I just wanted to post some very positive results that I have after cleaning my case today.
First of all, my case was simply not dirty at all. I have seen cases filled with giant dust bunnies, and fans so clogged with grime I didn't think they could still push air.
I used two tools: compressed air and a soft bristled brush. I didn't even detach any parts for a real good cleaning (Except for the chipset fan needed some WD40 because it was making noise). It took me about 10 minutes to do everything including detaching the chipset fan, lubing it, and reattaching it. So, I obviously didn't do a very thorough job.
The differential between my case temps and CPU temps dropped a solid 5c. Before they hovered around 16-17c over the ambient temp, now it's 11-12c. Also, my case temps seem to have dropped another 2-3c. So, my CPU temps are now hovering around 7-8c lower than they were before the cleaning. Not bad for a no cost project (I already had the air and brush) that took me 10 minutes.
First of all, my case was simply not dirty at all. I have seen cases filled with giant dust bunnies, and fans so clogged with grime I didn't think they could still push air.
I used two tools: compressed air and a soft bristled brush. I didn't even detach any parts for a real good cleaning (Except for the chipset fan needed some WD40 because it was making noise). It took me about 10 minutes to do everything including detaching the chipset fan, lubing it, and reattaching it. So, I obviously didn't do a very thorough job.
The differential between my case temps and CPU temps dropped a solid 5c. Before they hovered around 16-17c over the ambient temp, now it's 11-12c. Also, my case temps seem to have dropped another 2-3c. So, my CPU temps are now hovering around 7-8c lower than they were before the cleaning. Not bad for a no cost project (I already had the air and brush) that took me 10 minutes.
