Keep your computer cool and fast – essential routine maintenance

We all want to keep our computers running at their best. We update drivers, remove unwanted software and sometimes spend hours tweaking settings to squeeze out a bit more performance.

But there’s something much simpler that we often overlook. Something that can make our computers run hotter, noisier and cause them to slow down.

Dust.

In this video, I’ll show you how dust buildup can affect your computer, which areas you really need to worry about, and how to clean it safely without damaging anything.

So let’s take a look at my PC.

Opening Your PC

My computer sits on the floor under my desk. And as you can see it just gets dusty. You can see this building up on the vents and surfaces.

If we open up the case, you’ll see a number of fans. Some pull cool air into the computer, others push warm air out, and some move air through heatsinks that keep components like the processor and graphics card cool.

Together, they help keep everything operating at a safe temperature.

If dust starts blocking the airflow, components can get hotter. And when something like your processor gets too hot, it can actually slow itself down to prevent damage.

This is called thermal throttling, and it means that your computer might not be delivering all the performance it’s capable of.

In extreme cases, the computer might even shut itself down to prevent overheating.

As you look around my computer, you’ll see some dust building up at the bottom of the case. That’s perfectly normal, and on its own it’s not really something to worry about.

What we’re more interested in is dust building up on the fans, blocking the ventilation grilles and clogging the heatsinks. That’s where it can start causing problems.

How To Get Rid Of Dust

So now we know what the issue is what’s the best way to clean the dust?

First off, I’d avoid using an ordinary household vacuum cleaner directly on your computer’s components. Although vacuum cleaners are great at picking up loose dust, the plastic hose and attachments can build up static electricity as air and dust pass through them. If you touch that hose to your motherboard or graphics card for example the static electricity may discharge into the sensitive electronics and there is a risk of damaging them.

A much better option is to blow the dust out using either an air spray or, my preferred option, an electric air duster.

I’m using this duster from Wolfbox who were kind enough to send one over for me to use in this project in return for my honest views on its performance. This is their new MegaFlow 200 Pro turbofan unit. I’ve used a couple of their products and really like the power and ease of use. Unlike disposable cans of compressed air, this gives me an adjustable airflow, so I can use a gentle blast for delicate areas or turn up the power when I need to shift more stubborn dust. It also removes any risk or liquid spray and is much more environmentally friendy.

This model is particularly good as it has both a base speed settings set with this thumb dial and then a full power button for extra blasts when you need it. It also has a very useful light so you can see what you’re doing as you delve inside the PC.

The airflow is really very powerful. It also comes with a range of nozzles to adjust the spread of the air making it ideal for this sort of work as you’ll see in a second.

Now, I’ll be using it to clean out my PC but it’s an incredibly useful it of kit to have around the office. The great thing about an air blast is that it can clean debris from places you can’t reach. My keyboard always collects crumbs and dust which get lodged behind the keys. This blower is great for cleaning this out. Dusting my work area used to mean moving equipment around to dust behind and under. But not any more. If I do need to wet clean an area or object the air blast is a great way to dry these items very quickly.

I’m also very impressed with using this device for cleaning fragile and hard to clean items. My son is a pianist and dust does build up on the internal mechanisms. The Wolfbox duster has made this job so much easier. So really anywhere where dust and debris is an issue, and where you need controllable power this is the ideal tool.

So let’s get cleaning.

Safety Equipment

Before you start it is important to think about your own health. We’re going to be blowing dust and debris around so you really don’t want to be breathing this in. I’d always advise using a mask. A properly fitting FFP2 dust mask for fine airborne dust, particularly if cleaning indoors, is a good one to buy. And I’ll put a link to some disposable ones in the video description.

Also make sure your computer is switched off at your electrical socket. If you’ve got an earthed socket leave it plugged in to help discharge static buildup. If not, or if you can’t turn off the power then unplug it.

One area to be particularly careful around is the power supply. Although it’s fine to clean dust from the outside and around its ventilation grilles, never open the power supply itself or poke brushes or other objects through its openings. The capacitors inside can retain potentially dangerous electrical charges even after the computer has been unplugged.

Cleaning

I tend to start by clearing out the main dust from around the case. This gets the main bulk out of the way so that it doesn’t get blown back onto the important components after we’ve cleaned those. The handy light built into this WolfBox duster is great for adding extra illumination as you work.

Many computer cases also have removable dust filters, usually around the air intake vents. These are designed to catch dust before it enters the computer, so they can get pretty dirty. If your case has them, take them out and give them a good clean. You can use the blower or, depending on the filter, wash them with water. Just make absolutely sure they’re completely dry before putting them back.

Don’t forget to get into all the corners and drive bays and try to get some air blowing out from behind the motherboard. You don’t have to worry too much about a small layer of dust on the motherboard or other parts themselves. The blower will remove most of that dust, but you can use a soft, anti-static brush to gently loosen the stubborn particles while blowing the dust away. Just be careful around the smaller components and connectors, as you don’t want to damage or dislodge anything.

Once we’ve got the main case cleaned we can start on the individual components.

Most of the important dust will collect around the fans and heatsinks.

When cleaning fans make sure that you hold the fan blades so they don’t spin. These air blowers are very powerful and can spin these fans much faster than they are designed to spin. So just stop them spinning to avoid damage, but do make sure to move the fan blades manually so you clean the whole component.

Don’t forget your power supply. This will usually have its own cooling fan so make sure you clear any ventilation holes to keep that airflow as unrestricted as possible.

The heatsinks tend to have a number of metal fins to try to create as much surface area as possible. When cleaning heatsinks, try to blow air through the fins to dislodge any trapped dust. If there’s a fan attached, make sure you stop it spinning while you’re doing this. If you can’t reach the fan safely, use a gentle airflow rather than a powerful blast.

Do make sure to clean out all the fins. If you need to use your static free brushes to dislodge some stubborn debris make sure to be careful not to knock or dislodge anything.

Once you’ve cleaned all these parts a final blow out around the case should just get all the last bits of dust out of the way and we’re done.

How Often

So that’s your computer all cleaned out. Hopefully it’ll now be running cooler and quieter, and we’ve reduced the risk of overheating caused by dust buildup.

As for how often you need to do this it really depends on your house. Generally every six months or so should be fine. If you’ve got pets or the computer is in a carpeted room then maybe every three months. It’s really up to you, but do try to keep on top of the dust to keep your PC healthy.