How often should i clean my GAMING PC

[ICIT2LOL]

They said , we used to do that kind of cleaning with a blower and the authorities here does not allow it anymore...

So, they can't do it.

They must be kidding mate I have never heard of such nonsense. Personally I would just go ahead and get yourself an anti static brush or even one of the cheap hogs hair brushes I use and with a can of compressed air just clean what you can.
Now if you have access to an ordinary hair dryer and if it will blow cold then it can be used to blow out the dust
Now keep in mind that using the compressed air you need to be careful with any fans because it is possible to spin them faster than they were designed to go and maybe even wreck the bearing notwithstanding that spinning the fans has the potential of inducing unwanted voltages into the system and that is not good.

 

[mjf]

A hair dryer on a cold setting seems a good idea but I'm not sure if they still produce charged particles/ions. I did a bit of looking and apparently some modern hair dryers are designed to produce ions
Hair Dryer Air Flow - How Hair Dryers Work | HowStuffWorks

 

[fahadhum]

That's all great tips guys

But my main issue is the disassembly of Graphics card...Liquid Corsair FAN and other similar components for cleaning..

I once started unscrewing all the graphics card screws and I TRIED TO pull the Graphics card out.It wasn't getting out and it kinda stayed stuck.I did not forced more pressure on pulling so that it causes some kinda damage or what not ,,,

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

That's all great tips guys

But my main issue is the disassembly of Graphics card...Liquid Corsair FAN and other similar components for cleaning..

I once started unscrewing all the graphics card screws and I TRIED TO pull the Graphics card out.It wasn't getting out and it kinda stayed stuck.I did not forced more pressure on pulling so that it causes some kinda damage or what not ,,,

You are overthinking this. It isn't rocket science. If you don't go too long between cleanings, there is no need to disable anything between cleanings other than the case sides and, maybe, front panels. Just either use canned gas (keep the can upright so you don't spray any liquid) or a very low pressure compressor or blower to blow the dust out. I have never dissembled a computer to clean it other than to remove access panels. I remove the side and front panels on my desktop computers to clean them. I use my fingers to keep the fans from spinning when I'm blowing around them. If you need to manually remove dust due to excessive build up, use a anti-static brush (do not use regular or artists' paint brushes since they can generate static). If you can't get anti-static brushes, use a soft, cotton cloth. You can also use cotton swabs, such as Q-Tips.

As far as the graphics card goes, there usually are enough gaps and crevices you can poke the nozzle straw of canned air into to get the worst of any accumulated dust out. Again, you can also use cotton swabs to loosen stubborn areas. Just make sure you block any fans from spinning while blowing air around them. You don't have to get the insides squeaky clean as long as you get the worst of it out.

I use an electric blower (it works like a miniature leaf blower) to clean my desktop computer out. I spend more time removing and replacing the front and side panels than I do actually cleaning.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

A hair dryer on a cold setting seems a good idea but I'm not sure if they still produce charged particles/ions. I did a bit of looking and apparently some modern hair dryers are designed to produce ions
Hair Dryer Air Flow - How Hair Dryers Work | HowStuffWorks

I agree MJ and I am thinking that maybe the charged ions maybe due to the dryer being an electrically driven device much in the same way that say a vacuum cleaner is and would generate an electrical field and that is where the static charge would arise??

I will say that air moving over any surface is going to create or possibly create friction that raises and electrical charge and I am guessing that charge however small is not good for the computer full stop.

Now I have in the past (I might have mentioned before) have rigged vacuum cleaners with small poly tubes that have hogs hair bristles arranged around the "nozzle" as a brush and inside the aperture an aluminium band that goes inside that aperture for about an inch and over the edge to the outside. To that I have attached an earth lead that goes the the mains supply earth connection all held in place with duct tape. I never had any problems with that setup although I do not use it much these days after I found it was much easier to do cleaning on a regular basis.

I guess there is no hard and fast solution to this issue as it has been brought up on many occasions in the past in here.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I agree MJ and I am thinking that maybe the charged ions maybe due to the dryer being an electrically driven device much in the same way that say a vacuum cleaner is and would generate an electrical field and that is where the static charge would arise??

