Question How Bad Is Dust For PC Components? 🙄

[HonestMoon]

I am planning on buying Deepcool Macube 110 but my concern is that there is no mesh on front panel. And also there is a a cut out beneath the front panel and some sideway small cut outs for ailflow. But as there is no mesh installed, the intake fans will pull in lots of dust. And the place where I live in, excessive dust in the air is a very common thing.
So what should I do? Should I buy this model or buy a case with a mesh?

 

[lvt]

It's mostly about cosmetic appearance, PCs are intended for indoor use, so if you can breath, your PC will be OK.

 

[Phaaze88]

Thread title: Depends on how lazy one is.
The smaller the vents are, the bigger the threat dust becomes, meaning you should - ideally - clean more frequently. Laptops have this con.

So what should I do? Should I buy this model or buy a case with a mesh?

Well, what do you want to do? I believe in getting what you like and working with it.
You like the case and want to work with its shortcomings - perhaps welcoming the challenge?
This looks to be a negative pressure case, just like NZXT's H500. [Well, most of NZXT's cases are negative pressure.

 

[PsychoPsyops]

It's mostly about cosmetic appearance, PCs are intended for indoor use, so if you can breath, your PC will be OK.

If you are trying to say dust is something people shouldn't care about at all, you're mistaken.
Sure, you can worry too much over dust and in most cases, as long as dust doesn't build up and clog intake or fans, there isn't much to worry about.
However, what it seems most people forget is that dust absorbs electricity. This being said, it can actually mess with electronics.
Though if you're good at blowing out the dust at least once a week, and wiping down the fans and mesh at least once a month, you should be good.

 

[DSzymborski]

I am planning on buying Deepcool Macube 110 but my concern is that there is no mesh on front panel. And also there is a a cut out beneath the front panel and some sideway small cut outs for ailflow. But as there is no mesh installed, the intake fans will pull in lots of dust. And the place where I live in, excessive dust in the air is a very common thing.
So what should I do? Should I buy this model or buy a case with a mesh?

Dust is bad.

Which is why when you have good airflow, that will inevitably result in more dust, you need to take care of dust buildup through regular dust removal. Removing dust, along with regular backups of your important files, are two very basic maintenance tasks for responsible PC ownership.

 

[TerryLaze]

You can also buy mesh for your PC in various sizes and put it in yourself.
That doesn't help you with the cleaning though, you will have to clean the meshes or otherwise they will clog up.

 

[lvt]

If you are trying to say dust is something people shouldn't care about at all, you're mistaken.
Sure, you can worry too much over dust and in most cases, as long as dust doesn't build up and clog intake or fans, there isn't much to worry about.
However, what it seems most people forget is that dust absorbs electricity. This being said, it can actually mess with electronics.
Though if you're good at blowing out the dust at least once a week, and wiping down the fans and mesh at least once a month, you should be good.

I didn't say what you think.

I said computers are for indoor use, if you can breath normally it means then the environment is OK, and the computers will be OK too. In such living/working place dust will never be a problem.

The only situation where you may need mesh in the front is when you have cats or dogs in the same room and they often stay near your computer, a fine mesh grill could help preventing their furs from entering the case.

 

[logainofhades]

It's mostly about cosmetic appearance, PCs are intended for indoor use, so if you can breath, your PC will be OK.

It has nothing to do with cosmetic appearance. Dust clogs heatsinks, which causes components to overheat. Same can be said for cases with poor airflow qualities.

 

[Colif]

I said computers are for indoor use, if you can breath normally it means then the environment is OK, and the computers will be OK too. In such living/working place dust will never be a problem.

The only situation where you may need mesh in the front is when you have cats or dogs in the same room and they often stay near your computer, a fine mesh grill could help preventing their furs from entering the case.

dust in heatsinks can increase temps, and it also make fans noisy. Clean your fans and see if they are quieter afterwards. Filters at least mean you don't have to clean fans as often.

If you stick with the case:
if its a negative pressure case based on its solid front, the dust will build up on the exhaust fans so the lack of mesh on front is not a problem. There is a dust filter on roof so if you go negative pressure you might want to remove it (or be cleaning it every month like I do)

What cooling were you using on the CPU? if you put a 240mm AIO in roof it would fix the problem. Otherwise 2 more 140mm fans in roof will help. Considering size of 15mm vents on the front, you aren't going to get a lot of intake.

 

[lvt]

So what should I do? Should I buy this model or buy a case with a mesh?

Buy what you like but there is a reason why mesh is not popular.

If you use mesh you have to clean it regularly or your computer will die because when the mesh is clogged, there won't be an airflow.

It take a long time for a heat-sink to be clogged by dust, but a mesh grill will be completely clogged in no time, it's dangerous. That's why big brands don't sell much computers with mesh.

 

[Colif]

some mesh cases have dust filters inside that you can remove. You don't rely on the mesh for filtration, its more for air flow.

mine has a mesh front and a dust filter inside. Its not easy to get out with my case, they made it better on the newer models - https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/meshify/meshify-2/black/
top and bottom also have filters, the standard plastic filters.

 

[lvt]

some mesh cases have dust filters inside that you can remove. You don't rely on the mesh for filtration, its more for air flow.

Dust filters make the situation even worse.

 

[logainofhades]

Buy what you like but there is a reason why mesh is not popular.

If you use mesh you have to clean it regularly or your computer will die because when the mesh is clogged, there won't be an airflow.

It take a long time for a heat-sink to be clogged by dust, but a mesh grill will be completely clogged in no time, it's dangerous. That's why big brands don't sell much computers with mesh.

Where have you seen mesh is not popular? Some of the best reviewed cases, for airflow, are front mesh towers. The vast majority of GN's top cases are a mesh design. Top mesh is often criticized for making little sense. That is a justified criticism, though. Mesh grills will not clog fast, unless you are in a very dusty environment. I live in a house with 3 dogs, yet, I don't have to clean my mesh/filters very often.

 

[Colif]

Dust filters make the situation even worse.

dust filters reduce airflow by blocking the dust... so where do you collect the dust that goes into the PC? As unless you work for a Hard drive maker, I doubt you have a dust free environment. Without filters it goes into case or if you lucky, right through.

Filters are there to stop the dust getting in. It will gather on fans otherwise. Sure, if you don't have a glass side to PC, you can't see it but component temps will increase. Fans might have to run faster to compensate for the extra heat.

ALmost every big case maker has mesh cases now after Gameers Nexus spent a year comparing their new cases to a case from 10 years ago and shaming them into stop making fish tanks and start thinking about air flow again. every high air flow case now has a mesh front.

 

[logainofhades]

Many of the most popular cases, right now, have a mesh design or use some kind of filtration. The o11 Dynamic has filters, and has been arguably one of the most popular cases in recent years. They even created an airflow version, that has a mesh front. If mesh was so unpopular, why would a company retool to make another SKU, on a case that was already selling quite well, as it was? The Fractal Meshify C is a mesh case, as the name implies, and is also quite popular. I don't know where you get your data, but it is highly inaccurate. Using OEM's as an argument is a flawed one. OEM's cheap out wherever they can.

 

[Colif]

most mesh cases have filters as well.

My meshify S2 has a mesh outer and then a foam inner that acts as the filter
see photo of the top for example (old photo from when I was cleaning it)

Alas the Meshify Version 2 has a better filter system, easier to remove. I got PC 6 months too soon I guess.