Time to dust

[Garfield]

I was thinking, everybody says to go with compressed air, right? But, won't compressed air just push the dust into the hardware? Is that what I need to buy to dust my computer out? I've got to do that this weekend...

 

[cw823]

I was thinking, everybody says to go with compressed air, right? But, won't compressed air just push the dust into the hardware? Is that what I need to buy to dust my computer out? I've got to do that this weekend...

yes. That is what you need to do. If there's alot of dust tote it outside to spray it out. Just make sure you have nothing downwind (like yourself) to get dirty.

Do NOT use a vacuum cleaner to clean inside your case, unless you need an excuse to replace your motherboard.

 

[macklin01]

Hi,

cw823 made a lot of good points. Another reason for doing this in another room: if you do it in your computer room, all the dust you just removed from your case will be suspended in the air, a good portion of which will find its way back into your computer. If you really want to be thorough, you should pull the computer out from where it normally sits and vaccuum out the entire area around it. (hack, hack, dust bunnies! )

Which remind me ... I should do some of this myself! -- Paul

 

[ninthebin]

Do NOT use a vacuum cleaner to clean inside your case, unless you need an excuse to replace your motherboard.

I have done this, and I know people who have...nothing happened so have a word with yourself...

 

[RZA]

I think it's better to switch the vacuum cleaner into blowing mode. This way it will act like compressed air and damage no precious thingies...

 

[cw823]

I have done this, and I know people who have...nothing happened so have a word with yourself...

Take my word for it. Many vacuum cleaners are famous for carrying incredible amounts of static electricity. If you don't believe me, I have a customer you could call (blew up his motherboard via vacuum)

 

[Ridenow]

I just did Mom's computer. I removed a dust ball the size of a softball from just the PSU. It was bad.

 

[masitti]

Jeeze! I have always used a vacuum cleaner, and have never damaged any components. I'll probably start using compressed air, or that stuff you can buy in a can.

 

[Element-Xero]

you can buy specialized vaccuum cleaners made for cleaning electronics. They work at least as well/quickly as compressed air but with no dust explosion.

 

[Wa11y]

My recommendatino is to have your vacuum sucking out the exhausts while blowing compressed air around, so the compressed air moves the dust, while the vacuum removes it. And go a head a use a brush unit on fans and heatsinks, but beware using it on cards, just in case.

 

[Crash893]

yes definetly out side or in a place you dont care about getting dirty


i always like to get a normal floor fan and point it at the case

the compresed air losense it get is floating around but the floor fan gets it away from the case


i dont know why but there is something very satisfiying about removing like 5lbs of dust out of a system