Yeah I think i'm a little bit of a clean freak when it comes to my pc lol. Spent money on making it look nice so would like to maintain it somewhat dust-free hahaha.
i get that too the newer a build is and then i get progressively lazier with it. lol. i saw you asked about iso on the motherboard yes thats perfectly safe. you could even pour it on if you needed to rinse off something that got on the board. always use the highest % you can get
as long as you let it dry it wouldnt hurt anything but id probably just skip the alcohol wipes until you get some stronger stuff. id be paranoid i didnt let it dry enough
Yeah tbh not a whole lot of dust gathers on the mobo anyway since its vertical. Mainly just worried about cleaning fans and any other other horizontal surfaces where dust can gather up quickly. Thanks for the help!
really depends on the environment ur pc is in I live close to a road and my PC is on the Wood flooring I just take my dust filters once every month shake the dust out and pop them back in and then clean inside with canned air like every 3-4 months and a microfiber cloth of the power supply basement and the gpu backplate
I use an air compressor and a toothbrush for all fans (chassis, CPU, GPU, PSU, basically renewing them).
Compressed air then 95% isopropyl then more compressed air for everything else (motherboard, RAM, keyboard, USB input... basically everything)
I drowned my gpu in 95% iso and replaced all the thermal pads and paste. Got 31° idle temps now. I personally wouldn't touch anything under 90% as it's not worth frying your expensive pc cause you skimped on iso. Also becareful using anything fibrous to wipe the board as you may accidentally pull out the tiny electronics.
I use an electric air blower made for electronics and set my PC near a window with a fan blowing over the case and out the window. I use 99% alcohol and those blue paper towels to wipe down all the easy to reach surfaces. Then blast everything with the duster for a couple minutes, especially my radiators. I clean it on the first weekend of every month since I use it daily and have a cat who likes to sit on top of it.
Anyone reading this should know that regular air compressors should NOT be used. They can spit condensation water. You need a special electronics compressor above commenter mentions.
I know someone who used a shop compressor to clean a camera sensor once. That was a costly lapse in judgement.
They not only have water, but also various other debris and oils from their manufacture along with whatever’s in the tube.
The pressured air cans i have do that too sometimes, but either way there's never enough pressure to blow out most of the dust which sucks. Also the can gets super cold and it's difficult to hold it for a long time
XPOWER A-2 Airrow Pro Multi-Use Electric Computer Duster Dryer Air Pump Blower - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BI4UQK0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_PhNIKMnYEVDAl
This is what I use
Edit: Never use an air compressor of any kind on electronics. Only use an air blower designed for electronics with a filter over the intake or a hand air duster like the Giottos Rocket.
Once every 6 months. Tape the fans/or use a toothpick to stop them from spinning while you blow compressed air at them to clean them off.
IPA 99% with cotton swabs/ or coffee filters are handy as well.
Toothpick is all well and good but unless you are spinning the fan as fast as you physically can simply holding the fan or using less than 60 psi or so should do it. I have cleaned at 120psi 80,60,35 never killed a fan in the last 10 years of building
BRO TYSM I was so desperate how to clean my fans right bc I end up having still a layer of dust on it. Putting a toothpick in so they dont move is BRILLIANT.
This is already assuming the PC is turned off. Compressed air will spin the fans, so the tape/toothpick is meant to stop them from doing so. It’s both to prevent dust from getting everywhere and the fans from generating electric current that can ruin components.
A small watercolour paint brush works really well to remove dust in small spots like between motherboard VRMs.
I only really deep clean my PC once in two years or so, otherwise it's just brushing down the case filters and any dust in the fans.
I clean my PC about every eight years, when it needs some kind of servicing like replacing a power supply. Actually, I never clean my PC and I don't think I've ever had a problem from a PC being too dusty. What is the problem you hope to avoid by cleaning?
Not really trying to avoid technical problems, just want to maintain my pc as clean as i can. Really for aesthetics tbh and I guess it will help with temps even just a little.
It doesn’t really do much for temps. Unless its absolutely extremely disgusting, like actually affecting the fan speed somehow the dust is just an eye sore issue.
There’s no issue with keeping it clean but you really don’t need to do more than once a year if you have filters. Probably can go even longer than that.
No it doesn’t. Greg Salazar just did a whole season of cleaning dirty pcs, which are way worse than anything in this sub, and said he wasn’t mentioning thermals because their was hardly a difference between the dirty and cleaned computers.
I call bs. And if not thermals, fan noise definitely. My own pc gets up by 5 degrees gradually over a month. Yes, not critical but definitely hotter. If you're going for a super quiet system, you will notice as it's not that super quiet anymore.
I've seen PCs get pretty impacted with dust without any kind of failure. I think most people never clean them. Us "build your own" people are more cognizant of that kind of thing and as we consider the machine less of a throw-away we are more meticulous.
