Best way to clean your computer rig?

Dark Kyon · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:16

Hi guys!

Happy Chinese new year! ^^

What is the ideal and safest way to clean your computer rig in terms of dust.

stulid · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:18

Compressed air cans, paint brushes (1/2" and a 2" size), vacuum cleaner brush attachment.

CaptainUnlikely · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:19

Compressed air.
Just open the PC up, blast it with the air to get rid of all the surface dust, then blast areas where dust builds up (fans, heatsinks, dust filters) more thoroughly. It's a good idea to hold fans still when you blast them to prevent them from spinning up too fast and damaging the bearing.
That should get rid of at least 70% of the dust in an average PC for an outlay of about £3 and 10 minutes.

stueng · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:20

CaptainUnlikely said:
Compressed air.
Just open the PC up, blast it with the air to get rid of all the surface dust, then blast areas where dust builds up (fans, heatsinks, dust filters) more thoroughly. It's a good idea to hold fans still when you blast them to prevent them from spinning up too fast and damaging the bearing.
That should get rid of at least 70% of the dust in an average PC for an outlay of about £3 and 10 minutes.

Step 1 in this is

1) wait for misses to go out so she does not witness cloud of dust

stulid · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:22

Also a Microfiber cloth to wipe the case panels down with etc.

CaptainUnlikely · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:24

stueng said:
Step 1 in this is

1) wait for misses to go out so she does not witness cloud of dust

This.
I tend to do it outside so the wind carries away the dust, too...doing it in my room just means the dust will find its way back into my PC sooner rather than later.

panyan · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:34

i usually just put the whole rig into the dishwasher and run it through a cooler cycle, too hot and it wont be good for your components

no seriously, i just use a brush to lift the dust and then use a hoover

Dark Kyon · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:34

Ahh I see. How often do u clean ur rig?

zpos · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:35

Leaf blower in the garden from a safe distance.

Stoner81 · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:39

I use an air bed pump, a paint brush and the hoover.

Stoner81.

King85 · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:39

I thought my gfx card was on it's way out, turn out it was just that i'd never cleaned it and the dust was causing it to over heat, the amount of stuff I got out with a paint brush was ridiculous.

Dark Kyon · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:43

Couldn't it be dangerous when cleaning with a brush? Would it short circuit the components?

Lunawolfy · 23 Jan 2012 at 11:48

stulid said:
Also a Microfiber cloth to wipe the case panels down with etc.

Good quality though, I bought a poundland one and the combo of mr sheen and resin on the panel... Scratches are made =[

stueng · 23 Jan 2012 at 12:02

Dark Kyon said:
Couldn't it be dangerous when cleaning with a brush? Would it short circuit the components?

No, but even so the computer should be off when you do this

zpos · 23 Jan 2012 at 13:47

stueng said:
No, but even so the computer should be off when you do this

How about the static being generated?

2-step · 23 Jan 2012 at 13:51

air compressor, just watch out that the air coming out of it is DRY!

and don't use too much pressure as you will blow something off your motherboard and as others have said hold the fans, do it outside

i do it when i notice the temps are creeping up or when ever i have to sort a problem out, about once a year

Jay85 · 23 Jan 2012 at 13:57

I clean mine on a weekly basis with a camera lens cloth xD!

Just wiping down the surface of the case and cleaning the fan blades. Also wiping the tubes free of dust. My GPU has a backplate so i just give that a quick wipe over.

stueng · 23 Jan 2012 at 14:03

zpos said:
How about the static being generated?

Yeah I guess thats possible; one or two slow brushes should be ok though, dont sit there going back and forth fast enough to generate static

I use air myself, never used a paint brush

I've built in excess of 50 computers (most when I was at school and they got me to build all the school computers) I never worried about static electricity and never had a problem but I guess you could get really unlucky?

Rofflay · 23 Jan 2012 at 14:07

I got myself an anti-static brush off the rainforest which can be used with the grounding armband by the same company.PC Valet i think they are called?They also sell Anti static gloves so i dont leave oil marks on the PCB or fingerprints.I have Demcfilters also so when i go to sell my GFX card u wont know its even been used....

And i guess when i need to clean i will use that and compressed air with the hoover catching everything.

Thats about as good as it gets.

4T5 · 23 Jan 2012 at 14:12

stulid said:
Compressed air cans, paint brushes (1/2" and a 2" size), vacuum cleaner brush attachment.

1st post an all. :cool: