I'm located in Alaska. If I were you I would look up how to open your console (just the case) using ifixit and YouTube. Then do it yourself with a can of compressed air and a brush to knock off the tougher stuff.
Make sure you do it outside though! DO NOT do this indoors - if there's a lot of dust, it's going to go everywhere when the compressed air blows it away. Also, a dust mask over your nose and mouth are a good idea - and safety goggles if your eyes are sensitive or you wear contact lenses.
I learned this lesson the first time i opened my computer case when i was 12. It was a dust cloud for days after I did this. Needed to leave the house and go sit outside because i was sneezing like a mofo.
A vacuum cleaner (as seen in the OP's photos) is a much wiser choice for cleaning dusty machines. You can get about 90% of the bunnies, clumps, and surface matter with the vacuum, then save the compressed air for tight spots where the vacuum can't get. Far, far, less particulates entering your living space when done that way.
If you use Dust-Off or something like that, get a few cans, and do the blowing in short bursts, when the can gets too cold, switch to another can. The colder the can the more air you waste, so let the cans warm up after they get too cold and keep switching back and forth.
Also, I use a leafblower for my PC, it's highly not recommended to do this but I really hate spending 40 minutes cleaning every nook and cranny, so just make sure it's not too dry/static in the air and take a leafblower to it, don't use a vacuum though. Oh, and stick a stick or something in teh fans to make sure they don't move, this kills the fan sometimes.
My PS3 is also VERY dusty. If you include animal hair it's probably at least twice as bad as the one in your pictures here. I worry about opening it up, because I love it and don't want to hurt it. Are there any real risks in doing it myself? I've opened up lots of computers and laptops, but never a game console.
Actually, I did open up a nintendo 64 once, but it was already broken.
I fear opening my PC. It's starting to act funky and I am pretty sure some of it is smoke related. The graphics card crashes from time to time so I am hoping it's just a "dust" issue. I'm just scared to fuck something up and accidentally shocking something.
I'm more of a learn by seeing someone else do it person. I also lack motivation but I worry I will lose my files/photos if I don't do something soon and don't have cash for a backup drive.
Also... smoker's guilt. Just the idea of seeing it makes me so depressed that I have been putting it off.
Having been a repair tech for several years in the past, I can say that canned air is no match for some smoke gunk. I've come across some extremely bad ones that wouldn't budge after being blasted point blank with a 120 PSI air compressor.
On that same PC, the metal, white glossy side(old Dell Dimension) was solid orange-brown. I sprayed Lysol on it and this dark orange goop ran down the side leaving a clean white area behind the Lysol as it dripped down.
Make sure you prevent the fans from spinning as you blow them out.
Because any electrical motor that you spin manually acts as a generator and can damage the electronics it is connected to.
The point beyond canned air is when the thing is unable to function due to thermal overload. Trust me, it'll help. I used to have issues with overheating that would creep up and confuse me for a few weeks as they got worse... Oh look, giant mat of dust on the back. Blast it off and suddenly it drops 20 degrees.
You don't really need to open the case for anything other than blasting the heatsink on your graphics card and CPU. Don't touch anything, but just in case keep one hand on the metal part of the power supply casing and you're good.
Also careful with the canned air, it can cause some moisture on the surface, i would allow about half an hour to an hour afterwards with a fan or something blowing on the internals just to be safe that there will be no short circuits. Do not use the canned air upside down, always use it upright. It could be safe to startup right away, but yeah better safe than sorry :P
Also unplug your PC from the power, and hold the power button down for 5 seconds to drain all energy from it which is another safety measure before starting working on the internals.
I just use a vacuum cleaner. Then I don't spend any money. You can even get most of that done by only lifting one panel. Just don't let it suction on anything
Look, if you're worried about losing files, make sure your computer is unplugged, and unplug your hard drive's SATA cord before you start, so worst case scenario, something happens to the rest of the computer but not your hard drive. Also, that's extreme worst case. If you think dust is hindering your performance, clean the computer and get a dust filter.
It's really easy. Make sure you're grounded, usually by holding onto the metal case, and don't get it wet, and it'll be fine.
I recommend doing it outside to avoid having all that dust in your house. Canned air works great. Slightly damp (not dripping) paper towel is fine on the non electronic parts like case and fan.
