GameBanshee Forums

Today I finally used a can of air to clean out far too much collected dust in my computer. Now the reason I did this is because it was running too hot, and I know it is a good idea to dust out your computer's innards on a regular basis.

Thing is.. it also seems faster now. I did some hunting around and everything I read suggested that using a can of air should not directly make a difference to actual speed....

Anybody know anything about this? Is it just my imagination that the comp is running faster?

The dust % in the air has lowered significantly when the main source of it in your neighborhood was taken out (your PC). You are just hallucinating, because 'tis the first time in years that you breathe fresh air, and have most likely overdosed it.

Watch out!

The answer is in your post DW, heat! A cooler chip is a faster chip, I'm a tad surprised you can tell the difference though, it must have been seriously overheating.

PS In case you weren't aware, dust is much more of a problem for smokers than non-smokers. When I was repairing and upgrading computers I could tell instantly if a computer was owned by a smoker. I could also tell instantly that one client was keeping his server in their coal fired boiler room surprisingly!!!

lol @ Stworca,
hmm... ODing on a nice natural substance like fresh air doesn't seem half bad..



@Galraen,
it had indeed been a long while since the comp was cleaned out....
Amidst the chaos I ended up neglecting to do so, but was forcibly reminded when it began shutting itself off. I used RivaTuner to increase my fan speed from the Nvidia default 60, and upped it to 100. That helped considerably in the interim... and now with a nice clean inside as well.. the improvement is huge.

Luckily I don't smoke! Good lord.. why would anybody keep their computer in their coal fired boiler room? (suddenly I don't feel so bad)

dragon wench wrote: Good lord.. why would anybody keep their computer in their coal fired boiler room? (suddenly I don't feel so bad)

It was a school, need I say more?

Lol. :laugh:

Cooler cores don't automatically become faster cores, so please put those frozen chicken wings back into the fridge. What you noticed here was probably just a safety mechanism to prevent direct heat damage to the cores. It was lifted the instant you cleaned it.

It is very likely that this is how it the computer ran when you first got it out of the box. Actual overclocking usually means adjusting settings in the BIOS that affect both the memory and the CPU. Video cards are a little more simply overclocked, but generally also tend to protect the cores from heat damage in a similar fashion.

Is your computer running slow or idling rough?

Well Check hard drive for errors. This helps ensure that your PC’s engine is running efficiently.

How exactly does one execute the operation of using compressed air? Is there a risk to wreck the computer? I imagine people google their specific computer so I am likely to just get the 'gist' but any information is welcome.

Claudius wrote:How exactly does one execute the operation of using compressed air? Is there a risk to wreck the computer? I imagine people google their specific computer so I am likely to just get the 'gist' but any information is welcome.

A can of compressed air is just a spray can. You point it at the dust and blow it away (probably right back into your face). I noticed my computer was running pretty hot about a year after I put it together, and between the compressed air and tweezers, I got the dust out of the fans and got it running coolly again (but not more quickly that I noticed).

I don't think there's a lot of risk to your computer, but you should always be careful when opening it up and touching stuff. I have one of those grounding bracelet things that I wear whenever I open mine up.

SWC

There is a lot less risk of damaging a computer with static electricity than there used to be. If you don't have one of those grounding bracelets then you should make certain both feet are firmly on the ground. Keeping one hand touching the frame of the case can help as well. The bracelet is a good thing to have, but not something to worry about if you don't have one. The dust will cause more damage than you are likely to.

Canned air is great. I also use tweezers the same as Buck. They are my go to tool for getting dust bunnies out of fans and such. Before I apply the canned air I tend to sweep out what I can using a blush brush. I find I get less dust going everywhere randomly just to settle on parts on the inside of my computer again. Just be certain not to apply any real pressure if you try this unless you know what you are doing in certain areas as there are things on the mother board that can snap off if pressed against too roughly. Retailers also carry a kit of attachments for vacuum cleaners which may save money on canned air over time depending on how ofter you find yourself using it.

Whilst static electricity may be less of a danger than it used to be, although I'm not sure about that, using a vacuum cleaner is something to take very great care with, as they can generate an awful lot of static. Never let any conductive component touch anything on the computer.

Very true on the vacuum. I wouldn't use one without special attachments designed for cleaning computers.