-
Join the MyBroadband community
South Africa’s biggest forum. Discuss, discover, and connect with thousands of members.
-
Question of the Day: What's the most interesting small town you've visited in South Africa?
freezing
- Thread starter Zing
- Start date
superskully
Expert Member
Dust - the #1 computer killer.
PostmanPot
Honorary Master
Perhaps its a noob question 
but cleaning dust out isn't tricky. From what I have heard its a case of blowing (and not sucking) the dust out.
What else should I be doing to clean up and service the machine?
How often is a clean up and service recommended?
I think my machine is also going slowly down the same road. Far Cry 2 crashes after about 25 to 30 minutes of play. M$ says my driver is out of date but that's pure unadulterated nonsense. It's a GeForce 8 series card and always running on the latest drivers.
but cleaning dust out isn't tricky. From what I have heard its a case of blowing (and not sucking) the dust out. What else should I be doing to clean up and service the machine?
How often is a clean up and service recommended?
I think my machine is also going slowly down the same road. Far Cry 2 crashes after about 25 to 30 minutes of play. M$ says my driver is out of date but that's pure unadulterated nonsense. It's a GeForce 8 series card and always running on the latest drivers.
PostmanPot
Honorary Master
Perhaps its a noob question
What else should I be doing to clean up and service the machine?
How often is a clean up and service recommended?
I think my machine is also going slowly down the same road. Far Cry 2 crashes after about 25 to 30 minutes of play. M$ says my driver is out of date but that's pure unadulterated nonsense. It's a GeForce 8 series card and always running on the latest drivers.
Buy a can of compressed dry air.
How often it is needed depends on how dusty your house is. Every 3 - 6 months I would say.
Also remember to switch the PC off and remove the components you are cleaning. Don't clean things like CPU heat sink fan while it is installed into the PC. Also for fans, try make sure the blades don't spin too fast when you clean them, as this can damage the fans.
superskully
Expert Member
Well, Dust will be the easiest problem.
Depends on diagnosis.
Does your computer start up normally, and then over time, maybe after a game heats up (download a temperature monitor).
There can be so many reasons.
Personally, i had a problem with a desktop, kept freezing - it was the motherboard.
Then, my laptop, not freezing, but heats up badly - especially during games which slow down after awhile.
So i popped in some compressed air (from a lab, but can also use air at gas stations), it blew out only dust - and Perfecto again.
Depends on diagnosis.
Does your computer start up normally, and then over time, maybe after a game heats up (download a temperature monitor).
There can be so many reasons.
Personally, i had a problem with a desktop, kept freezing - it was the motherboard.
Then, my laptop, not freezing, but heats up badly - especially during games which slow down after awhile.
So i popped in some compressed air (from a lab, but can also use air at gas stations), it blew out only dust - and Perfecto again.
Subversion
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2005
- Messages
- 309
- Reaction score
- 0
i have a vacuum cleaner than can blow and suck...
set that baby to blow and point it in my case, i get consumed by a cloud of dust in 5 seconds.
but ur problem does sound very much like it may be overheating
set that baby to blow and point it in my case, i get consumed by a cloud of dust in 5 seconds.
but ur problem does sound very much like it may be overheating
howardb
Expert Member
+1 for overheating - a good thorough cleanout should do the trick. You may also consider new decent thermal paste between your CPU and Heatsink/Fan, as well as some dust filters on the intake fans.
I usually blow out the dust every 3 months with a can of compressed air, then do a major clean every 6 months - I clean each fan blade manually with warm water then with some anti-static Mr Min or similar - this prevents the dust sticking to the fan blades too quickly and having build-up.
I usually blow out the dust every 3 months with a can of compressed air, then do a major clean every 6 months - I clean each fan blade manually with warm water then with some anti-static Mr Min or similar - this prevents the dust sticking to the fan blades too quickly and having build-up.
I like that Mr Min idea. Is the lavendar best or should I go for something with a better fragrance? Do they have burning plastic fragrance? It would not be too distracting from the normal PC smell then.
Stupid dust... I can already see it forming on the new machine. I'm thinking of buttoning up the doors and windows and get myself hazmat suit.
Sometimes you will be amazed at the crud that forms on heatsinks, especially going from summer to winter when the humidity packs the dust together.
Also keep your machine off the ground. Dust is more likely to be kicked up by people and animals passing or the dust settling down towards the ground where the fans might pick it up. If there are grilles and inlets on your machine that don't carry a fan, cover them with a filter. Depending on pressure/vacuum and air direction in the case those vents will pack in dust as well.
Use passive coolers as well. I'm in this situation now seeing some heat on my northbridge I was thinking of getting one of those heatsink+fan chipset coolers, but that means extra airflow, but there are passive heatpipe-based coolers which will do the trick. Except they cost a bit.
Slow down the fans as well. You don't need to packing several hundred cubic feet of air into a machine to keep it cool.
I just hate dust and even hate the fact I can never get rid of it for good.
Dust should pay rent and taxes!
Stupid dust... I can already see it forming on the new machine. I'm thinking of buttoning up the doors and windows and get myself hazmat suit.
Sometimes you will be amazed at the crud that forms on heatsinks, especially going from summer to winter when the humidity packs the dust together.
Also keep your machine off the ground. Dust is more likely to be kicked up by people and animals passing or the dust settling down towards the ground where the fans might pick it up. If there are grilles and inlets on your machine that don't carry a fan, cover them with a filter. Depending on pressure/vacuum and air direction in the case those vents will pack in dust as well.
Use passive coolers as well. I'm in this situation now seeing some heat on my northbridge I was thinking of getting one of those heatsink+fan chipset coolers, but that means extra airflow, but there are passive heatpipe-based coolers which will do the trick. Except they cost a bit.
Slow down the fans as well. You don't need to packing several hundred cubic feet of air into a machine to keep it cool.
I just hate dust and even hate the fact I can never get rid of it for good.
Dust should pay rent and taxes!wHiTe*LiGhTnInG
Senior Member
just take it to the petrol station, and use the tire pump. that blows things out no time
killadoob
Honorary Master
Awesome idea.
Adenoid Hynkel
Executive Member
Worried this option might just blow the machine to smithereens
Nah it's fine. The only precaution you need to take are with the fans, you need to lock them down so they don't spin when you apply air. The air pressure will generally spin they way faster than they were designed to and could damage them. I usually just used my finder as a stopper while I directed the air over a fan.