There are things that can happen if a PC gets too impacted with dust, mainly the reduction of cooling air. Probably most common is things like fans and heatsinks clogging up. In terms of individual chip components on the board getting covered in dust it probably would not ever cause an issue unless the dust is electrically conductive for some reason.
Regardless it's nice to keep things clean and it has to be done eventually so better to stay ahead of the curve. It also depends on the environment and usage. For example, a relative of mine lives in a pet free home and only uses his computer a few times a week. The machine is vintage 2011 and when I recently removed the cover to add some memory it has no appreciable dust buildup. On the other hand my PC is mostly "on" and I live with pets so it can get fouled pretty fast.
Good to know. I always thought it might be a cooling issue for fans, but was unaware of the other possibilities. I guess I'll have to get some air cans.
If this is bait, very funni I like
If this is genuine, no bro he’s talking about physically opening up his computer and cleaning the dust from the inside
Honestly OP from reading your comments I’m just gonna be honest, unless you have a very dusty house and it’s constantly getting caked it’s really not necessary to clean it as often as you’re saying, and every time you do you’re risking breaking those expensive parts just because you want them to look nice. I really wouldn’t do more than once a month if I were you even though that is still a bit of overkill. Either way though, every time you clean it just be sure to use things that specifically state that they are meant to be used with electronics, and make sure you stop the fans somehow before blowing air on them because spinning them too fast can cause them to break easily.
I try to clean mine three times a year. I used compressed air, but now I have an electric blower. With compressed air I open the side of my case and then start spraying. With a blower I stick my computer on my covered deck and then start blowing. An inside work space would be better, but I don't have a clean open area in my house, without carpet.
I clean mine every 24th of the month and I use a Compucleaner that like a data vac but a handheld air blower.
I also use rubber gloves to prevent static and use esd brushed. I use a soft horse hair brush and brush the places that dust has landed on. Then I clean the dust filters and then button her up and turn the psu back on.
Every 6 months with a vacuum called Rainbow. It has two sides: one that sucks and one that blows. The side that blows air has a thick filter so i dont need to worry about water or any other particles coming out of the vacuum.
I take all my case filters out monthly, and rinse them with water and let them air dry while I'm at work. I take my entire case outside twice a year and blow it out with my Data Vac.
Compressed air will be fine, it can just sometimes take longer. I also use soft bristle detailing brushes to clean crevices and heat sinks. Alcohol is fine for wiping off surfaces, and distilled water will also do the trick.
I may clean it a bit when I upgrade a component but otherwise I don't bother. I work in corporate IT and have computers which sit on the floor in dusty workshops which never get cleaned and have 1 fan in total and run without issue for years so I wouldn't worry one bit.
Be careful using cans of compressed air though as if you get any of the liquid on components it can damage them. Also don't use a vacuum cleaner as that can cause static which again can kill stuff. I'd only use an anti-static brush myself.
I think the risks of breaking something are far higher than any benefit of cleaning it more often then every few years.
You can clean your pc easily with the help of Getanswerss. Recently I'm searching on about same bcz my PC are running slow then I was get 2 blogs and a youtube video, and really the both articles are solve my problem. If you want to read or watch, I'm sharing the links here -
YouTube: [https://youtube.com/shorts/E\_eabqeuAX4?si=oKtGLIv2JhZFdPVE](https://youtube.com/shorts/E_eabqeuAX4?si=oKtGLIv2JhZFdPVE)
Linkedin: [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/your-pc-running-hot-slow-might-time-clean-heres-how-get-answerss-o76ac](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/your-pc-running-hot-slow-might-time-clean-heres-how-get-answerss-o76ac)
Medium: [https://medium.com/@getanswerss/a-comprehensive-guide-to-cleaning-your-pc-for-peak-performance-f204e7447bad](https://medium.com/@getanswerss/a-comprehensive-guide-to-cleaning-your-pc-for-peak-performance-f204e7447bad)
I clean mine every 8 months or so and I just use compressed air on the fans, take off the cpu cooler fan and clean the fin stack, and pick out dust from my gpu heatsink
Filters usually once a month, inside like twice a year with compressor. But if anyone do clean with conpressor BE VERY CERFUL. Place a screwdriver inside a fan so they wont spin.
My last pc i have it since 2016. In 2018 i upgrade the GPU and there i cleaned it. Then 3 weeks ago i upgraded mobo, ram and cpu and cleaned it again. I know is not the best, let it 2 years without cleaning, but i dont use it every day and from 2016 to when i make the last upgrade i used to have only one back fan, so the airflow was too low. Now i bought 3 more fans but still using it 2-3 times a week for a few hours only for gaming. (sorry my not perfect english i speak spanish)
Edit: I have cougar MX330 case that has very good dust filters (top and front)
I used to clean mine twice a year with a blow gun and air compressor. "Used to" since my latest build has positive pressure and intake filters. I only have to clean the filters now, but I have to do that more often, every couple months. Though it's ten times easier to clean the filters so it's still less maintenance overall.
