Dust Filter

[JeffCos]

Does anyone use anything for a dust filter on their intake fans? Do any companies even make dust filters...? i was thinking of using a dryer sheet cause they're pretty breathable, but let me know if you have any ideas.

 

[boyRacer]

Here you go...

... or you can just go the cheap way and get a whole sheet of foam filter from home depot and cut it accordingly.

 

[JeffCos]

Spanks

 

[BG4533]

From what I here the wire filters are much better than the foam ones. I bought foam ones and they caught a lot of dust, but they also stopped a lot of my airflow and raised my temps. If you are in a dusty enviroment remember to clean the filters weekly.

 

[bockchow]

i just use vent filters from homedepot and cut them to size.

 

[pelikan]

I've done some experimenting with different filters and have settled on pany hose. They have the best air flow, with the okay filtering level of a thin foam filter.

 

[Bluefront]

Ehhh...Do you want to keep the inside of your computer clean? Or maybe just filter out flying insects? ALL the filters just mentioned will keep out flies, but not dust, even if cleaned regularly.
Here's what I use for a filter, it's an air filter off a small car. It lasts for months of constant use.

Now you don't have to go this far, but if you really need to keep the computer clean, you'll have to use a hi-quality paper filter designed for the purpose. Anything less.....you're just kidding yourself about filtering.

 

[pelikan]

Filter snob...
Nice job on the filtering.

 

[PCHPlayer]

Originally posted by: Bluefront
Ehhh...Do you want to keep the inside of your computer clean? Or maybe just filter out flying insects? ALL the filters just mentioned will keep out flies, but not dust, even if cleaned regularly.
Here's what I use for a filter, it's an air filter off a small car. It lasts for months of constant use.

Now you don't have to go this far, but if you really need to keep the computer clean, you'll have to use a hi-quality paper filter designed for the purpose. Anything less.....you're just kidding yourself about filtering.

Wow, that's alot of work to keep the dust out. I just use vent filters. They don't keep all the dust out, but they do a good job of minimizing the dust. I still have to blast out the dust with canned air about every six months. Funny though, I thought all that grey stuff on the filter was dust, I didn't realize it was just thousands of tiny flies. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Bluefront]

Well heh. Those were not small flies, just larger chunks of household dirt in the air. The dust got right through. How much is too much? You decide.....

 

[0roo0roo]

guess i'll show you my madness. http://fox302.com/index.pl?s=vg&user=oroooroo&category=cases thing keeps my room pretty dust free

1" thick washable furnace filter. its thick, and very low air resistence, good for pc fans. its kinda ugly though but i don't care. your can also use aircon filters too, but those are thinner. most filters you can buy for pc's are ment for simplicity, not effectiveness.

you must have postive case pressure, else you'll suck dust through cracks. you must compensate for lost air flow for intakes with filters.

 

[HappyPuppy]

No matter what kind of dust filter you use it will cut down on airflow. I find it easier to just clean the case interior periodically.

 

[Bluefront]

Well that's just wrong. If you use a large enough filter, the reduction in airflow will be insignificient. Course if you stick an 80mm round piece of vent filter over your 80mm fan, your airflow will be greatly reduced.

I've never seen a stock case with a good filter setup. I have seen plenty of cases filled with dust and dirt after running a while.

 

[randomboy]

When you have a case full of cardboard, duct tape, and 3/4" pieces of board, who cares if its got a little dust on it?

 

[pspada]

dust bunnies gotta live too....

 

[mrzed]

Bluefront is right. The key is the filter should not be right next to the fan, and to have a large filtered area for intake.

I personally run with no intake fans, but all my intake areas filtered. My Antec SLK3700 case has a mesh filter on the front, and I taped a used dryer sheet across the bottom intake to filter that area. Removing these makes no significant difference in temps, but keeps an awful lot of cat hair out of the case. The key is that my filtered area is at least 2X the size of my fan area.

I will never use an unfiltered case again. Seen way too many heatsinks clogged with dust and fans grinding away. Not pretty.