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Cleaning the dust out of my computer

C

Conky

Lifer
I just went thru my semi-annual ritual of cleaning out my computer. The heatsink/fan was incredibly nasty.. here is an old pic but the new nasty was just like this. Text

My question is this... Has anyone ever used a lawn leaf blower before using the canned air you get at Office Max or wherever?

I was about halfway thru a can of compressed air cleaning out all the nasties outta my rig when it occured to me that I should use the leaf blower first the NEXT time to get the big junk out first.

At $8.99 a can for this stuff and as cheap as I am you gotta know this is a serious question. :laugh:
 
Originally posted by: mchammer
Is that the CPU stuck to the bottom of your heat sink? :Q
Click to expand...

Umm, yeah. Text

That was my old P4 1.8 Northy stuck to the Alpha. It still runs fine in my bro's computer(he is uber tightwad). I am using the same Alpha heatsink on my P4 3.06 HT Northy but that 68cfm fan sure draws in the dust and apparently animal hair as well. 🙁

 
Any rat feces in there? :Q

If you blow that sh|t around you could wind up with the hanta virus... Bloody lungs won't help your longevity.
 
Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
Any rat feces in there? :Q

If you blow that sh|t around you could wind up with the hanta virus... Bloody lungs won't help your longevity.
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Nope, I have a loaded mousetrap in the bottom of my case. It is a full-tower job with room to spare. 😀

 
hmm. interesting question. whatever you do, i wouldn't suggest cleaning the heatsink with the CPU still on there...maybe wash the heatsink? A vacum cleaner isn't strong enough. good idea.
 
Originally posted by: Crazyfool
Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
Any rat feces in there? :Q

If you blow that sh|t around you could wind up with the hanta virus... Bloody lungs won't help your longevity.
Click to expand...

Nope, I have a loaded mousetrap in the bottom of my case. It is a full-tower job with room to spare. 😀
Click to expand...

Then fire away my friend! 😀
 
Originally posted by: dmcowen674
Don't mess with the magic dust.

Seeems like everytime get rid of it, the computer dies, therefore it must be magic.
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I would tend to agree but this cpu is now running at 82 degrees fahrenheit instead of the normal minimum of 100 or so. It makes a serious difference in the overall temp of the room as well.

I know it sounds semi-retarded but I intend to use the leaf blower first the next time I hose this rig out, lol. The accumulated dust is way too much to be handled by a simple can of air and that same can finish and reach into the areas the leaf blower can't reach. 😀


 
What you need to do is get a full-size vacuum, hold that in one hand with canned air in the other. Turn on the vaccuum, and hold it in the area that the canned air is blowing.

I think it's hilarious that some people don't understand why when they used canned air the dust is back in a week. GET THE DUST OUT OF THERE PERMENENTLY! GEEZ!
 
Originally posted by: Injury
What you need to do is get a full-size vacuum, hold that in one hand with canned air in the other. Turn on the vaccuum, and hold it in the area that the canned air is blowing.

I think it's hilarious that some people don't understand why when they used canned air the dust is back in a week. GET THE DUST OUT OF THERE PERMENENTLY! GEEZ!
Click to expand...

Well, in my own defense... I do take the rig out on the back porch when I clean it out. The amount of dust is staggering and there is no way I would try that indoors, lol.

 
I would be careful using anything other than canned air. There was a story on the "computer stupidities" site where someone got the bright idea of taking a computer to a gas station and using a blower there. Somehow, the blower was filled with some particuarly nasty smelling water. Needless to say, the computer was ruined.
 
Originally posted by: Crazyfool
I would tend to agree but this cpu is now running at 82 degrees fahrenheit instead of the normal minimum of 100 or so. It makes a serious difference in the overall temp of the room as well.
Click to expand...

No it doesn't. Your computer would have to be defying the laws of physics.
 
Originally posted by: Shadowknight
I would be careful using anything other than canned air. There was a story on the "computer stupidities" site where someone got the bright idea of taking a computer to a gas station and using a blower there. Somehow, the blower was filled with some particuarly nasty smelling water. Needless to say, the computer was ruined.
Click to expand...
That may be true but I can't see the harm in using an electric Craftsman lawn blower the next time I clean this filthy rig out. :laugh:

I am hoping the next time I am forced to do this is new motherboard and cpu time... Mama wants a new Conroe! 😀

Dust will continue to be an issue in this location... I hope to upgrade to the Conroe in a less dusty place. 😉

 
I used to use an Alpha PAL6035. The close spacing and the hexagonal pin design always seemed to trap dust like crazy. It would look pretty close to that after a month or two of 24/7 usage.
 
Originally posted by: notfred
Originally posted by: Crazyfool
I would tend to agree but this cpu is now running at 82 degrees fahrenheit instead of the normal minimum of 100 or so. It makes a serious difference in the overall temp of the room as well.
Click to expand...

No it doesn't. Your computer would have to be defying the laws of physics.
Click to expand...

Maybe it is moving heat out of the case better now so it's not hanging out right near his legs making the temperature seem lower
 
i just use the vacumn attachments. yes i know..don't touch it directly to anything..static static...
and yea no sales on cans o air recently. while back they used to always have rebates and such on em. but office depots/officemaxes had a buncha stores close eventually or something. now no cheap can o air🙁
 
Originally posted by: notfred
Originally posted by: Crazyfool
I would tend to agree but this cpu is now running at 82 degrees fahrenheit instead of the normal minimum of 100 or so. It makes a serious difference in the overall temp of the room as well.
Click to expand...

No it doesn't. Your computer would have to be defying the laws of physics.
Click to expand...

Explain to me how less drops of sweat dropping off my nads is defying the laws of physics?

I could go into a long dissertation about why you have no idea about the thermal dynamics inside my computers case and the room it resides in but it's sufficient to say you are clueless.

🙂
 
Originally posted by: Bullhonkie
I used to use an Alpha PAL6035. The close spacing and the hexagonal pin design always seemed to trap dust like crazy. It would look pretty close to that after a month or two of 24/7 usage.
Click to expand...

I use the Alpha 8942 with a 68cfm fan. That is a recipe for a clogged heatsink, hehe.

But it works good... even when clogged the max cpu temp is 125F which is well below risky temps.

I wouldn't even mind the 125F temps but it does make this small room warm. I don't care what anybody says... I spend enough time in this tiny room and when the cpu/alpha is de-furred the room temp is like 10 degrees below the norm.

I still like this leaf blower idea. 😛


 
Originally posted by: Crazyfool
It makes a serious difference in the overall temp of the room as well.
Click to expand...
Wait, what? That's not true. It is still disapationg the exact same wattage, it is just running hotter ebcause it can not diapate the wattage at a lower tempeature. 80 watts at 50C is the same as 80 watts at 60C.

Anyway, I use an air compressor to clean out my cases. takes about 30 seconds or so. I have to blick the fans from spinning though, as I broke a few as they probably spun > 15k RPM when I was blowing the dust off them. (6 CFM at 130 PSI is probably too much 😛)

 
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