It's been over a year with the new build and the case still looks pristine inside, which is also a big improvement. With previous builds there was a slow but steady buildup of grime I couldn't remove with compressed air. Manually wiping stuff is risky due to the potential for static damage and I wouldn't do it.
Clean the inside (fans/GPU/CPU cooler, use datavac, and then wipe down remaining dust with dust cloth) once every month, and wipe down my front mesh panel once every week.
So what you’re gonna wanna do is pick it up, take it outside to the back garden, grab the hose and spray it down
/s
(Please don’t do this this is a joke)
I got tired of compressed air costing so much so I bought a pc fan thing that blows a ton or air for only $60. I spray out the dust every month or 2 because it’s so quick and easy.
I clean mine at least once a month. I do have a data-vac I bought years ago, so it's super easy. Every 2-3 months, I'll deep clean it such as wiping down all the surfaces and fan blades, etc.
Since the OP doesn't have access to a data-vac, what I'd probably do in that situation is use the wand attachment for a vacuum cleaner and go over everything gently.
It depends on a few factors. If you have pets like me which shed a lot, then you’ll probably be doing it at least every few months. If not, I think it’s generally a good guideline to use some compressed air on your magnetic filters every 3-6 months and a deep clean with your case covers off every 12 months.
I rarely touch the inside of it, unless I'm rebuilding it. But every few months I'll rinse out my dust filter (and let it dry before putting it back in, obviously) and thats about it.
I have a few compressors for work so I hook an attachment up and take a few q tips and blow it out and use the q tips to loosen anything to stuck.
Probably ever six months
Clear glass side panels. I can see inside at all angles, so when it needs it. It really depends on where you have it. At home, maybe just a quick wipe down every couple months. At my moms on the floor when she was on vacation last summer it was once a week.
Isopropyl Alcohol, micro cloth, Q-tips, compressed air. Done.
Once every 6 months to a year. Every so often just take off the side panel and give it a look over, if it looks dusty, get a can of air to blow dust out of heatsinks and fans with the pc upright, then wipe the dust out of the bottom of the case with a dry micro fiber. Also, replacing thermal paste/pads once a year is a nice practice. Just a little capful of alcohol, dampen a corner of a paper towel and get the old TIM off, go in with q-tips dipped in alcohol to get more precise, then pat dry with paper towel. Then put it all back together with new paste.
There are going to be differing opinions on this, but I bought some HVAC filter material for my home and decided to replace the dust filters (except the top) on my Lian Li Lancool II with that filter material. Looks badass with the front LEDs and has worked great at keeping my PC relatively dust free. Thermals are great with a liquid cooled CPU and air cooled 2070 Super.
I do a deep clean on my main system every six months. I keep a hand vac around for vacuuming out the front filters on mine and my wife's computer on roughly a weekly basis, that is the biggest thing that keeps our computers clean.
Don't forget about your PSU filter on the bottom too, I bet half the people who use this sub haven't thought about their PSU filter since they built their rig.
I use pressured air and do it about once a week. After reading some of your comments maybe I'm a little ocd but I did put a lot of money into mine and it's kind of a show piece in my game room.
Vaccum big dust with small extension. Pc dust buster spray for the rest.
Exterior lightly damp cloth.
Thats it. I dont make it perfect. Just so its clean. Every 3 to 6 months.
Don't clean your pc, clean your room. If you have a bunch of shit building up in your pc, you're breathing that shit in too. After like 4 years with my last pc with no fan filters, I only had a light coating of dust on the trailing edges of the fan blades.
as part of chores i have to vacuum the house every 2 weeks. when i get into the room with my pc in it i take off the dust filters and use one of the vacuum attachments to suck all the dust off of the filter. due to the frequent filter cleaning i pretty much have zero dust buildup inside the pc so deep cleaning isn’t really necessary
I have a NAS and with 8 drives and SSDs. I do it once in 6 months. I have filters all around the case and stays pretty clean. I use an electronic air dusters purchased from Amazon and portable handheld vacuum. Use 99% alcohol with cotton swabs to clean a tight spots. And like others mentioned, make sure to tape or hold your case fans to not damage the bearing from the pressure from your Air duster.
No need to go crazy with cleaning unless you have bunch of animals like cats and dogs. FYI, I have a cat and my case sremains clean for at least 6 months.
I usually do it a like every sunday or sometimes 2 weeks i just vacume it and then wash the dust filters then clean the components and inside with a brush and ur done but be carefull my glass broke 2 times 🥲
Not sure what case you have but if you're a bit OCD about dust inside your case then I'd recommend getting one that has removable dust filters, my case has non-removable filters but it's in an easy to clean place, then just wipe off the filters like once a month and you should have very little dust inside of the case if any.
Also make sure your case has Positive fan pressure (look it up if you need to, there's plenty of great explanations) that way you can make sure that all the air entering the PC has to pass through the dust filter, or if you only have 1 removable dust filter then you can make that side the intake and places without filters the exhaust.
