Can dust slow down a computer ?

[Guest]

hi all,
i was wondering can dust slow down my computer.
my house is being renovated , breaking everything and building up again one room at a time and i am living there side by side so naturally there is too much dust.
so when i opened up the case i was shocked to see the dust.
it was too much specially on the 6950
i was wondering can dust slow it down ?
i really didnt feel a diff though.
i blew the dust away just by blowing from mouth and closed the case then.
now i wonder what is the safest way to pull the dust out without detaching anything or touching anything else

 

[rvilkman]

Not really, the only way it will slow your computer down is that the fans get clogged or in general the airflow gets restricted, and the components start running hotter and because they get too hot the machine throttles down the clock on the GPU and/or the CPU.

 

[manu 11]

as stated above, no, but just clean it with compressed air and do not make use of vacuum cleaner.You can also use cable management that will reduce the amount of surface area for the dust to reside

 

[Raiddinn]

Cans of compressed air are good for getting dust/dirt out of the computer.

As mentioned, dust/dirt CAN negatively impact operations.

One thing I will add, though, is that you can add an air filter to the case, even if it isn't pretty, at least while the renovations are going on.

You can get a cheap foam air filter and just tape it over the intake ports if you have to.

 

[Guest]

what do you mean bu compressed air ?
is it something i have to buy ?
or u have to do something to obtain it ?

 

[Guest]

and can someone post a video cleaning their case ?

 

[Raiddinn]

Dust-off compressed gas dusters are what we are referring to

http://www.amazon.com/Dust-Off-Professional-Compressed-Included/dp/B004838KJS

 

[rvilkman]

It's sold in spray cans. Depending where you get them they range from about 3 bucks to 5 bucks per can. I usually get mine at costco, they have 6 packs of the cans for about 15 bucks or so.

But yeah do as recommended, get some filter cloth and tape it over the intake fans for your case during the renovation so it should limit most of the dust getting into your computer in the first place.

 

[TomBrooklyn]

why not vacuum, bloods?

 

[Outlander_04]

most , perhaps all, modern processors have inbuilt thermal protection . If they get too hot they slow down automatically

A cooler clogged with duct might cause overheating and slow the computer .

 

[asadulhaq]

dust is an insulator and will heat up ur pc. Than ur genious CPU wil "de-clock" it self

 

[TomBrooklyn]

Why not use a vacuum instead of compressed air?

 

[DomDunes]

Vacuums create a lot of static electricity and can damage the internal components of your computer. It's generally not recommended to use one however if you have to, I've read a battery powered one is a safer bet. I don't think it's worth it though to risk your parts for a $5 can of compressed air.

 

[zac14001]

Why not use a vacuum instead of compressed air?

GIFSoup

 

[TomBrooklyn]

Vacuums create a lot of static electricity and can damage the internal components of your computer.

Hi. Old vacuums like the 1960 Electrolux had extension tubes and end connectors made of metal.

Nowadays, almost all vacuums are made of plastic, including the extension tubes and end attachments.

In the case of plastic vacuums, how can they pose a risk of static electricity transfer?

 

[ukee1593]

DomDunes wrote :

Vacuums create a lot of static electricity and can damage the internal components of your computer.
Hi. Old vacuums like the 1960 Electrolux had extension tubes and end connectors made of metal.

Nowadays, almost all vacuums are made of plastic, including the extension tubes and end attachments.

In the case of plastic vacuums, how can they pose a risk of static electricity transfer?

^^ Actually you are better of WITH a metal end on your vacuum cleaner.

Static electricity builds up on a vacuum cleaner end when pieces of dust (from whatever you are cleaning) collide with the end of the tube and electrons get ripped off the dust atoms (due to the friction forces of the collision) and deposited on the vacuum cleaner tube. This repeatedly occurring charges up the vacuum cleaner.

- if you have a plastic vacuum hose/end (which is a good insulator) the electric charge cannot distribute itself across the material and will build up to very high voltages on the tip of the cleaner end. The only way it can be discharged is when the entire surface of the vacuum end is connected physically with the ground.

- if you have a metal end on your vacuum the electrostatic charge will distribute itself evenly across the entire end of the cleaner. This means that it takes much longer to build up a dangerous static charge on the end of the cleaner, and it is also possible to attach a grounding wire to the end of the vacuum cleaner to prevent any build up of electrostatic charge. Please note: Vacuum cleaners accumulate charge MUCH faster than you do walking around on carpet, so the series resistance will need to be less than 1 MegaOhm to be able to conduct the current to ground fast enough.

++ I have no idea why people think that blowing their computers out with hairdryers or leaf-blowers is better than a vacuum cleaner. If Electrostatic charge can build up from dust going UP a tube, it can definitely build up for dust going DOWN a tube. The only way to fix this is to clean up the air supply by using a HEPA filter on the air intake.

Finally, Humidity and rain are your friend. High humidity makes the air more conductive and therefore less likely to build up a dangerous static charge! .... you cannot rely on this as your sole ESD safety practice though!