I will say that air moving over any surface is going to create or possibly create friction that raises and electrical charge and I am guessing that charge however small is not good for the computer full stop.

Now I have in the past (I might have mentioned before) have rigged vacuum cleaners with small poly tubes that have hogs hair bristles arranged around the "nozzle" as a brush and inside the aperture an aluminium band that goes inside that aperture for about an inch and over the edge to the outside. To that I have attached an earth lead that goes the the mains supply earth connection all held in place with duct tape. I never had any problems with that setup although I do not use it much these days after I found it was much easier to do cleaning on a regular basis.

I guess there is no hard and fast solution to this issue as it has been brought up on many occasions in the past in here.

I use an electric blower (DataVac) for cleaning out my computers and never had a problem with it. As long as you don't actually touch anything with the nozzle, I don't believe there is anything to worry about.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Well Jeannie I have a miniature battery driven vacuum cleaner that I must admit have not tried yet and I am guessing the electro magnetic field generated by it would not come close to the mains driven devices.

Having said all this I am surprised that no-one has come up with a solution for this issue, and would think they would be on a winner if the device had some way of at least minimising the possibility of a static charge being built up if not completely avoiding it.

Edit: I suppose in a way we are drifting OT though.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

It's a non-issue. Again, as long as any blower, be it the DataVac I have (which was designed for cleaning computers, btw), a reversed vacuum cleaner, or an air compressor, as long as the nozzle doesn't contact the computer (and, probably, not even then), there will be no danger from static. You all are overthinking this.

Read through this thread for more on using the DataVac blower.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Yep well the subject has been done to death and I don't think any of us will ever agree on what is and isn't because we all think of static in different ways.

Me personally static is built up by the rubbing or otherwise known as the friction of one object being moved across the surface of another is going to build up a static charge, and in my tiny mind even dust particles being wither drawn across a surface by suction or positive pressure blowing is going to create some static charge between those two interacting parts.

So we could go on debating this forever suffice to say over the last ten years that I have been involved in any way in fixing or servicing computers of mine or friends I have never had any problems with how I have done that. As you all may have noticed I have tried many different forms of removing the dust and crud from those machines and I just use whatever comes to hand to be honest.

 

[fahadhum]

I understand.I am somewhat contended now ....

You are overthinking this. It isn't rocket science. If you don't go too long between cleanings, there is no need to disable anything between cleanings other than the case sides and, maybe, front panels. Just either use canned gas (keep the can upright so you don't spray any liquid) or a very low pressure compressor or blower to blow the dust out. I have never dissembled a computer to clean it other than to remove access panels. I remove the side and front panels on my desktop computers to clean them. I use my fingers to keep the fans from spinning when I'm blowing around them. If you need to manually remove dust due to excessive build up, use a anti-static brush (do not use regular or artists' paint brushes since they can generate static). If you can't get anti-static brushes, use a soft, cotton cloth. You can also use cotton swabs, such as Q-Tips.

As far as the graphics card goes, there usually are enough gaps and crevices you can poke the nozzle straw of canned air into to get the worst of any accumulated dust out. Again, you can also use cotton swabs to loosen stubborn areas. Just make sure you block any fans from spinning while blowing air around them. You don't have to get the insides squeaky clean as long as you get the worst of it out.

I use an electric blower (it works like a miniature leaf blower) to clean my desktop computer out. I spend more time removing and replacing the front and side panels than I do actually cleaning.

I understand ..Perhaps i was overthinking.And watching too many Youtubers cleaning their Graphics Card made me interested in this...

I have found a video for my Case and it shows how it looks from OUTSIDE & inside.And all other details...

Cooler Master Elite K280 500W Case Review ► - YouTube

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Here is a video showing how to clean a case. Two cautions, though.

One, if you have a fan on the side panel of your case, don't just yank the side panel and fan cable off like the guy in the video did. Tip the panel enough to see where the fan cable goes, then reach inside and carefully unplug it, noting where and how it is plugged in. That will avoid possible damage to the cable and the motherboard and will let you see where to plug the cable back in when you are done.

