How often should you clean your PC?

Upgrade · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:23

I've had my PC for around 2-3 months and if I'm honest I've only ever opened it up once and cleaned out the fans of dust, etc.

How often is it recommended that you open up the case and clean all the insides?
How often do you clean the inside?

stulid · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:24

once a year, but then my case has dust filters.

i completely pull it apart and go to town.

RJC · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:24

Used to do mine once a year with my dads air compressor or Nitrogen, not done this though for a 18 months.

setter · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:27

I give it a good clean out once a year, though ill take out my intake fan filters every few days and clean them.

maj · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:31

On my current system I do mine every 3 months as the Antec 900 doesn't have dust filters. That will change when I get my sandybridge setup built though, as the new case I bought has dust filters.

Antec 900 is a pain in the arse to clean out as well.

ryu · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:33

when i upgrade :E

Upgrade · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:40

Wow, pretty suprised by the answers. As my PC was brand new, after the 2 months it was really quite dusty inside there. The fans had a layer of dust on them. I don't think I could ever leave it a year :O

stulid · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:43

irsean said:
Wow, pretty suprised by the answers. As my PC was brand new, after the 2 months it was really quite dusty inside there. The fans had a layer of dust on them. I don't think I could ever leave it a year :O

you could alter the airflow/amount of air in the case to create positive pressure this can help to keep out the dust.

Upgrade · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:44

Oh? I don't think my case is very good for that. It's a thermaltake soprano ^^

chipps101 · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:46

i usually hoover out my fan filters when i hoover my living room and clean the insides around once a year.

*edit - try taping up the gap on the base between the door and the case as air and dust comes in there and bypasses the front filter, i found that helped on my soprano

stulid · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:49

irsean said:
Oh? I don't think my case is very good for that. It's a thermaltake soprano ^^

dont matter, just get more air going in than out.

can even change some of the intake fans to higher CFM ones to help get more inside.

setter · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:52

chipps101 said:
i usually hoover out my fan filters when i hoover my living room and clean the insides around once a year.

One of the joys of the A70F, literally takes seconds to access and remove the fan filters.

chipps101 · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:57

yup the clip of front panel is fantastic on the A70F

, but on the soprano the whole front swings open if you unlock the 3 way lock so its even easier on that, but they fitted the fan filter on the door instead of directly in front of the fan which is a stupid design flaw with it (the filter sits around 1cm in front of the fan and lets most of the dust pass due to a gap in the bottom of the door) and always annoyed me with mine.

cjbagnall · 8 Feb 2011 at 22:57

Every 6 months i clean out the dust, and once a year pull it all apart for a deep clean.

.temp · 8 Feb 2011 at 23:01

every 6 months I aim for....though i'm a little behind this time.........by about 24 months :/

setter · 8 Feb 2011 at 23:01

chipps101 said:
yup the clip of front panel is fantastic on the A70F , but on the soprano the whole front swings open if you unlock the 3 way lock so its even easier on that, but they fitted the fan filter on the door instead of directly in front of the fan which is a stupid design flaw with it (the filter sits around 1cm in front of the fan and lets most of the dust pass due to a gap in the bottom of the door) and always annoyed me with mine.

I remember the design flaws of the soprano/tsunami all to well, had a tsunami dream, felt flimsier than a beer tin, got shot of it and bought an akasa eclipse, (still have it), used it for a few years till i fancied something bigger, hence the A70F.

chipps101 · 8 Feb 2011 at 23:03

i still have my soprano

i think the aluminium on the tsunami dream did make it a lot more flimsy.

stulid · 8 Feb 2011 at 23:06

I use to have one of these atcs201

Zero dust got in it.

chipps101 · 8 Feb 2011 at 23:08

that looks a lot more solid than the front of a soprano though

setter · 8 Feb 2011 at 23:09

^Are those atcs 201's not something of a collectors item, saw a few threads on various forums were people recalled how great theese cases were. Looks a little like an akasa eclipse.