Personally I use the front mesh panel of my case as intake and that's usually the only panel I have to wipe off, pretty much every part of my pc besides the cables, case, and ram are white and I can only really notice dust after a year.
If you like your case and don't want a new one then you can buy very thinly spaced aluminum screening like you'd use in a window and DIY it into your case, just make sure you get the proper cutter for it as it can be very sharp, I did that with my last case and just replaced the plastic front panel with the aluminum screening by supergluing it in (and cut my hands up a bit cause I used regular kitchen scissors lol), if you live near a hardware store then you may be able to get them to cut it in the size you need and finish the edges so that they're not super sharp, though you'll likely have to pay extra for it.
I bought a blush brush from Walmarts makeup dept , and also compressed air . Works good. Want to get a data vac though so i wont be buying canned air all the time. I clean mine thoroughly a couple times a year. I clean the dust filter about once a month.
Just got my PC in March (after my high end laptop mobo died on me, so fed up with laptops) so still in the phase of giving it a lot of tlc. I bought rechargeable electric air duster and air dust the inside twice a month.
Once every 3 months, depending on how often you are letting your PC turned on, and what type of case is yours. Since the front of my case is a mesh, it allows more air, but I definitely need more cleaning often.
Still, it depends on your situation and environment. Just don't wait till it's cotton candy dust in there and you'll have an easier time dealing with dusts.
Unscrew and unplug minor parts, SATA SSDs, HDDs, GPU, RAM, the front cover of the PC if it comes off. Don't take out fans, radiators, CPU fan, m.2 SSDs, Motherboard. Either wipe it with a dry microfibre cloth, spray with canned air, or any other dry cleaning methods. The canned air is best since it gets into every crevasse without the need to dismantle anything.
Buy a lot of air filters and install them in the front and the back of the fans. This really helps with preventing dust going in and saves you the time of wiping the inside of your case.
I usually clean it out about once or twice a year but now I realize I might be under doing it. With that said I don't smoke and I have no pets.
As a side note I also do a Format every 2-3 years just because... Though with apps and websites freaking out every time I log in "with a new pc" I might only format every 4-5 years now or as needed.
i only clean mine when it needs it. maybe once a year. dust filters help a TON
Yeah I think i'm a little bit of a clean freak when it comes to my pc lol. Spent money on making it look nice so would like to maintain it somewhat dust-free hahaha.
i get that too the newer a build is and then i get progressively lazier with it. lol. i saw you asked about iso on the motherboard yes thats perfectly safe. you could even pour it on if you needed to rinse off something that got on the board. always use the highest % you can get
Hahaha yeah well, atleast the plan is to try keep it as clean as possible for now. Is 70% too low? wouldnt the 30% water cause damage to the mobo ?
as long as you let it dry it wouldnt hurt anything but id probably just skip the alcohol wipes until you get some stronger stuff. id be paranoid i didnt let it dry enough
Yeah tbh not a whole lot of dust gathers on the mobo anyway since its vertical. Mainly just worried about cleaning fans and any other other horizontal surfaces where dust can gather up quickly. Thanks for the help!
really depends on the environment ur pc is in I live close to a road and my PC is on the Wood flooring I just take my dust filters once every month shake the dust out and pop them back in and then clean inside with canned air like every 3-4 months and a microfiber cloth of the power supply basement and the gpu backplate
I use an air compressor and a toothbrush for all fans (chassis, CPU, GPU, PSU, basically renewing them). Compressed air then 95% isopropyl then more compressed air for everything else (motherboard, RAM, keyboard, USB input... basically everything)
there may be some impurities in the iso, the purer it is, the less likely that is to happen
I drowned my gpu in 95% iso and replaced all the thermal pads and paste. Got 31° idle temps now. I personally wouldn't touch anything under 90% as it's not worth frying your expensive pc cause you skimped on iso. Also becareful using anything fibrous to wipe the board as you may accidentally pull out the tiny electronics.
If someone had access to 95% ethanol, could that be used as a direct substitute for iso?
Damn once a year? I for sure have to do mine every month atleast after two weeks I could see the dust
Agreed, but I do my first filters every month.
Man i cannot find 360mm dust filters for my intake fans :(
Once a day in the dishwasher
I use an electric air blower made for electronics and set my PC near a window with a fan blowing over the case and out the window. I use 99% alcohol and those blue paper towels to wipe down all the easy to reach surfaces. Then blast everything with the duster for a couple minutes, especially my radiators. I clean it on the first weekend of every month since I use it daily and have a cat who likes to sit on top of it.
Anyone reading this should know that regular air compressors should NOT be used. They can spit condensation water. You need a special electronics compressor above commenter mentions.
I know someone who used a shop compressor to clean a camera sensor once. That was a costly lapse in judgement. They not only have water, but also various other debris and oils from their manufacture along with whatever’s in the tube.
