How can I prevent my front case fan from pulling in dust?

[ReighnDae]

I have a 120mm front case fan pulling in air and 120mm top and rear fans pulling air out. The problem is that my front fan seems to pull in an excessive amount of dust that collects on my hard drives and also passes into my case. Is there anyway to prevent this or do I have to resign to the fact that I will have to open my case every few months to blow it out?

 

[robo7425]

Some cases have a place for a filter in the front. If your case is on the floor raising it off the floor slightly will help. (especially if the floor has carpeting) I clean my case every 6 months.

 

[2x4b]

Make sure that there is more fan airflow pushing in in than fans drawing out.
If the net air pressure inside the case is greater than outside then the dust will tend not to accumulate. If the pressure inside is lower, than the the dust will tend to stick around.
More, Bigger, faster fans in, than out:

Also, depending on the case and the fans, you can buy a dust filter to cover the intake. Go to something like Newegg.com and search "fan filter". There are a variety of shapes and styles that may work for you.

 

[Branden]

the biggest thing you can do to keep dust from the inside of your computer is keep dust away outside of it, don't have your case sitting at/near carpet level and keep the room it's in dusted and vacuumed. you can also invest in dust filters to put over the intake fans (even simply taping some swiffer cloths over intake vents will work).
not sure i believe 2x4b, air getting sucked in the front is going to bring dust with it whether it be a positive or negative pressure air flow system.

 

[2x4b]

Read these two articles from Tom's on cooling. They will give you some strategies to use, and some to avoid.
Part 1: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cooling-airflow-heatsink,3053.html
Part 2: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cooling-air-pressure-heatsink,3058.html

Here is the page on the relationship between Dust and Air Pressure: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cooling-air-pressure-heatsink,3058-5.html

 

[ReighnDae]

Thanks all for your answers. Much appreciated. I am going to invest in filters for my intake fans.