How often to open up your cabinet ?

G

Gen.Libeb

Padawan
So today I opened up my pc, took out all parts & cleaned out the dust & there was a lot of it, I do this around every 3 months for about the last one year, since I upgraded to this rig.
I don't really like taking off the cpu fan, The time before I had some trouble putting it on back, This time i cleaned from the outside.

I'm sure there is no definite answer to how often one should do this. Please share your routines on this.

Is there any way I can stop / reduce dust collection inside, may be some kind of filters ? I have no idea on this.

Thanks.
 
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harshilsharma63

harshilsharma63

DIY FTW!
First of all if you removed the cpu fan+heatsink from the motherboard, you spoiled the thermal paste, better get some from your local shop, they may give you the paste which they get with the processors for about Rs. 70 -100.

Personally, I just open the the side cover, check for dust, and if it's present I call up my friend to deliver his cycle pump at my home and then I take out all components and clean them while pushing the pump :-D
There's really no regularity to it, I just keep checking for dust every few days. Last time, I sealed up all the holes except the fan hole, so I expect less dust to be present now.
 
OP
G

Gen.Libeb

Padawan
harshilsharma63 said:
First of all if you removed the cpu fan+heatsink from the motherboard, you spoiled the thermal paste, better get some from your local shop, they may give you the paste which they get with the processors for about Rs. 70 -100.

Personally, I just open the the side cover, check for dust, and if it's present I call up my friend to deliver his cycle pump at my home and then I take out all components and clean them while pushing the pump :-D
There's really no regularity to it, I just keep checking for dust every few days. Last time, I sealed up all the holes except the fan hole, so I expect less dust to be present now.
Click to expand...

Yeah, The last time I wasn't sure If I was applying thermal paste uniformly over the surface, that's why I didn't bother taking it off this time.
Cycle pump - Good idea; and you sealed up all the holes ? Won't that be a problem with overheating inside ?
I suppose vacuuming is not a good idea with the static electricity thing, is it ?
 
harshilsharma63

harshilsharma63

DIY FTW!
^ no, sealing them didn't create any problem. I have two intake fans, one blowing cool air directly over cpu fan through a diy cardboard duct and the other over the chippet. There's also an exaust fan. After my exams get over, I'll be doing some nodding job and attaching some more fans just for fun.

Besides, what are your system's temperatures?
 
tkin

tkin

Back to school!!
One light cleaning every month with just a blower, one complete overhaul cleaning 3 times an year.
 
OP
G

Gen.Libeb

Padawan
harshilsharma63 said:
Besides, what are your system's temperatures?
Click to expand...
Don't know. I don't really check them.

tkin said:
One light cleaning every month with just a blower, one complete overhaul cleaning 3 times an year.
Click to expand...
That's good, I think I should start doing the light cleaning monthly, though the major problem is the dust in the GPU & CPU fan which won't go by just blowing, I need to use those swabs.

Thanks guys for for your suggestions.
 
d6bmg

d6bmg

BMG ftw!!
^^ If you perform monthly cleaning, there won't be much of those accumulated dusts in your system.
P.S. use blower fan at high RPM.
 
Anorion

Anorion

Sith Lord
Staff member
Admin
keep it open all the time
should clean more often, do it only when the cooler stops working and the comp starts rebooting
 
harshilsharma63

harshilsharma63

DIY FTW!
Just attach a very large heat sink, of the size of the cabinet itself, attach it to your cpu, ram and graphic card and place it outside the cabinet, now you can easily seal the complete cabinet in a polyethine bag, seal it perfectly and you will never encounter any dust problem and the heat sink will keep it cool too.
 
gameranand

gameranand

Living to Play
Usually I open up in like 15-20 days and clean it with a piece of cloth and brushes. Usually clean the system thoroughly in 4-5 months. It takes a lot of time and patience though, cleaning every fin of the fan and all.
 
anirbandd

anirbandd

Conversation Architect
gameranand said:
Usually I open up in like 15-20 days and clean it with a piece of cloth and brushes. Usually clean the system thoroughly in 4-5 months. It takes a lot of time and patience though, cleaning every fin of the fan and all.
Click to expand...

every 15-20 days??? :suicide:
 
furious_gamer

furious_gamer

Excessive happiness
Mine is always open, because i left side panel at my old room while vacating and now whole thing is covered in dust. :D
 
sam_738844

sam_738844

Wise Old Owl
I have one cabinet opened from both sides. It requires no fans no cooling systems...nothing, its a old tech-com cheap local crappy cabinet i bought my CPU in 2004.


P.S : There is nothing inside the cabinet. The computer does not run. I destroyed everything, literally ripped them and burned.
 
Anorion

Anorion

Sith Lord
Staff member
Admin
d6bmg said:
Bad suggestion.
Open setup or semi open chassis = dust magnet..
Click to expand...
thank you for your profound observations, but it was not a suggestion, it was an answer to the question

have to find it first to put it back on, and swipe drives pretty frequently so gonna leave it open
 
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