Two, there is good chance the CPU cooler fins are choked with dust. You may need to remove the fan on the cooler to do a good job of cleaning them out. Remove the fan only; do NOT remove the cooler. The cooler has a thermal paste between it and the CPU and, if you remove the cooler, the paste will need replacing to avoid destroying the CPU from overheating after you replace the cooler. It will be much easier for you to just to leave the cooler in place.

I suggest using a cotton cloth instead of paper towels. Paper towels will shred on sharp edges and will make more work for you to clean up. Wooden toothpicks are useful for dislodging dust from tight places, such as between the fins of the CPU cooler. They can also be poked through a grill to keep fans from spinning. A thin piece of cardboard, such as a business card, also works well between fins; just don't use plastic.

Again, do not disassemble your graphics card, including the fans for the same reason you do not want to remove your CPU cooler. It will be easier if you can remove the card (after removing the PSU cables, remove the two screws on the bracket on the left end and release the latch on the right end of the socket on the motherboard socket) but, if you have to force it to get it out, just leave it in place. Spray air between the fan blades (without spinning the fans) to blow out as much dust as possible in the heat sink fins. If using canned air and the card is still in the computer, bend the straw to keep the can upright to avoid spraying liquid which could damage components. A partially filled can is easier to use here. You can also spray air through openings in the sides of the card.

If the computer is really dirty, you can figure on spending an hour or more getting it clean again. It isn't difficult but it is tedious and time consuming (I have seen cases so filthy, it would take all day to clean). Once you get it clean (it doesn't have to be brand new clean, btw), the more often you clean it, the easier and faster it will be to clean. How often to clean it will depend on where you live. I live in a dusty desert. I vacuum off the outside of my case and dust filters once a week (do not use a vacuum on the inside!), then blow out the inside of the case and back blow the filters once a month. It takes me less than minute to vacuum the outside and ten minutes or less to blow out the case as long as I do it often enough.

 

[fahadhum]

Here is a video showing how to clean a case. Two cautions, though.

One, if you have a fan on the side panel of your case, don't just yank the side panel and fan cable off like the guy in the video did. Tip the panel enough to see where the fan cable goes, then reach inside and carefully unplug it, noting where and how it is plugged in. That will avoid possible damage to the cable and the motherboard and will let you see where to plug the cable back in when you are done.

Two, there is good chance the CPU cooler fins are choked with dust. You may need to remove the fan on the cooler to do a good job of cleaning them out. Remove the fan only; do NOT remove the cooler. The cooler has a thermal paste between it and the CPU and, if you remove the cooler, the paste will need replacing to avoid destroying the CPU from overheating after you replace the cooler. It will be much easier for you to just to leave the cooler in place.

I suggest using a cotton cloth instead of paper towels. Paper towels will shred on sharp edges and will make more work for you to clean up. Wooden toothpicks are useful for dislodging dust from tight places, such as between the fins of the CPU cooler. They can also be poked through a grill to keep fans from spinning. A thin piece of cardboard, such as a business card, also works well between fins; just don't use plastic.

Again, do not disassemble your graphics card, including the fans for the same reason you do not want to remove your CPU cooler. It will be easier if you can remove the card (after removing the PSU cables, remove the two screws on the bracket on the left end and release the latch on the right end of the socket on the motherboard socket) but, if you have to force it to get it out, just leave it in place. Spray air between the fan blades (without spinning the fans) to blow out as much dust as possible in the heat sink fins. If using canned air and the card is still in the computer, bend the straw to keep the can upright to avoid spraying liquid which could damage components. A partially filled can is easier to use here. You can also spray air through openings in the sides of the card.

If the computer is really dirty, you can figure on spending an hour or more getting it clean again. It isn't difficult but it is tedious and time consuming (I have seen cases so filthy, it would take all day to clean). Once you get it clean (it doesn't have to be brand new clean, btw), the more often you clean it, the easier and faster it will be to clean. How often to clean it will depend on where you live. I live in a dusty desert. I vacuum off the outside of my case and dust filters once a week (do not use a vacuum on the inside!), then blow out the inside of the case and back blow the filters once a month. It takes me less than minute to vacuum the outside and ten minutes or less to blow out the case as long as I do it often enough.