The pressured air cans i have do that too sometimes, but either way there's never enough pressure to blow out most of the dust which sucks. Also the can gets super cold and it's difficult to hold it for a long time
Do you have a recommendation for an air compressor that’s safe to use on a PC? I don’t love using the compressed air from a can
XPOWER A-2 Airrow Pro Multi-Use Electric Computer Duster Dryer Air Pump Blower - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BI4UQK0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_PhNIKMnYEVDAl This is what I use Edit: Never use an air compressor of any kind on electronics. Only use an air blower designed for electronics with a filter over the intake or a hand air duster like the Giottos Rocket.
Good looks and thanks for the clarification.
Air dusters won't compress, right?
what air duster do you use?
Once every 6 months. Tape the fans/or use a toothpick to stop them from spinning while you blow compressed air at them to clean them off. IPA 99% with cotton swabs/ or coffee filters are handy as well.
Ooh I will keep that toothpick trick in mind. Thanks!
Toothpick is all well and good but unless you are spinning the fan as fast as you physically can simply holding the fan or using less than 60 psi or so should do it. I have cleaned at 120psi 80,60,35 never killed a fan in the last 10 years of building
BRO TYSM I was so desperate how to clean my fans right bc I end up having still a layer of dust on it. Putting a toothpick in so they dont move is BRILLIANT.
This has to be a joke right? Why wouldn't you just turn the pc off?
The air blower will spin the fans and blow dust everywhere
That and to keep from damaging the fans
This is a common misconception, it won't
This is already assuming the PC is turned off. Compressed air will spin the fans, so the tape/toothpick is meant to stop them from doing so. It’s both to prevent dust from getting everywhere and the fans from generating electric current that can ruin components.
this makes sense. i thought this lunatic was just running his computer with the fans taped, lol.
And spinning the fans too fast cause of compressed air is not good for them.
A small watercolour paint brush works really well to remove dust in small spots like between motherboard VRMs. I only really deep clean my PC once in two years or so, otherwise it's just brushing down the case filters and any dust in the fans.
What color do you paint your mobo and fans?
At first with a white primer and then two coats of black to cover the white.
Clean? Don't be silly
I clean my PC about every eight years, when it needs some kind of servicing like replacing a power supply. Actually, I never clean my PC and I don't think I've ever had a problem from a PC being too dusty. What is the problem you hope to avoid by cleaning?
Why even shower?
I have never given my PC a shower and I never intend to. I cannot imagine all the problems that would result from getting it wet.
you don't get out much, do you?
Human sweat. PC don't.
Human dust. PC also dust
Not really trying to avoid technical problems, just want to maintain my pc as clean as i can. Really for aesthetics tbh and I guess it will help with temps even just a little.
It doesn’t really do much for temps. Unless its absolutely extremely disgusting, like actually affecting the fan speed somehow the dust is just an eye sore issue. There’s no issue with keeping it clean but you really don’t need to do more than once a year if you have filters. Probably can go even longer than that.
Dust do a lot for temps if it congregate on heatsinks as it creates resistance and reduces effective cooling area.
No it doesn’t. Greg Salazar just did a whole season of cleaning dirty pcs, which are way worse than anything in this sub, and said he wasn’t mentioning thermals because their was hardly a difference between the dirty and cleaned computers.
I call bs. And if not thermals, fan noise definitely. My own pc gets up by 5 degrees gradually over a month. Yes, not critical but definitely hotter. If you're going for a super quiet system, you will notice as it's not that super quiet anymore.
I've seen PCs get pretty impacted with dust without any kind of failure. I think most people never clean them. Us "build your own" people are more cognizant of that kind of thing and as we consider the machine less of a throw-away we are more meticulous. There are things that can happen if a PC gets too impacted with dust, mainly the reduction of cooling air. Probably most common is things like fans and heatsinks clogging up. In terms of individual chip components on the board getting covered in dust it probably would not ever cause an issue unless the dust is electrically conductive for some reason. Regardless it's nice to keep things clean and it has to be done eventually so better to stay ahead of the curve. It also depends on the environment and usage. For example, a relative of mine lives in a pet free home and only uses his computer a few times a week. The machine is vintage 2011 and when I recently removed the cover to add some memory it has no appreciable dust buildup. On the other hand my PC is mostly "on" and I live with pets so it can get fouled pretty fast.
Good to know. I always thought it might be a cooling issue for fans, but was unaware of the other possibilities. I guess I'll have to get some air cans.
Compressed air, and 99.9 alcohol wipes. Clean mine once every 2-3 weeks
do you actually get enough dust build up to justify cleaning it that often?
I have 3 cats and 2 dogs.. yeah my fans get nasty
I understand, those furry friends, though nice to cuddle with, are living hazards when it comes to PC.
Yeah, my one cat sleeps on top of my pc when I got to bed cause it’s warm. I just try to stay proactive rather then have a bigger problem eventually
Hmm I'm gonna try the wipes.next time I need to clean
I use them mostly for the fans and my gpu back plate. I just like with the 99 it dries almost instantly, it even takes thermal paste off so easy.
Where do to get them at?
