Heat is the enemy of your desktop computer, and it’s cooling abilities are crucial to its functioning. Over time, dust and debris build up inside your computer and then undermine your computer’s cooling efficiency. This will result in a shorter lifespan and possibly serious damage to your computer if not properly taken care of regularly.  

Follow these steps to help you with the process of cleaning the inside of your computer:

Step 1

Turn off your computer and make sure it is unplugged from the electrical outlet or surge protector.

Step 2

Carefully open up your computer’s case.

Step 3

Grab a handy can of compressed air and use short bursts of air to release sitting dust and debris. Try to stay at least a few inches from the motherboard’s surface, memory, processor, and expansion cards to avoid damage.

Step 4

Use your compressed air to remove the dust and debris from the fans. Hold the fan with your finger to keep it from spinning while cleaning it. Fan blades are delicate and can easily crack, so make sure to be careful. Use rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab to finish cleaning off the dust and debris from the fan. If possible, consider removing the fans from the computer’s case before cleaning for an easier and more thorough cleaning.

Step 5

Next, use the compressed air to remove dust and debris from the power supply. If there is a dust filter underneath the power supply, be sure to clean that too.

Step 6

Again, with the compressed air, clean the heatsink and the fan mounted to your processor. Removing these items for a more thorough cleaning may be needed. Remember to clean the thermal grease off the heatsink and processor before cleaning with a lint-free cloth and isopropyl alcohol. Before putting it all back together, apply a new coat of thermal grease.

Step 7

Finish by dusting off all the ports with the compressed air and cotton swabs with rubbing alcohol.

Good as new! Ideally, you’ll want to follow these steps and clean out the inside of your computer every 6 to 12 months to ensure it’s working correctly at all times.

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