Should I Clean The Dust Out Of My Computer

Just like your car, your house, and even your body, your computer needs a good cleaning every in one case and a while to prevent dust build-up and overheating. Cleaning a PC is easy to do and only takes virtually 20 minutes, so today nosotros're going to cover how to effectively clean the within of your desktop calculator.

Editor's Note: This article shows how to completely make clean everything within of the calculator instance. You don't necessarily take to remove the RAM and video card if yous don't desire to. We do recommend cleaning your computer on a regular basis.

How often should I clean my figurer?

Depending on your surround, you lot may need to clean your computer more or less often. Reckoner placement is ane important variable. Keeping your computer on the floor allows for dust, hair, skin cells, and rug particles to get inside easier. If you lot go along your computer above the floor—say, on your desk—particles are less prone to getting within.

If y'all smoke near your computer, tar, ash, and other gunk can build upwards in your figurer'southward fans and on inside surfaces. Ridding your computer of these things every 6 months can increase your computer's operation.

If you're the owner of a pet that sheds, you might want to clean your calculator more often. The inside of your calculator is merely as susceptible to fur clogging fans and other areas of your computer.

In short, if you lot keep your computer off the flooring, don't fume, and don't have shedding pets, you can probably get away with cleaning your computer once per year. If any of those things practice pertain to you lot, you might want to clean your calculator every 6, or fifty-fifty 3, months. And, as always, if your computer starts getting hotter than usual, open it upward to check for any grit or pilus buildup and then clean information technology.

Preparation

Practice not open your estimator while information technology is running or with any cables attached to it. It is ever safer to remove all peripherals such as USB cables, audio cables, video cables, andespecially the power cablevision. Yes, keeping the power cablevision continued does footing the PC and it's ofttimes okay to leave it connected while working inside the case. Only, even the tiny trace of moisture from canned air tin crusade trouble if the components are getting power.

Next, move your reckoner to a well-ventilated area such as your backyard or garage. This is especially of import to consider if your computer has built up a lot of grit that will be blowing around. Animate all that old, accumulated grit isn't salubrious and if you're in an enclosed space, the grit is just going to settle back on your stuff—including back on your figurer.

If you're limited on space just be sure to keep a vacuum (not for cleaning the within of the figurer; more on that shortly) nearby for a quick clean up later on. And if you lot're worried about inhaling dust, you can ever stop at your local hardware stop to option upwards a inexpensive grit mask for less than $v.

Assemble Your Tools

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Before you begin opening your estimator'southward instance, you'll need to gather your cleaning tools. Nosotros highly recommend not using a vacuum to clean dust off your computer components. This tin can create a static buildup and could potentially fry important electrical components on your motherboard, video card, and other places. It's just a bad idea, and so spare yourself the agony and pick upward a compressed air can.

That said, a vacuum tin come in handy if you're dusting out your computer inside. Run the vacuum and concur the hose about—butnon touching—your PC. Accident the grit out of the PC in the direction of the vacuum hose, so the vacuum can suck most of it right up.

There are a few tools you will need to clean your estimator:

• Hardware fix that includes screw drivers
• Tin of compressed air
• Cleaning cloth
• Zip ties (optional)
• Scissors (optional)
• Cotton wool swabs (optional)
• Thermal paste (optional)
• Pencil or pen (optional)

One of our readers, Carlos, suggests using a pocket-sized paint brush to sweep away dust where compressed air simply tin can't reach. Some of these tools are optional, so don't stress out if you don't have them. Nosotros just had a few ourselves, and still managed to do a peachy job.

Open Your Case

Now that y'all're in a well-ventilated area with all your tools gathered, nosotros tin can start the preparation process past opening upward your estimator'southward case. All calculator cases are different. If you've never opened yours earlier and are having trouble opening it, consult your computer's transmission or try searching online for guides specifically near your opening your model.

The case nosotros're using is a Sigma Luna WB, and, just like most cases, all it takes is unscrewing two screws, and then sliding the side-panel outward. Notation that if your side panel has an attached fan, y'all may have to disconnect a ability cables to go the console completely off.

