Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: Tinkles on December 19, 2013, 01:12:06 PM
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Not so much a 'need help here' topic. Just out of curiosity, how often do you guys clean out your computers of dust/hair etc (if at all), and what tool(s) do you use?
Could be helpful
*shrug*
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My computer... not so often, a couple of times a year. My customers' computers... weekly for the last nine years.
My primary tool is a can of compressed air. I use non-flammable, although the cheaper flammable version would probably do as well speaking of non-powered computers. Sometimes I use a vacuum cleaner with it, spraying the dust loose and sucking it at an electrostaticly safe distance. When cleaning fans with canned air, it's important to unplug the fan from the motherboard and/or prevent if from spinning to save the bearings and to prevent the fan motor to work as a power generator. The most important places to clean are air intakes (behind the front panel...) and cooler fins.
Sometimes if the computer has been smoked at, cleaning it is an unpleasant mess. All that smelly gunk that sticks everywhere, making fan blades heavy as lead and making coolers to a solid block... Tearing everything apart and using a brush is what I've done to them, even washing the non-electric parts with water and soap... Yuck!
Laptops are somewhat different. Some of them clearly haven't been designed for cleaning. The most important place to clean is the gap between the fan and the cooler grille. The nicest example to clean was a Fujitsu with a no-tool lid over the gap! The worst was an HP which had to be totally disassembled to get the fan loose.
Yet one hint for desktops: Keeping them a few inches above floor and not having a carpet near will reduce the dust build significantly! A cpu stand on wheels also makes cleaning under the computer much easier. Your childhood stool might do the trick as well, giving the beloved furniture a new life and function.
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Maybe once a year intentionally. If I happen to be adding something new, or troubleshooting, and see dust bunnies or excessively thick gunk on the fan blades I'll clean it.
A can of air works for most stuff. Q-tips work well to scrape the embedded dust off of fan blades. If something is really stubborn, isopropyl alcohol on a Q-tip can usually get it off.
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I clean when I can hear the difference. As I play AH the fan on the GPU will, over the months as cat hair accumulates, speed up more to get the same cooling. When it gets loud enough I open the case and clean out the GPU fan.
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Surprised to hear that my methods are used by others also. I used my vacuum (with one of those cheap dixie cups with a straw and ducttape) to get some of the tight spots. My motherboard fan has an external piece that hinders me from doing any 'real' cleaning. Last time I cleaned it (2 weeks ago) I used over 100 Q-Tips and still wasn't putting a significant dent into it.
Will post a picture when able to.
Oh, also. I normally try to clean my PC every 1-2 weeks, since it's an ancient machine (14).
Hoping 'she' lasts until april, when I get my new PC :banana:
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I take the intake filters off every couple weeks and scrap the dust off of them. My new rig has only been up and running since October though. I've got 2 dogs and 2 cats, so I'd imagine dust and hair is worse at my house than some others.
When I do take the side panels off for a proper cleaning, I plan on using the Carey Holtzman electric leaf blower option. :rock
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I am ashamed :o
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(http://www.bajiroo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/funny-cpu-cleaning-with-water-fail.jpg)
:D
Triton will love this. It's a picture and I post the mostest.
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I only clean mine occasionally using canned air.
(http://www.securitronlinux.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/messy-desk.jpg)
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I only clean mine occasionally using canned air.
(http://www.securitronlinux.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/messy-desk.jpg)
I've had to work on a couple of workstations that looked almost that bad. Not fun.
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Once or twice a year. I smoke and get that gunky build-up if I wait too long.
Generally I simply vacume it out using a plastic crevice attachment but if it's been too long and gotten bad I pull all the fans and take the GPU apart and clean the fans and the GPU heatsink with Q-tips. I have to do that every 2-3 years.
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I only clean mine occasionally using canned air.
(http://www.securitronlinux.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/messy-desk.jpg)
Redbull, Heinekin, Yogurt and Newports anyone?
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Uhh, Brooke? If you look at the empty poweraide bottles in the back they ALL have a yellow liquid in them. I can only imagine what he did with his stool.
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Heh!
It is the ultimate in green living -- don't generate any waste at all (outside of one's own room).
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i use a small air compressor. my machine is a full tower with 2X 10 inch fans on the side and 6 fans inside the case. i have to blow it out about 4 times a year or when i see dust being pushed out the vent holes on the other side of the case opposite the 10 inch fans.
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i use a small air compressor. my machine is a full tower with 2X 10 inch fans on the side and 6 fans inside the case. i have to blow it out about 4 times a year or when i see dust being pushed out the vent holes on the other side of the case opposite the 10 inch fans.
i do the same thing use a small air compressor and turn it up to about 30PSI but you gotta be very careful and make sure you hold onto any fans your cleaning i made that mistake about 3 years ago :D
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Uhh, Brooke? If you look at the empty poweraide bottles in the back they ALL have a yellow liquid in them. I can only imagine what he did with his stool.
Says the bucket man. :D