I was wondering how do people clean their systems and fans in particular. On a 8 year old PC that I vacuum occasionally (maybe once a year) there is a lot of dust that's stuck to the fans and doesn't go away.
Should I just replace the fans for new ones? I imagine after 8 years they probably make more noise than they could.
For context: in my build I have 4x120mm fans (2 chassis, 1 PSU and 1 CPU)
Cleaning fans
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Re: Cleaning fans
While holding a fin in place, blast the fan with a can of compressed air. There's a potential for ESD damage to your circuit board components if you use a vacuum (static builds up on the vacuum tip).
Re: Cleaning fans
True. Static is also generated in the nozzle when using compressed air, and that charge is transferred to the molcules blowing towards the surface you're cleaning!CA_Steve wrote:... There's a potential for ESD damage to your circuit board components if you use a vacuum (static builds up on the vacuum tip).
From an ESD perspective it's best to use a vacuum cleaner with a metal nozzle that's resistively connected to the computer while also using an antistatic brush to get the grit off the surfaces.
Re: Cleaning fans
If it's noisier than before then you probably need to lubricate them -- it may work with some fans, not with others.atamur wrote: I imagine after 8 years they probably make more noise than they could.
If you want to get rid of *all* the dirt, take them out, blow off surface dirt with compress air and then clean them with your favourite cleaning solution using kitchen towel, Q-Tip, etc. But dirt alone on the surface usually doesn't make fans noisier.