[SOLVED] The most efficient a safe way to clean a PC and install HW?

[SpaceyWarrior]

Hey everyone! I have a now almost 2 years old PC and with the help of some of you guys i'll be hopefully be upgrading it to a killer machine soon.

I'm replacing every single component but RAM and HDD. That means that it's also a good idea to give my case some cleaning. I don't have any experience with messing with hardware at all. (Well, i installed a RAM stick one but it was loose and gave me a BSOD in the middle of Just Cause 3, so you know, best to stay away from it.)

So i hired a technician that helped me track down some issues and possibly created some others and to clean my PC some months ago. And i was very scared of how he did it. He took my 1060 out without any sort of static protection and used a paint brush to clean over it, it was visibly worn out and even though he says was "anti-static cotton" or something, it just looked like a normal paint brush. Moving on to use a cheap hair dryer on all my hardware.

This makes me want to learn how to install my own HW but i have NO IDEA how to do that and i'm sure i'll damage something and also, i don't know how to clean it, some people say "Use air canisters", some say "That's suicide, don't do that". I'm talking, of course about cleaning all the components and also the case. I have a NZXT H500 case that for some reason is very boring and super expensive (Is there a reason for that? Space? Quality? I fancy all those default RGB fans that come with some cheaper ones) and it has a lot of scratches and so much dust inside it and possibly inside the USB ports. How exactly do i clean this?

 

[kerberos_20]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9T6WGFmam0

 

[SpaceyWarrior]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9T6WGFmam0

Oh man i love the humour and information in that video! Linus is great sometimes
So he's using compressed air, why do some people say that it's not a good idea to do that? And the brush thing, is it really safe to do it like that? What about static?
Also if there's anything about removing scratches from the case and stains from picking it up and all that, that' be great!

 

[doolittle]

...So he's using compressed air, why do some people say that it's not a good idea to do that?...

Which one, the canned air or the compressor? If you notice when he's spraying the HDD and SSD he does hold it at too much of an angle and some of the propellant will spray on the components, it is best to hold it completely upright and not have the propellant spray out. Not the biggest deal since it will evaporate without residue, however the propellant will be very cold spraying out and if the components are warm, it's not the best idea to rapid-cool in such a fashion.

With the compressor, there can be moisture build up if the compressor is under continuous use however I have only seen that with large, commercial grade units like the ones for professional automotive use for power tools and the like.

The smaller units, when properly maintained, moisture is actually pretty rare. I use one that is similar to the one in the video, and also have a in-line moisture trap that is always empty. I always let all the air out after each use and keep it indoors to keep it at a constant temp. Very easy to maintain.

And the brush thing, is it really safe to do it like that? What about static?

There are brushes that are anti-static and some that even remove static, however I am not a big fan... I just use compressed air, no brushes.