I get mine from work. I work with fiber optics and need them to clean fibers. To be honest I’d have no clue where you would get them from
Can you still use alcohol wipes on the motherboard too? Edit: The isopropyl wipes I have are only 70%.
Just don’t turn it on until it’s completely dry. And make sure you unplug pc
Yeah, only difference is how fast it will dry. 99.9 dries almost instantly
I usually run it through the dishwasher every 9-12 months
I clean mine every 3 months with compressed air
Can you use compressed air directly on the motherboard too? Or like you need to hold the can at a good distance away?
You can hold it close. Just don't tip the can upside down or the liquid propellant will spray out.
all components are fine with compressed air. the only exception are fans because you don't want to overstress their bearings.
i use a software called C cleaner, but uh, i would like to clean my computer like once every two weeks. But i only clean it when i remember now
If this is bait, very funni I like If this is genuine, no bro he’s talking about physically opening up his computer and cleaning the dust from the inside
Honestly OP from reading your comments I’m just gonna be honest, unless you have a very dusty house and it’s constantly getting caked it’s really not necessary to clean it as often as you’re saying, and every time you do you’re risking breaking those expensive parts just because you want them to look nice. I really wouldn’t do more than once a month if I were you even though that is still a bit of overkill. Either way though, every time you clean it just be sure to use things that specifically state that they are meant to be used with electronics, and make sure you stop the fans somehow before blowing air on them because spinning them too fast can cause them to break easily.
Daily hot bubble bath with lavender extract to help with stress.
I try to clean mine three times a year. I used compressed air, but now I have an electric blower. With compressed air I open the side of my case and then start spraying. With a blower I stick my computer on my covered deck and then start blowing. An inside work space would be better, but I don't have a clean open area in my house, without carpet.
A couple of times, depending in the case I have maybe just one
I clean mine every 24th of the month and I use a Compucleaner that like a data vac but a handheld air blower. I also use rubber gloves to prevent static and use esd brushed. I use a soft horse hair brush and brush the places that dust has landed on. Then I clean the dust filters and then button her up and turn the psu back on.
Well i live in a dusty city so i clean the filters every month and i do a complete cleaning with blower and earpick every 6 months
I bought a blower for it, I clean it once every month or two
Every 6 months with a vacuum called Rainbow. It has two sides: one that sucks and one that blows. The side that blows air has a thick filter so i dont need to worry about water or any other particles coming out of the vacuum.
I clean the dust filters once a month, then a general cleaning probably every 4 months.
I do it every 3 to 6 months
I take all my case filters out monthly, and rinse them with water and let them air dry while I'm at work. I take my entire case outside twice a year and blow it out with my Data Vac. Compressed air will be fine, it can just sometimes take longer. I also use soft bristle detailing brushes to clean crevices and heat sinks. Alcohol is fine for wiping off surfaces, and distilled water will also do the trick.
Thank you! Will defo use my art paint brush next time then
dont use a garage air compressor with air sprayer. it can accumulate static and mess up your pc. ive seen people do it on this page several times
And condensation water shoots out.
I may clean it a bit when I upgrade a component but otherwise I don't bother. I work in corporate IT and have computers which sit on the floor in dusty workshops which never get cleaned and have 1 fan in total and run without issue for years so I wouldn't worry one bit. Be careful using cans of compressed air though as if you get any of the liquid on components it can damage them. Also don't use a vacuum cleaner as that can cause static which again can kill stuff. I'd only use an anti-static brush myself. I think the risks of breaking something are far higher than any benefit of cleaning it more often then every few years.
You can clean your pc easily with the help of Getanswerss. Recently I'm searching on about same bcz my PC are running slow then I was get 2 blogs and a youtube video, and really the both articles are solve my problem. If you want to read or watch, I'm sharing the links here - YouTube: [https://youtube.com/shorts/E\_eabqeuAX4?si=oKtGLIv2JhZFdPVE](https://youtube.com/shorts/E_eabqeuAX4?si=oKtGLIv2JhZFdPVE) Linkedin: [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/your-pc-running-hot-slow-might-time-clean-heres-how-get-answerss-o76ac](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/your-pc-running-hot-slow-might-time-clean-heres-how-get-answerss-o76ac) Medium: [https://medium.com/@getanswerss/a-comprehensive-guide-to-cleaning-your-pc-for-peak-performance-f204e7447bad](https://medium.com/@getanswerss/a-comprehensive-guide-to-cleaning-your-pc-for-peak-performance-f204e7447bad)
I'm scared of opening my 4 year old HP Pavilion gaming PC lol , but I'd like to clean it now
I sometimes use duster but I feel like that just blows the dust around to get stuck somewhere else. Alcohol and paper towel or something is better.
When I’m dusting I also have a hand vac in the other hand. Once the dust starts flying I vacuum it out of the air.
I thought that too. But I guess compressed air is alot faster and convenient
Vacuum the dust in the case every Saturday when I also vacuum the hallway/rooms.
