to do it properly, 'canned air' I find does not have enough pressure, especially for cleanng inbetween the blades on heatsinks - which is the most important part.

DIRTY.jpg


clean.jpg
 
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Garden pool/Air mattress inflation pumps (mains electric) approx. £20 are good for this as well. Much more economical in the long run than buying cans of compressed air.

If fitted, don't forget to rinse your fan filters out in a warm water with a little detergent in. They dry out quickly.

:)
 
The pump sounds like a pretty good idea, I spend quite a lot on compressed air.

Also, if you have fan filters, don't be a tit like me and use a hair dryer at full heat, else you're likely to melt them :D
 
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