To brand the cleaning process easier, it'due south best to accept out any components that tin be hands removed. Most desktop computers allow you to remove RAM sticks, video cards, and difficult drives. You don't demand to do this, merely you can clean more thoroughly if you do.

We recommend non removing your CPU because thermal paste that is used to transfer heat from the tiptop of the processor to the fan needs to be replaced every time the fan is removed. If youare equipped with thermal paste and want to remove your CPU, merely exist sure to clean off the former thermal paste on your CPU with rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth. Then apply a fresh coat of thermal paste in one case y'all're done cleaning your reckoner.

Nigh people shouldn't demand to remove their CPU and CPU fan. It merely doesn't brand sense considering barely any dust makes its manner into the CPU socket. Then again, if y'all're cleaning your computer, why non become all the way? The pick is yours.

Cleaning

To beginning the cleaning process, begin with the peripherals nosotros but removed. Take hold of your tin can of compressed air and agree the trigger to release a outburst of air onto an area with a lot of dust buildup. We're cleaning an one-time video card that never got a lot of attention, and then in that location were some dust clumps accumulating around the DVI ports. If you lot're cleaning a video carte du jour with a fan, you tin can use a pen or pencil to prevent the blades from spinning while you accident the compressed air.

Next, nosotros move within the computer instance. Start by removing any dust particles that may have plant their style inside the RAM slots. Have your compressed air can, aim information technology at a RAM slot, agree the trigger, and move it downwardly the entire slot. Repeat this for every slot in your computer case.

At present we'll move onto the bigger equipment within such as your CPU fan and power supply unit. Again, it's recommended to use a pen or pencil when cleaning fans to prevent the blades from spinning. Use your compressed air can to blow out whatever loose dust particles.

Yous tin can also use a cotton wool swab to clean the fan by rubbing the swab against the blades to stick the dust particles. It's a little irksome, simply it makes for a nice, clean fan in the end.

The lesser of your case will undoubtedly have dust buildup. You can begin with blowing the grit abroad with your compressed air. If there is nevertheless dust stuck to the example, yous can utilize a damp cloth to wipe it. Make certain your fabric is nonwet, merelydamp. Repeat this stride for all the nooks of your instance.

Finally, don't forget to too make clean out any other fans, ports, or enclosures equally described to a higher place.

If you've got a fan that's item gunked up, don't exist agape to use a cotton fiber swab with a bit of isopropyl alcohol to get the blades clean. Give the fans a quick spin to make certain that the blades move freely after cleaning. If they don't, it'southward probably best to get ahead and replace those fans.

Decluttering Cables (Optional)

This next step is optional and is recommended for custom-built computers. Unlike professionally manufactured computers, custom-built computers don't arrive with nicely tucked away cabling that fits but right. The all-time way to make your case more than secure and organized is to use zip ties. Yous too don't desire your CPU fan or any other fans scraping away at cables if they're non neatly tucked abroad.

To commencement you'll need a pack of zip ties. Information technology doesn't matter what size or color they are, as long as they can fit around all your cables. We'll be using 4-inch zip ties.

Begin past disconnecting all cables that need to be tied. Be sure to write downwardly how they were connected for reference later and take pictures.

When you have a cable or set of cables grouped to your liking, wrap a aught tie effectually it and run the thin terminate through the fastener. Then tighten the zip tie past pulling the thin end until you can no longer tighten it. Grab your scissors and cutting off the backlog.

Echo this step for as many cables as possible. You tin then constrict them away to reduce their visibility and give your figurer's guts a cleaner wait.

The Backwash

Plug your cables back into their correct sockets. Refer to your document or pictures from earlier if you don't recall where each cablevision goes. Also call up to put back whatsoever removed peripherals, such equally a video menu or sticks of RAM, back into their appropriate sockets.

Your reckoner, inside and out, should be looking as skillful every bit new. Nosotros've rid our figurer of dust, hair, skin particles, and much more. Your cables should be neatly managed and out of the way of fans and other sensitive equipment. If you were having heating issues earlier, yous'll begin to notice that it's matter of the past. And don't forget to clean your computer every 3 to 6 months to keep that performance up!

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/72716/how-to-thoroughly-clean-your-dirty-desktop-computer/

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