POLL: How often do you clean your CPU?

[Ishi]

OK as the title would suggest from above and to make things alive in this seemingly forsaken section of the forums, lets talk about how often do you clean the inside or even the outside of the CPU to keep the computer running smoothly.

 

Another purpose of this is so that we will have a chance to share why or when we have to do this so that our machines keep their hardware tweaked as well.

 

Some of you can share the problems they noticed on their computers with a dirty CPU over the years.

[Tasgandy]

OK as the title would suggest from above and to make things alive in this seemingly forsaken section of the forums, lets talk about how often do you clean the inside or even the outside of the CPU to keep the computer running smoothly.

 

Another purpose of this is so that we will have a chance to share why or when we have to do this so that our machines keep their hardware tweaked as well.

 

Some of you can share the problems they noticed on their computers with a dirty CPU over the years.

Strange you should ask, I make a habit of carefully blowing out my PC's with compressed air (from a great distance to reduce the pressure) every 12 to 18 months. My main PC is due sometime this month. I normally take the side off, lay it on the workshop bench (the Misses will not let me do it on the dinning room table !!!!!!) direct the air to: power supply (inlet and outlet), the MB, the CPU fan from the top and then from the sides, then the fan (if any) on the video card, then the 2 case fans I run (Antec case with thermo fans) then clean the gauze filter out on the main 6" front of case fan. DUST is a KILLER.

 

There you go, I'll bet you wish you had never asked, but seriously I saw what happened to PC boxes many years ago when take off the lid's when they had not been touched for 4 to 5 years.................you really don't want to know.

 

It will be interesting to see just what sort of response is forthcoming.

[Ishi]

DUST is a KILLER.

No arguments there, dust is a killer.

 

There you go, I'll bet you wish you had never asked, but seriously I saw what happened to PC boxes many years ago when take off the lid's when they had not been touched for 4 to 5 years.................you really don't want to know.

 

It will be interesting to see just what sort of response is forthcoming.

 

No, I don't really regret that I asked this, in fact like what you said, its interesting to see what the others will have to say when it comes to how often do they clean their CPU. I think its a personal choice but lets see who gets a good point.

[slowday444]

Overkill, but I generally do it about every six months. I take the side off then lay the tower on my trucks tailgate with a towel under it. I have an air compressor in the garage and use the blow gun from a safe distance. Literally, I could probably rip the inside apart if I wasn't careful with all that air pressure!

[DennisD]

I use a small soft brush attachment on the vacuum cleaner hose and vacuum the keyboard and the monitor screen every few days. Picks all the dust out of the keys and the edge of the screen where it joins the case.

 

I vacuumed the inside of my pc (desktop) a couple of months ago when the fans were coming on much more often than previous.

 

Took a scary amount of dust off everything, especially the fans, the fan housings and the heat sink.

 

Since that thorough clean up, my fans hardly ever come on, and they do still work.

[aqua]

good post,to clean cpu and fan,,but i bet we need a video of how to:..some cpu's fans a re a bit different.also they use a special paste,ai think is thermal paste.

I.........don't know how to ..i read how it has to be done..

[login123]

For Inside the case, whenever it looks dusty:

 

I use natural bristle paint brushes to brush off the dust while holding the vacuum hose close enough so that it pulls it out. Don't use synthetic fiber brush...static. I don't touch the parts...oil from skin can kill'em slowly, well, maybe or maybe not, why risk it, so try to never touch any parts except w/ the brush.

 

I just brush out the CPU cooling apparatus without removing it. Sometimes remove the fan if it just screws on.

 

edit: canned air is good too.

 

Also, I don't remove the cooling fins or to remove CPU from the socket, so never have to replace the paste. Thats kinda tricky. Is that right, don't unplug the CPU unless really necessary?

 

'nuther thing, don't let the vacuum spin the fans. Hold them still while cleaning.

[Talldog9]

Something some people should try once in a while is removing the faceplate on the front of the tower. Many have them. A lot of times there are several smaller plastic faceplate inserts under the main faceplate. They may be there to cover and/or reinforce the ports or card slots. Dust can and will gather over time in and under these faceplates and inserts. You will also want to check any exposed PCBs(that the ports are mounted on) for dust once everything has been removed. Clean the metal frame and any holes and unused slots and mounting ports as well.

