How important is it to remove dust from a CPU fan?

Question

My computer at work has not been cleaned for 3 years, I was just wondering weather it is worth it or I am just being over-precautous.

Answer 1

don't clean it and find out. Nah seriously, just vacuum it out soon and all will be well.

Answer 2

Computer shuts down – reboots at random – won’t start for several minutes …

Does your computer repeatedly reboot at random, or randomly shut down and won't start again for several minutes? There might be several reasons why this occurs, but overheating should be your prime suspect.
If you suspect your computer is overheating, the first components to check are the fans. While nearly all systems have a fan on the power supply, many modern systems have a fan on the front of the case to push addition cooling air over the CPU, a fan on the back to push hot air out of the system, and side or top fans to move additional air in and out of the chassis. In addition, many systems have a fan mounted directly on the CPU and either directly on the high-end video card or on the side of the case over the AGP slot where the graphics card is located.
Whether your system has one fan, two or more, check and make sure they are all running. If a fan is turning slowly or not at all, you might be able to salvage it by carefully cleaning the hub or bearings. However the best plan is to replace the fan as soon as possible. If it is the fan on the CPU, turn off your system immediately and replace this fan or bring your system in to an authorized repair depot to replace the fan. (Caution: replacing a fan on a CPU can be tricky. You don't want to damage your processor. If you have any concerns, make sure to have a professional replace of this fan.)
Dirt and dust are the next major cause of overheating. Dust is an excellent insulator and a layer of it on critical components can keep cooling air from reaching the chips. Shut off the machine, open the case and blow out the innards with canned air. And don't forget the fan on your power supply; these can become clogged as well. Be prepared for a small dust storm, even if your computer is only a few months old.
As an alternative, there are small vacuum cleaners that are designed for computer components. These too will clean a lot of dust out of your system, but you still might need canned air to reach the components that the vacuum cannot reach.
Don't try to run your system with the case off. It not only does not improve cooling, it actually hurts it because modern cases are designed to direct airflow where it is needed. For more on running your system with case cover off, please see My Computer Is Running Hot. What Should I Do?.
It's important that the computer have an unobstructed flow of cool air. Computer desks that hide the case inside a drawer or elsewhere need lots of ventilation to keep that all-important air flow. It's also a good idea to keep the case out of direct sunlight and away from other heat sources Generally speaking, your computer is comfortable at the temperatures you are comfortable at.
If necessary, you can install additional fans in your computer, or even a liquid cooling unit for the CPU, to bring down the temperature of the critical components. And remember, you also can buy special sensors that can display your computer's internal temperature either on your screen on a chassis-mounted display. Some motherboard manufacturers, such as MSI, include a utility that displays the system and CPU temperatures without rebooting the system.
Finally, if you are overclocking your system (running the CPU at higher than its rated speed) you are putting a serious additional heat load on your computer. Try backing off to the system's rated speed.
Remember: Heat is the number one killer of computer components. However it isn't the only reason why computers might reboot randomly. Other possibilities include faulty memory, a card that isn't seated into its slot correctly and a host of other problems. But heat is generally the best place to start troubleshooting rebooting problems. We'll tackle more reasons soon.

Answer 3

It's important. It shouldn't go so long, but better late than never. Carefully vacuum the back of the CPU. (make sure to have the CPU off) The screen can be cleaned with glass cleaner or electronic device cleaner (make sure to have the monitor off)The keyboard can have "air in a can" blown between the rows and around each letter, or you can use a Q tip and rubbing alcohol.

Answer 4

Eh, you could open it up and blow some compressed air on it to clea nit out. The filters can get clogged and then the CPU starts to not get enough airflow and in tunr overheat, and eventually degrade and stop working. But this is very rarely caused by dust.

So, yeah, after three years I would suggest cleaning it out a little, nothing too big. It's more than likely not going to cause a meltdown or atomic explosion or anything.

Answer 5

i think of you have some warmth-sync creme contained in the sockets on the motherboard. i've got not got consumer-friendly answer on the thank you to get rid of junk contained in the sockets. the single pin which controls your fan has the difficulty. the only component i be attentive to will paintings is to substitute the motherboard. Then be careful around your CPU and socket. to maintain dirt out your laptop, attempt utilising some females's nylon over the air holes, then you actual will ought to keep the dirt off the nylon products. while you're reliable mixing metallic, you could upload products of filter out in front of capability grant and any followers. I certainly have used the two. I used filter out fabric used for air condenser.

Answer 6

you should check the temp of your CPU.
just not let it reach over 55c at full load is fine.

of course, clean up the dust from the cpu fan always better than do nothing if you know how.

Answer 7

hi, i have been told that dust is one of the biggest problems for computers, u can vacuum the back and keep the outside as dust free as possible. also the keyboard can be cleaned with rubbing alcohol.

Answer 8

yes you need to attend to that I never did it to my first power supply and one day it made a high wineie pitch sound like a buzz saw
followed like something like burnning wires and wood next day my computter was dead I went the cheap route and said only the power supply was shot and I lucked out I was right and I paid $40 in all

Answer 9

It's VERY important!