Dust and it's Effects

[SuperSluether]

I'm starting to have dust buildup on my CPU heatsink, and the temperatures are almost 5 degrees higher than usual under load. (I overclock, so this is a huge rise) Can dust really affect cooling that much? The weather has been colder than usual, so I thought it would still run cool. I read somewhere that dust can reduce airflow by 90%, but is this exaggerated? Let me know what your thoughts are on dust effects on cooling.

 

[Darkbreeze]

A clogged dust screen is the only way airflow could be reduced that much. A five degree thermal difference due to dust accumulation on the heatsink is entirely possible though. In fact, if enough dust and crud builds up in the fins of the heatsink it's ability to shed head could be reduced by as much as 75% over time. The cpu heatsink and fan, and the inside of the power supply, should be blown out with compressed air on a regular basis if you have the computer in an area where it's an issue.

 

[sirstinky]

Yes! When the cooling vanes are clogged with dust and crud, air can't get through and flow across the cooling surfaces, and heat isn't carried away. The dust also acts like an insulator, trapping heat in. Depending on how much dust, airflow can be significantly restricted. I've seen power supply fans completely caked with dust, grilles clogged up, and heat sinks clogged. I could account some computer and power supply failures due to dust build up and overheating. Plus, your machine will run hot (as you've experienced) which isn't good for components and shortens their life.

 

[SuperSluether]

Thanks for the input! I'll be blowing out the computer soon and finding a dust filtering solution. (for now it'll probably be anti-static dryer sheets. Simple but effective) I still can't wrap my mind around WHY dust gets clogged though. The air is constantly moving, but it must not be moving fast enough to blow the dust loose. And once some dust gets stuck, it just gathers.

 

[SuperSluether]

BTW, this was SUPPOSED to be in the cooling forum, but when I selected the systems category it put it here.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Actually, there is no "cooling" category yet, word is it's coming soon though so you're fine in components. Don't use dryer sheets, it's too restrictive and you'll be likely to have thermal issues. A better choice would be thin universal cut to fit house heater/central air element material or air purifier filter material. You can get a large piece of it at most home hardware stores for a few bucks. You can also order PC cooling fan dust sheets online.

One thing that would help it to upgrade you case cooling to a positive rather than negative cooling solution. This requires having enough intake fans to create more pressure than the exhaust fans can immediately remove which creates backpressure that helps somewhat to minimize the amount of dust that can enter the case. You can read about it here:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cooling-air-pressure-heatsink,3058-5.html