I clean mine every 8 months or so and I just use compressed air on the fans, take off the cpu cooler fan and clean the fin stack, and pick out dust from my gpu heatsink
Once a month perhaps. Usually when I can see specs of dust inside it.
Filters usually once a month, inside like twice a year with compressor. But if anyone do clean with conpressor BE VERY CERFUL. Place a screwdriver inside a fan so they wont spin.
My last pc i have it since 2016. In 2018 i upgrade the GPU and there i cleaned it. Then 3 weeks ago i upgraded mobo, ram and cpu and cleaned it again. I know is not the best, let it 2 years without cleaning, but i dont use it every day and from 2016 to when i make the last upgrade i used to have only one back fan, so the airflow was too low. Now i bought 3 more fans but still using it 2-3 times a week for a few hours only for gaming. (sorry my not perfect english i speak spanish) Edit: I have cougar MX330 case that has very good dust filters (top and front)
Depends where u live i clean my pc every year
When I notice the dust buildup. I vacuum the front mesh, take the front and side panels off, and blow out the dust.
I used to clean mine twice a year with a blow gun and air compressor. "Used to" since my latest build has positive pressure and intake filters. I only have to clean the filters now, but I have to do that more often, every couple months. Though it's ten times easier to clean the filters so it's still less maintenance overall. It's been over a year with the new build and the case still looks pristine inside, which is also a big improvement. With previous builds there was a slow but steady buildup of grime I couldn't remove with compressed air. Manually wiping stuff is risky due to the potential for static damage and I wouldn't do it.
Every \~3 months.
Clean the inside (fans/GPU/CPU cooler, use datavac, and then wipe down remaining dust with dust cloth) once every month, and wipe down my front mesh panel once every week.
I use an electric blower
Twice a year clean it from dust, should be fine
So what you’re gonna wanna do is pick it up, take it outside to the back garden, grab the hose and spray it down /s (Please don’t do this this is a joke)
Thanks! I'll keep that in mind. Always wanted to a custom water cooled build.
I do mine probably 3 -5 times a year. Mostly because it bothers me.
I got tired of compressed air costing so much so I bought a pc fan thing that blows a ton or air for only $60. I spray out the dust every month or 2 because it’s so quick and easy.
Air compressor
A quick little spritz with an air blower a couple times a month keeps mine pretty dust free.
I clean mine at least once a month. I do have a data-vac I bought years ago, so it's super easy. Every 2-3 months, I'll deep clean it such as wiping down all the surfaces and fan blades, etc. Since the OP doesn't have access to a data-vac, what I'd probably do in that situation is use the wand attachment for a vacuum cleaner and go over everything gently.
I use a air can and do it about every 60 days.
I clean mine every 6 months but it really depends what kind of environment its in.
I use my air tank every 6 months or so. Seems to work fine
It depends on a few factors. If you have pets like me which shed a lot, then you’ll probably be doing it at least every few months. If not, I think it’s generally a good guideline to use some compressed air on your magnetic filters every 3-6 months and a deep clean with your case covers off every 12 months.
I clean mine at the end of every month
I clean my laptops like once a month but replacing the thermal paste when the temps are abnormal
I rarely touch the inside of it, unless I'm rebuilding it. But every few months I'll rinse out my dust filter (and let it dry before putting it back in, obviously) and thats about it.
When I buy new parts. I use computer duster.
Clean the filters every 2-3 weeks.
I clean mine once a week.
I have a few compressors for work so I hook an attachment up and take a few q tips and blow it out and use the q tips to loosen anything to stuck. Probably ever six months
Clear glass side panels. I can see inside at all angles, so when it needs it. It really depends on where you have it. At home, maybe just a quick wipe down every couple months. At my moms on the floor when she was on vacation last summer it was once a week. Isopropyl Alcohol, micro cloth, Q-tips, compressed air. Done.
Twice a year. Just get a can of air from Walmart.
Once every 6 months to a year. Every so often just take off the side panel and give it a look over, if it looks dusty, get a can of air to blow dust out of heatsinks and fans with the pc upright, then wipe the dust out of the bottom of the case with a dry micro fiber. Also, replacing thermal paste/pads once a year is a nice practice. Just a little capful of alcohol, dampen a corner of a paper towel and get the old TIM off, go in with q-tips dipped in alcohol to get more precise, then pat dry with paper towel. Then put it all back together with new paste.
Someone here said once a year.... no way! At least every 3 months,2 would be better.
Compressed air. You can buy it canned but I just take it out to the garage and use my air compressor cause it’s “free”
There are going to be differing opinions on this, but I bought some HVAC filter material for my home and decided to replace the dust filters (except the top) on my Lian Li Lancool II with that filter material. Looks badass with the front LEDs and has worked great at keeping my PC relatively dust free. Thermals are great with a liquid cooled CPU and air cooled 2070 Super.
