How do I keep my PC dust free?

[ryann39]

Hello, I recently purchased a new Alienware Aurora R7, and I am trying to keep it clean so dust does not damage it. I live in a pretty dusty environment and I have two dogs. I usually turn it off when I am done, and I put the plastic back on the top of the vents when its off to prevent dust from getting inside. Is that okay to do that, or will that damage it? And how do I keep my pc dust free and how do I clean it?

 

[jaslion]

Hello, I recently purchased a new Alienware Aurora R7, and I am trying to keep it clean so dust does not damage it. I live in a pretty dusty environment and I have two dogs. I usually turn it off when I am done, and I put the plastic back on the top of the vents when its off to prevent dust from getting inside. Is that okay to do that, or will that damage it? And how do I keep my pc dust free and how do I clean it?

Dust will get in there regardsless. When it's on it's going to collect 99% of the dust so putting the plastic covers on it when it's off is going to do little to help. Cleaning is quite simple just use compressed air (I recommend you just get a cheap compressor that can reach about 2.5 bar of pressure since those go for about the same price as a couple good cans of compressed air) and blow the dust out.

 

[13thmonkey]

Generally speaking have more air being input than exhausted by the fans will help keep it clean, as it forces the excess air out of the little cracks and gaps that are not filtered.

 

[Doctor Rob]

As long as its turned off! there no reason covering the vents will hurt anything.

As far as keeping your computer dust free look at the manual.. like my older Asus ROG laptop had 1 screw to remove in the bottom of the computer for ease of cleaning it with a can of air.

most laptops (I work with MANY of them and a couple servers / desktop pcs) once and a while you may have to remove a lot of screws from the bottom to clean it out. though sometimes you can use a can of air (when the computers off) you can just blow into all the openings and such and get enough dust out to be good and not have to take it apart.

You could also to keep the dust down get a air filter in the room you use the computer in.

 

[Corwin65]

Keep it away from the floor to prevent dog hair from getting in it.

 

[ryann39]

Hello, I recently purchased a new Alienware Aurora R7, and I am trying to keep it clean so dust does not damage it. I live in a pretty dusty environment and I have two dogs. I usually turn it off when I am done, and I put the plastic back on the top of the vents when its off to prevent dust from getting inside. Is that okay to do that, or will that damage it? And how do I keep my pc dust free and how do I clean it?

Dust will get in there regardsless. When it's on it's going to collect 99% of the dust so putting the plastic covers on it when it's off is going to do little to help. Cleaning is quite simple just use compressed air (I recommend you just get a cheap compressor that can reach about 2.5 bar of pressure since those go for about the same price as a couple good cans of compressed air) and blow the dust out.

Where will the dust go when you use compressed air, and does dust slow down the computer, and is it a big deal if it gets in?

 

[ryann39]

As long as its turned off! there no reason covering the vents will hurt anything.

As far as keeping your computer dust free look at the manual.. like my older Asus ROG laptop had 1 screw to remove in the bottom of the computer for ease of cleaning it with a can of air.

most laptops (I work with MANY of them and a couple servers / desktop pcs) once and a while you may have to remove a lot of screws from the bottom to clean it out. though sometimes you can use a can of air (when the computers off) you can just blow into all the openings and such and get enough dust out to be good and not have to take it apart.

But if i cover the vents when they are off, wont it prevent dust from the room entering the PC?

You could also to keep the dust down get a air filter in the room you use the computer in.

 

[ryann39]

Keep it away from the floor to prevent dog hair from getting in it.

I did that, its on my desk, but i feel dog hair and dust may get in it still.

 

[ryann39]

As long as its turned off! there no reason covering the vents will hurt anything.

As far as keeping your computer dust free look at the manual.. like my older Asus ROG laptop had 1 screw to remove in the bottom of the computer for ease of cleaning it with a can of air.

most laptops (I work with MANY of them and a couple servers / desktop pcs) once and a while you may have to remove a lot of screws from the bottom to clean it out. though sometimes you can use a can of air (when the computers off) you can just blow into all the openings and such and get enough dust out to be good and not have to take it apart.

You could also to keep the dust down get a air filter in the room you use the computer in.

But if i cover the vents, it will help prevent dust right?

 

[ryann39]

Generally speaking have more air being input than exhausted by the fans will help keep it clean, as it forces the excess air out of the little cracks and gaps that are not filtered.

What do you mean?

 

[13thmonkey]

Imagine you have 10 big fans exhausting air out of the case, and two tiny fans with filters at the front intaking air. The amount of air that can come through the filters is not as much as can be extracted by the big fans at the back, hence air will be sucked in through every crack and seam in the case, bypassing the filters and allowing dust to get in. This is the impact of negative pressure.

Now imgaine the alternative, 10 large filtered fans at the front and two tiny exhausts at the back. All of the air coming into the case will be filtered, and the air that cant leave via the exhausts will be pushed out of the seams and gaps. Hence no dust gets in.

So you want positive pressure, not as much as in the example obviously, but 2 faster intakes and 2 slower exhausts would be great and keep most dust out.