 

 

 

BTW how many people have desktop towers with quick opening type panels? The kind with one or a few thumb screws you loosen to remove the side panel.

[DennisD]

One thumbscrew on the rear edge of the case. Nice and easy.

[login123]

Same, one thumbscrew. The front panel comes off by pressing some plastic tabs. Also, the brush and vacuum works well to clean out the usb ports, card slots, etc.

[Ishi]

I used a vacuum cleaner once but its just big and would take time to set up just to get my PC clean. I do manual cleaning with the toothbrush and some cloth. I would take off the side cover and clean it from there. I also removed the TV tuner and the video card for a few times so that I could clean those things better.

 

After making this thread, I decided to clean my PC yesterday.

[JDPower]

Just once. In two years. But then it is a laptop lol. And I was having to take it apart anyway to replace the mousepad (renewed the thermal paste on the processor while I was there seeing as I had some Arctic Silver hanging about and last laptop died with heat trouble)

[1984]

hmmmmm i do this every two weeks, seems to get dusty fast!

[Talldog9]

Mine sits on a hardwood floor so it tends to suck up dust bunnies.

[GentleMon Todd]

Hello,

 

I dust the outside and keyboard about once a week. I have one those anti-static dust brushes (more like a broom) to use, multi-colored as well.

 

About every six months I remove the side panel (one thumb screw there) and vacum out the inside carefully. A use a bristle type brush at the end of the vacum hose, tower is on its side. I will also remove the fan(s) on the cpu and main chasis fan. I then use fingernail polish remover on the end of a Q-tip to remove "particles" from the fan blades and edge of housing, but not on wires or sensors. Not a bad idea to remove all of your cards and even memory sticks to really get the finer dust of everything, whether individual cards or entire motherboard.

 

I use a micro-fiber cloth and LCD/Plasma TV Screen spray (in blue bottle, blue clothe, bought at Walmart) to clean my monitor as necessary, usually with the general dusting. It is a 24" LCD High-definition monitor, so I am extra sure to use that micro-fiber clothe with the monitor off. A simple lens cleaning clothe for prescription lenses will do wonders on most services as well, a lot cheaper too. I tend to have cat hairs with static cling to remove mostly. The clothe by itself is used more than the actuall cleaning spray and clothe.

 

I have removed the entire power unit and taken it apart to clean inside of it. Get at the fan, circuit board, heat sinks, and those big old capaciters. You really want to make sure that the fan does not stop working due failure. Easy to replace, just that I do not like taking that power unit apart. Seems like it would be to easy to accidently mess it up, never have though.

 

Did I mention I have a long hair (easely sheds) cat name Tigger? She loves to lay on the table that I have my computer on, only if I am sitting there. She will flop on my keyboard if I ignore her. Sometimes, I get lucky and she only wants to give a "chin rub" against the tower. I am assuming she is just letting me know where she stands on ownership and friendship.

 

I know of friends having complete hard-drive failure due to built up dust, dirt, and other things. Not mention complete motherboard failure. Devices, ram, and fans still worked with a different motherbaord, or computer. My older sister's Dell Dimension just stop working, not even the BIOS comes up. But of course, the vents in the back were solid with fuzz and I serioulsy remove 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick solid "Dust Bunny" from under the from face plate (about 4" by 6") in front of the hard-drives. Ironically it was her motherboard not the drives the finally got fried. I was able to recover most of her hard-drive for her. I toke pictures but I can't find them now. I have added a two pictures; one of a power supply apart. Another one of a Dell tower that I had really cleaned out and put back together. The Dell did not have any viruses or software issues, just to many dust bunnies and a faulty fan.

 

Of course we all know to unplug the power cord at the power supply your computer first. Then press the power button to fully discharge any remaining or built up charges. Sometimes a LED on the motherboard will let you know when everything is fully discharged (off is discharged). I thought I would just add that at the end, everyone knows of static electricity.

 

GentleMon Todd,

Monday, 2-22-2010 at 10:41pm.

 

Postscript: having some fun with the Emoticons.

[kroozer]

About once a year I stick a pencil in each fan and blow out the inside with a DustDevil. Mouse & keyboard are black and don't show grunge very well, so I wipe down with rubbing alcohol only when needed.