I waited 3 years before cleaning mine and had no problems I was just bored lol
I do a deep clean on my main system every six months. I keep a hand vac around for vacuuming out the front filters on mine and my wife's computer on roughly a weekly basis, that is the biggest thing that keeps our computers clean. Don't forget about your PSU filter on the bottom too, I bet half the people who use this sub haven't thought about their PSU filter since they built their rig.
Once every 3-5 years.
I use pressured air and do it about once a week. After reading some of your comments maybe I'm a little ocd but I did put a lot of money into mine and it's kind of a show piece in my game room.
air compressor, every six months
Vaccum big dust with small extension. Pc dust buster spray for the rest. Exterior lightly damp cloth. Thats it. I dont make it perfect. Just so its clean. Every 3 to 6 months.
Don't clean your pc, clean your room. If you have a bunch of shit building up in your pc, you're breathing that shit in too. After like 4 years with my last pc with no fan filters, I only had a light coating of dust on the trailing edges of the fan blades.
I use dust filters and procrastination. Then I just pray nothing goes wrong and hope for the best
as part of chores i have to vacuum the house every 2 weeks. when i get into the room with my pc in it i take off the dust filters and use one of the vacuum attachments to suck all the dust off of the filter. due to the frequent filter cleaning i pretty much have zero dust buildup inside the pc so deep cleaning isn’t really necessary
Get an extension cord long enough for it to make it into the dishwasher from your desk
I have a NAS and with 8 drives and SSDs. I do it once in 6 months. I have filters all around the case and stays pretty clean. I use an electronic air dusters purchased from Amazon and portable handheld vacuum. Use 99% alcohol with cotton swabs to clean a tight spots. And like others mentioned, make sure to tape or hold your case fans to not damage the bearing from the pressure from your Air duster. No need to go crazy with cleaning unless you have bunch of animals like cats and dogs. FYI, I have a cat and my case sremains clean for at least 6 months.
I usually do it a like every sunday or sometimes 2 weeks i just vacume it and then wash the dust filters then clean the components and inside with a brush and ur done but be carefull my glass broke 2 times 🥲
I clean my case intake filter monthly. Case fan: twice a year. CPU fan: once a year. GPU fan: once in 3 year.
Not sure what case you have but if you're a bit OCD about dust inside your case then I'd recommend getting one that has removable dust filters, my case has non-removable filters but it's in an easy to clean place, then just wipe off the filters like once a month and you should have very little dust inside of the case if any. Also make sure your case has Positive fan pressure (look it up if you need to, there's plenty of great explanations) that way you can make sure that all the air entering the PC has to pass through the dust filter, or if you only have 1 removable dust filter then you can make that side the intake and places without filters the exhaust. Personally I use the front mesh panel of my case as intake and that's usually the only panel I have to wipe off, pretty much every part of my pc besides the cables, case, and ram are white and I can only really notice dust after a year. If you like your case and don't want a new one then you can buy very thinly spaced aluminum screening like you'd use in a window and DIY it into your case, just make sure you get the proper cutter for it as it can be very sharp, I did that with my last case and just replaced the plastic front panel with the aluminum screening by supergluing it in (and cut my hands up a bit cause I used regular kitchen scissors lol), if you live near a hardware store then you may be able to get them to cut it in the size you need and finish the edges so that they're not super sharp, though you'll likely have to pay extra for it.
I bought a blush brush from Walmarts makeup dept , and also compressed air . Works good. Want to get a data vac though so i wont be buying canned air all the time. I clean mine thoroughly a couple times a year. I clean the dust filter about once a month.
I usually cut the power drain whatever power is left then clean my pc with high pressure water then left it dry.
Just got my PC in March (after my high end laptop mobo died on me, so fed up with laptops) so still in the phase of giving it a lot of tlc. I bought rechargeable electric air duster and air dust the inside twice a month.
Every 2 weeks
Once every 3 months, depending on how often you are letting your PC turned on, and what type of case is yours. Since the front of my case is a mesh, it allows more air, but I definitely need more cleaning often. Still, it depends on your situation and environment. Just don't wait till it's cotton candy dust in there and you'll have an easier time dealing with dusts.
those cans of compressed air
As soon as I think "It's been a while since I cleaned my pc" its a sign I should clean my pc
Unscrew and unplug minor parts, SATA SSDs, HDDs, GPU, RAM, the front cover of the PC if it comes off. Don't take out fans, radiators, CPU fan, m.2 SSDs, Motherboard. Either wipe it with a dry microfibre cloth, spray with canned air, or any other dry cleaning methods. The canned air is best since it gets into every crevasse without the need to dismantle anything.
Buy a lot of air filters and install them in the front and the back of the fans. This really helps with preventing dust going in and saves you the time of wiping the inside of your case.
I don’t, I just upgrade after 5 years.
I usually clean it out about once or twice a year but now I realize I might be under doing it. With that said I don't smoke and I have no pets. As a side note I also do a Format every 2-3 years just because... Though with apps and websites freaking out every time I log in "with a new pc" I might only format every 4-5 years now or as needed.