How to clean off dust from PC components?

[ati.bob]

I live in a tropical place where dust is a majority. After just one month of running my PC, dust has started to appear on all of my components, especially the cards (PCI, AGP) and the CPU heatsink.. Is there any safe way to clean up these dust without damaging the hardware with electrostatic discharge current?

[cram]

You can buy little cans of compressed air specifically made for safely removing dust from computer components. I'm sure google can help you find something in your area.

[W1zzard]

my vote goes to compressed air too

[Xenn0X]

jup same here i use AF Sprayduster cans. handy for those dust infected fans e.d:)
but in somecases i just use the vacuum cleaner:D works perfectly too.

[zealot`grr]

carefully vacuum every component, I usually clean fans with my fingers ;)

[Slayerstaps]

i use the vacuum cleaner too :D

[W1zzard]

vacuum cleaner can build up A LOT of static electricity

[Ramine]

use vacume cleaner, and a piantbrush, thats what we use in the computer shop, just dont hold the vacume infron of the fan too long, will ware out the fan, and will require some oil otherwise!

ramine

[ati.bob]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't think I can find compressed air tins anywhere here.. but the vaccuming technique might work for the fans, most probably not for the electronic boards.. Is it possible to put oil into the stock P3 fan and normal ball bearing fan? Will the oil block the wire contacts inside the fan?

[Ramine]

yes you can reoil the fan, just take it off the heatsink, peel of the sticker on the back, and put a small amount of 3in1 oil, and then reseal, but with non thermal tape,:)

Ramine

Oh and vacuming the boards, will not damage them, just make sure you have antistatic before you start

[ati.bob]

Non thermal tape? what is that? Do you mean the I just peel off the sticker, re-oil, then paste the sticker back?

Vaccuming.. You mean discharge the brush before vaccuming it? Like touching the metal part of the case before vaccuming?

[fr33ze]

I recon you should hire an elephant from the local zoo for the day, try and hypnotise him so that he thinks the dust on your computer is really monkey nuts and then just watch as he sucks it all up. Last time i checked it was about £2.49 to hire one for the day, much cheaper than compressed air.

[fr33ze]

...oj

My vote goes for vacuuming if you can't get hold of compressed air. An old toothbrush can be useful as well for getting the fiddly bits. If you can find any fine mesh metal grills as well i've put that infront of all my intake fans and that stops any dust getting into the computer so i can just vacuum them easily with no worry of static....I'll try and find a pic of what i mean.

[ati.bob]

fr33zeAn old toothbrush can be useful as well for getting the fiddly bits. If you can find any fine mesh metal grills as well i've put that infront of all my intake fans and that stops any dust getting into the computer so i can just vacuum them easily with no worry of static....I'll try and find a pic of what i mean.

Thanks, but now I need to know that is it safe to use the normal touch-and-discharge technique (touch the metal part of the casing to remove any charge) on the vaccum brush before using to vaccum the PC electronics like PCI and AGP cards without damaging it with ESD..?

Speaking of fine mesh metal frills, I've been wanting to cut open the aluminium intake and exhaust port of the fans.. The stock casing comes with small 2.5mm holes spread in the matrix form, which in my view, can definately block the intake and exhaust of the air. Plus, the fans make terrile loud noise because of unable to take in or blow out the air... any suggestions/ideas on removing a part of the aluminium case to enlarge the intake/exhaust area on the casing where the fans are removed?

[ati.bob]

I recon you should hire an elephant from the local zoo for the day, try and hypnotise him so that he thinks the dust on your computer is really monkey nuts and then just watch as he sucks it all up. Last time i checked it was about £2.49 to hire one for the day, much cheaper than compressed air.

LOL :D

[Slayerstaps]

I recon you should hire an elephant from the local zoo for the day, try and hypnotise him so that he thinks the dust on your computer is really monkey nuts and then just watch as he sucks it all up. Last time i checked it was about £2.49 to hire one for the day, much cheaper than compressed air.

Man what a rip off i got one for 1.99 and i did not even have to hypnotise him. That was included in the price :D

[fr33ze]

^^ hey i live in a fairly remote area and they used to pre hynotise them in our area also but one customer wasn't very happy when he hired a couple of elephants and all they did was this...mmmmm, nice (http://www.misterharold.net/joker/src/jkmovies.htm) (second one down)

so they change the county policy, hypnotise your won elephants.

@ati.bob

invest in a dremel or some cheap replica and cut out the metal matrix bit completly because your right, all it does is restrict air flow and make the fans louder. You can then just use cheap fan covers that cost like 50p each or something. As for the fine mesh metal grills, i borrowed the ones i got from a factory that i was doing some part time work for, no idea where you can buy them (thinking about it that was really useful advise, buy these things that i don't know where you can get them from)

[Slayerstaps]

Hmm, i don think they are supposed to clean out there selfs. Maybe something went wrong did the guy get a refund ???

[fr33ze]

ongoing lawsuit

[ati.bob]

^^ hey i live in a fairly remote area and they used to pre hynotise them in our area also but one customer wasn't very happy when he hired a couple of elephants and all they did was this...mmmmm, nice (http://www.misterharold.net/joker/src/jkmovies.htm) (second one down)


Cool link and funny clips (thou a wee bit gross)! :D

Getting back to the topic..
Is there any other way of removing part of the metal without using a dremel?

[fr33ze]

if your lucky you might be able to do it with wire cutters, i managed to get through a grill with them when i was in a hurry one day, depends a bit if your case is steel or ali.

[Gambit]

LOL that is funny I have a vac story. one of the first times I was cleaning my pc out with a vac I went over the northbirdge fan and it made a sound like a dirtbike revving up, being easily amused I did it again...., needless to say a week later, I was replacing heatsink and fan. Oh well live and learn :rolleyes:

[ati.bob]

Haha.. Well, you learn somthing everyday..

I think my case is made from aluminium. Although it do not rust, I'm not really sure it's aluminium.. When I just bought it, it's shiny and now it's like a coarse surface.. Any idea what it is?

[fr33ze]

pics??, how easy does it scratch, if it's fairly easy then it's prob ali and is it fairly light or is it like a ton o bricks

[ati.bob]

I think it scratch easily.. the rough thing on the surface it like a layer of oxide (oxidised aluminium??!?) ... I try to get a picture of it if I can..

[fr33ze]

yeah sounds like ali to me.

[Viper007Bond]

Breath in, then breath out hard on your components. :P

[ati.bob]

Haha.. :P But I tried that.. It didn't clear off much.. It STICKS to the surface of other components unless brushed..

[mashie]

Well the dishwasher is out of the question. :p

The vacuum cleaner has not killed anything for me yet, then again I clean the room often enough so the computers don't have to..

I wonder if you can get ESD proof brushes, that would be nice.

[C&C Freak 2K]

I remember Dad has some components for the whole-house vacuum that jas small parts specifically designed to clean electronics. Those work nice too. And canned air. :p Just don't accidentally cream your boards with it.