I actually did the same AS WHAT THE GUY IN THE VIDEO DID and i noticed some dust on the Front Panel Fan and so on the whole panel cover.As i opened it after a year or so...So , this was the 1st time that i even opened the front panel via watching this VID.

And i do not plan to open the fan.I simple do not have the experience ..I once tried unhooking the Graphics CARD AND it would not get out ..As if it was stuck or something.I had removed all the screws.So after that , i get kinda scared of removing hardware inside and possibly causing some kinda damage.

What i do is that i just blow the dust of of iut using a dry cloth...I do know that in time , imay have to open it up but i am gonna wait till my pc gives me some kinda alram ( stupid i know) But i can't dissasemble or unscrew my Liquid Cooling Fan..

Lastly , is their any software where i can set a SAFE temp , both for CPU and GPU.And i can set an alram ..so it the temps go above the desired Degree , i get an alarm ?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Now that is an interesting thing that there is not an app to set off a small alarm for letting one know if the temps are getting close to having a damaging effect to say the CPU or GPU.

Now I know my Ivy bridge build the fan control device I have set in the front panel will set of a very loud beeping sound when the fan speeds are getting too high or at least higher than I set the fan speed in the BIOS.

Talking of the BIOS there are settings for fan speeds which will also alarm when they get too high and I am guessing that is because the device they are trying to cool is getting to hot - I stand to be corrected of course. The BIOS on that machine is EUFI and while I think it is good it is very convoluted to me as semi literate user but I am also thinking anyone who is very confident in using it may know of a way to use other settings to monitor and alarm the user to high temps when they occur - again I stand to be be corrected.

Some Google searches came up with suggestions of including a BAT file in the registry to also monitor and set an alarm off in the event of temps getting too high. To me that sounds like to someone who is conversant with writing files like that it would be a simple thing to somehow hook it into the temp sensing circuit and then to one of those piezo electric devices for an alarm system.

But I am just thinking out loud here and maybe these ideas are wishful thinking.

Now the cleaning of GPU's unless they are really quite complicate build devices are for me at least not hard to do and I think that a change of compound is not such a bad thing anyway.
For the fin cleaning on coolers of any sort including laptops I use those craft chenille strips - very cheap and so easy to use see pic for what I mean. Fans I find those cotton buds are really useful to get into crevices with.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Now that is an interesting thing that there is not an app to set off a small alarm for letting one know if the temps are getting close to having a damaging effect to say the CPU or GPU...

Actually, there are several. This one is popular.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Actually, there are several. This one is popular.

Hmm I did see that one Jeannie didn't realise it actually set off an audible alarm and if ti does I am just wondering what device the alarm is sounded through?

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Hmm I did see that one Jeannie didn't realise it actually set off an audible alarm and if ti does I am just wondering what device the alarm is sounded through?

It does have an alarm. I'm guessing the alarm will sound through the speakers. You would set the alarm to sound off at a certain temperature, then, if the temperature continues to rise to the next setting, shut the computer down.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Thought there was already built in safety features
Premature shutdowns and bsod's

 

[Layback Bear]

Their is built in throttling when the temp go way to high.
I would prefer to know what the temps are before it throttles.
Just use Real Temp and minimize to the Taskbar and it will show the high temp.


Jack

 

[Megahertz07]

I use BIOS alarms to CPU (80ºC) and Chipset (60ºC).
For temp monitoring I use Open Hardware Monitor - Core temp, fan speed and voltages in a free software gadget. It loads with windows.
On task bar it shows CPU package temperature.
On desktop it also shows actual CPU clock, CPU temp, CPU load (bar graph) and chipset temp.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I don't game so, I rarely get my CPU very hot (and never even close to too hot), I just use Core Temp (use the U.S. Mirror) to monitor my CPU temperatures. Core Temp has over heat protection but I don't think it has an alarm.