Dust in Case

[aviwil]

I have an ASUS A7V with Athlon 1Ghz , , ATX Midi case 300 W and 4 yrs old . I opened it the other day for first time in a long time . It's full of dust as it stands on the floor . I wiped some dust off thecase floor . Is it worth to try and clean some of the boards , or best left alone ? If to clean - how ? Would a vacuum cleaner help , or maybe cause static problems ?
Thanks .

 

[yezhou]

Errr...I wouldn't use a vacuum. Just get some of those compressed-air in a can things and blow the dust out.

 

[TRUMPHENT]

I would take the entire computer apart. The blades on your fans probably have beards. Your heatsink may have some hefty deposits that are not visible. Most importantly, the powersupply is most likely chock full of stuff. You can at least look inside the powersupply to evaluate the build up.

I consider my computer to be a static vacuum cleaner. It doen't move therefore, it is static. It requires emptying on occasion.

 

[alien42]

why is everyone so concerned with dust? my current dinosaur has not been cleaned since it was built about 5 years ago (with the side door always being off). gives it a nice *aged* look as if a cat died in it.

of course, i am sure my attitude will change when i get my new rig built.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: alien42
why is everyone so concerned with dust? my current dinosaur has not been cleaned since it was built about 5 years ago (with the side door always being off). gives it a nice *aged* look as if a cat died in it.

of course, i am sure my attitude will change when i get my new rig built.

dust is the enemy, it creates a static field, can short boards, and traps heat. in a low end system where heat isn't an issue you can go a while without cleaning, but it still isn't recommended.

 

[LED]

Just buy a can of compressed air and blow it out...

 

[Nessism]

Originally posted by: LED
Just buy a can of compressed air and blow it out...

And don't forget to take the whole thing outside before blowing it out:Q

 

[Spike]

Originally posted by: Nessism

Originally posted by: LED
Just buy a can of compressed air and blow it out...

And don't forget to take the whole thing outside before blowing it out:Q

lol, I can tell you have forgotten to do this just like me... My wife was none to happy when the dust bunnies started their assault on my office. All it took to incite them was a little "puff" of the compressed air. After that it took a few min for the air in the office to be breathable again and a few more min to fight off the bunnies with a dustbuster.

-spike

 

[aviwil]

Thanks everyone for your replies .

 

[PCHPlayer]

Canned air while holding a vacuum cleaner hose inside the case. The air gets the dust into the air and the vacuum sucks it away. No need to disconnect all the cables (except the power cord) and take the case outside.

 

[jose]

You'll get better results, if you take it outside and use a leaf blower...

 

[Zepper]

In the shop where I worked for a while we used a regular compressor with a blower tip. If you use one, either be sure there is an in-line water trap or drier or blow into the air first until you don't see any water vapor - you want a blower, not a power sprayer. But I use whatever I have on hand. I use a brush with anti-static bristles along with a vacuum (touch or connect a metal part of the hose to ground for static bleed-off) on fans, heatsinks and other nooks and crannies.
. The blower/vacuum combo mentioned above sounds good for inclement days...
.b.h.

 

[CheesePoofs]

Originally posted by: alien42
why is everyone so concerned with dust? my current dinosaur has not been cleaned since it was built about 5 years ago (with the side door always being off). gives it a nice *aged* look as if a cat died in it.

of course, i am sure my attitude will change when i get my new rig built.

Dust makes heat. I cleaned out my computer (which hadn't been cleaned for around 6 months) and got more than a 5C drop in idle temps.

 

[aviwil]

Thanks everyone for your replies . I'm OK at installing a board in the PC , here and there , but surely not really experienced at doing anything other within the case . I certainly understand the importance of removng the dust . But is it a possible that a novice like me may cause more trouble than good by starting to clean out the case as you've all suggested ?

 

[TRUMPHENT]

The power connector on the floppy drive can add excietement to your life if you don't connect it properly. I once connected a floppy power cable with the connector to the left or right by one pin. Instant fire. I had my face right in the case when I hit the power button to make sure the critical fans started up.

I have since learned to double check that sort of stuff. I saw a bunch of powersupplies at former employer tech shop with similarly burned wires. Now I know what did it. All it cost me was a floppy drive and the connector from the powersupply. It's good to get your feet wet , so to speak. Just don't work on your computer with wet feet.

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: LED
Just buy a can of compressed air and blow it out...

or use a small air compressor.