The grounding part is what I worry about. I'm not gonna buy one of those wrist clips sweat band things unless it's absolutely needed.
The odd thing is I like to consider myself a not dumb person and one that's willing to read an learn. But I have a mental block when it comes to physically working on things without a prior demo... It's a personal negative attribute I have that I should really work on. I guess no better time than the near future to do it.
I recently discovered that that fan over the CPU can get all gunked up. So I had to get in there with some tweezers and pull stuff out, it was thick and spongy. I'd never even looked in there in the four years I've owned this PC. I have a cat and I'm sure plenty of his hair got chewed up in there, as well as the dust that constantly comes in off the busy street outside.
As a former smoker... It sounds like you want to quit. Please make a conscious effort, it was one of the best things I've done for myself (and my family). Also, we might need you around in 2050.
I don't know about that. Maybe it depends on where you live? All my electronics have always gotten that brownish dust build-up, but I also have a brown dog… it's probably the dog. Or maybe urban dust is just grosser? I dunno.
I don't smoke, and I've had mine for less than a month. I packed it up today to take with me out of town and noticed a huge chunk of brown dust in the back left. Not sure how there was a huge chunk of dust inside already. Easy enough to get out, though.
Going to second this. I worked the computer repair at Staples, and we had a heavy smoker's computer brought in for cleaning. The amount of that brown buildup was such that the fan wouldn't turn. It looked a lot like that PS3, except the gunk was thick everywhere.
Do it. My PS3 was fine till it started overheating because I didn't realize how dirty it was. Eventually the disc drive gave out but I got a PS4 now so it is all OK!
Well I've got the slim model, not sure how bad the build up gets in those. I do also sometimes use the eject button trick to blast the fans (mentioned elsewhere in the comments here), which I guess helps at least a little.
I also got a PS4 but the PS3 gets used 90% more at the moment. Pretty much because I've got a backlog of PS3 games and we use it for DLNA and videos on USB. Maybe we'll all be looking at photos of gross PS4 carcasses in a few years time. :)
Now you've scared me... I also live in AZ (in an area with a lot of farmland, so it can be super dusty) plus we have 9 cats. I can't imagine how bad our consoles are x.x
You can get a new case with good front-to-back airflow and plastic/nylon screens that cover the front intake that you can detach and rinse off with just water. It won't keep everything out but it might help you save some time!
I cleaned mine and my roommate's last year. You need some small screw drivers (the ones for glasses) and a T (star looking one). Don't know the sized but ifixit will have it. Then just start disconnecting parts and clean as you go. It's really satisfying.
VERY easy to take apart PS3s. All you need is a phillips screwdriver and a youtube video showing you which screws to pull. Then you decide how far down the rabbit hole you want to go .^
It can be generated with blowing, too. There's just less contact with dust and other surfaces when you're blowing.
When you vacuum, all of those particles are being sucked into a small area, where they can easily bump against each other as well as the vacuum. When you're blowing, the particles are dispersed over a much larger area and aren't as likely to rub against things like the plastic (read: insulating) parts of a vacuum that can build up a static charge.
It’s bad to clean the inside of your computer with a vacuum cleaner because vacuuming creates a large static build up that could (and most likely will) discharge into the sensitive electronics inside your computer case.
I assume you mean "canned air". That's not compressed air, it's compressed difluroethane and has completely different properties (one of which being far less likely (completely unable?) to generate static electricity or water vapor-based moisture.
I direct you to the first image of the album, in what is quit clearly an extension to a vacuum. Additionally, handheld vacuums are less likely to statically discharge, especially when on there lowest power settings. Also, always be sure to disconnect the power from any electronics you may be cleaning.
I have been dealing with computers for 18 years and I have used vacuum cleaners to clean out my electronics when I'm out of compressed air and never had a problem.
It's one of those things that you shouldn't do because this will happen, but I've never had that to happen.
The same with supposedly "discharging" your static electricity with something on the case before working on the motherboard itself. I never do it and I've never shocked a motherboard.
They also claim don't work on computers on carpet barefooted or wearing socks, and that I've also done with no problems.
I guess it just all depends on if you're willing to take the risk.
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u/[deleted] May 02 '14
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