Cleaning inside of PC

MooMoo444

MooMoo444

MooMoo444

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I haven't done this in a long time and its a case with a window, so I'm gonna be frankly honest and say that it's looking a bit furry in there with dust. Temp's are a little higher than they used to be so this surely has a contributing factor to it.

I plan to clean it out this weekend, then do a fresh install of windows, moving from Vista to W7, so its all fresh and clean :)

Now, whats the best way to go about cleaning it, I've heard a lot of stories about people staticly blowing their mobo's, gfx cards etc and I'm bricking myself incase my computer doesn't turn on again.

I was thinking of just going over everything with the nuck and cranny hoover pipe, would this be a bad idea? I know using compressed air is supposed to be one of the best ways but I'd rather not have to go and buy some.

Is it safe to use cotton buds for the hard to reach areas without risk of popping anything?
 
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Do not use a hoover as that is a good way to kill a pc with static. I always use a 1" paintbrush to clean things although my pc's don't get too dusty as both cases have filters.
 
Hoover isn't the best option due to static build up it creates but otherwise unless you get a lot of static build up in your room or planning on stroking your cat while cleaning the case then I wouldn't really worry about it. I cleaned plenty of PCs and never had any incidents, if you want to be on the safe side then just touch something metal like the radiator or even the case of the PC before handling sensitive components inside.

I've never used compressed air myself, I just use a combination of simply blowing inside the case (although make sure you do that somewhere well ventilated) and for those small nooks and crannies I use an old toothbrush. Find it particularly handy for cleaning out fans and grills.
 
I use a bristle 1cm round paintbrush, it's good to get in between the heatsink fins and fan blades and even filters. Because it's bristle it doesn't attract static and this coupled with a few blows from the mouth it usually does the job nicely. Just make sure you don't spit too much when you blow.
 
I like the toothbrush idea, sounds like it would be a lot easier to clean between fanblades and heatsink fins :)

Obviously you unplug everything from the mains when cleaning but is there a way to discharge any power that might be left in there?

I really don't want to do all this then find out I've got a new doorstop :o Which is party the reason I've never cleaned it out for years.
 
MooMoo444 said:
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Obviously you unplug everything from the mains when cleaning but is there a way to discharge any power that might be left in there?
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AFAIK only component that may still hold any charge inside it is the PSU but unless you're planning on cracking that open then it's fine, just disconnect it from the components to be that extra bit safe.
 
In 20 years i have never once had any issues using a hoover. I do not hover the MB, just where i can reach, i use a compressor to blow out any dust, i turn the pressure down though.
Canned air is OK but you might aswell buy a cheap compressor. :D
 
I do have an issue cleaning with a hoover, mine is stupid upright design that doesn't have a detachable nozzle :p
 
My dad has a compressor he uses for paint spraying. Its only a small thing, but powerful enough for cleaning. Just take the PC outside and let it rip. Dust everywhere! :D
 
Disconnect from mains and press the On switch of the PC to discharge anything in the capactors. This also works to discharge PSUs which would normally take days to drain themselves.
 
robinbredin said:
I use compressed air, you can even get it from :eek:.
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The one in the yellow tin is terrible it last about a minute before it starts getting underpressured. And you should remove the competitor name as they actually sell pc stuff that ocuk sell and cheaper too :eek:
 
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You shouldn't quote it either then :D

Maybe hardware shop round the corner from me has some for cheap, maybe get a couple of tins if its liable to run out quickly.
 
The one in the yellow tin is terrible it last about a minute before it starts getting underpressured. And you should remove the competitor name as they actually sell pc stuff that ocuk sell and cheaper too
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Yes, I see what you mean. Had a look HERE at OcUK.
 
yeah 109ml tins are terrible they don't last very long at all i get 300-500ml tins from a local electronics store they last about 3-4 cleans which i do once a month think they are £7 might buiy a compressor soon tho as i would like to keep it clean more regular maybe once a week open the side panel and give it a good blast.
 
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