Look at this. Pretty shocking, right?
There's no shortage of stories out there about insanely filthy computers filled with dirt, dust,
and even bugs. And maybe your computer isn't that dirty,
but odds are it isn't exactly pristine either. So how dirty is too dirty?
And how often should you be cleaning your PC?
Despite all the warnings you've probably gotten about how awful the dust is for your PC,
you don't actually need to clean it all that often. Unless you're in some kind
of insanely dusty environment or have like 14 cats,
cleaning your PC about once every six months should be plenty.
Now, don't get us wrong. Dust does pose a threat to your PC,
but you need quite a bit of it to really start causing problems.
The big danger with dust is having so much of it that it acts as an insulating layer
that heats up your components or that it clogs up your fans.
But this doesn't mean that you should wait until you get to that point
before doing some preventative maintenance as the longer you wait to remove the dust in your PC,
the harder it'll be to get rid of it all and the greater the risk
that you're going to start seeing issues while using your PC because it's overheating
and your clogged up fans can't cool it off properly,
even though they're working harder than usual and making god-awful amounts of noise.
So what's the right way to deal with all this dust? Do you really have to have one of those little cans
with the cocktail straw sticking out of it? Or how about one of those old school feather dusters?
All right, so part of the reason so many people use canned air is that it's easy to get inside tight spaces
like heatsink fins and between ramsticks. But another good reason is that they don't carry a wrist
of static unlike something like a vacuum cleaner
or an electrostatic duster. But remember though that compressed air cans
work with a liquid propellant. So make sure you're holding the can upright
lest you spray the wet stuff all over your components.
But a $6 can of air often doesn't remove everything.
So you might be tempted to use an electric air compressor
for a little extra power. Generally speaking, this is okay to do,
but don't run it too hard or too close to the PC.
Electric compressors can pack a serious punch and can actually tear capacitors off your motherboard
in some cases, which is a heck of a lot worse than dealing with a little bit of dust.
And whether you're using an inexpensive can of air or a solution that has an actual motor,
don't let your fans spin while you clean them. You can actually deform the blades or damage the bearings,
especially if you're using cheaper fans, or even damage the header on your motherboard.
Having fans spin freely at high speed can actually send current back down the wire.
And it's a lot more expensive to replace a motherboard than to just buy another fan.
So remember to hold the fins down with your finger while you blow.
And we have one more tip before we go. If there's still dust on your computer
after blowing it out, it's okay to wipe down surfaces
with something that won't cause static, such as a lint-free cloth or a soft paintbrush.
But if that sounds like too much of a pain, remember that you can drastically reduce the amount
of dust buildup by keeping your computer up on your desk
and off the floor, especially if you have a carpet. That said, cats do tend to like sitting up high,
so pick your poison. Thanks for watching guys. If you liked this video, hit like, hit subscribe,
and hit us up in the comment section for your suggestions for topics
that we should cover in the future. Clean your PC, dammit.