Follow our tips to keep your PC dust-free.
Anyone that owns a PC has to contend with dust buildup. It’s the bane of PC cooling. Even if you keep your area clean, some buildup will occur over time. It’s made much worse of you have a carpeted room and especially if you have pets.
You can configure your fans however you like, use as many dust filters as you can fit, and make sure your PC is well away from carpets and floor-bound fluff, but at some point, the dust comes for us all.
You can’t escape it, and it’s a good idea to clean your PC now and then if you want to keep your components’ temperatures manageable. Here are the methods we use to safely and thoroughly clean out our computers.Dust is the enemyToo much dust leads to higher temperatures and a loss of performance
The most important thing to consider when cleaning your case is that we want to make it possible for cool, fresh air to get into the case and hot air to get out. If dust filters are clogged or there’s excess dust collected around the heat sinks, that’s not going to be possible and your system could overheat.
Along with overheating, dust buildup can cost you performance. As temperatures rise, your CPU and GPU will begin to drop below their maximum boost and turbo clocks. In severe cases it can lead to significant throttling, if not shutdowns when your system is under a heavy load.
To counter that, you want to do everything you can to eliminate dust and leave your system fresh and clean.
Note: Whenever cleaning your PC or its components, you need to take extra special care about static damage. Using an anti-static wristband is ideal, but if you don’t have one to hand, make sure to regularly ground yourself by touching your case or PSU housing.Before you startGetting ready to clean your PC
One of the first signs of a significant dust buildup is when you can see it on the dust filters adjacent to your intake fans. It’s best not to just wipe it off or point a can of compressed air at your PC and hope for the best.
Before you begin, there are a few common sense things to consider.
Turn off your PC and unplug the power cable from the rear. If you want to be extra safe, unplug everything.
Wear a dust mask or respirator if you want to avoid breathing in any of the dust and dirt you remove from your case.
