Not a fan of cleaning my computer...fans

So yeah, my computer is pretty much a beast. amazing specs, runs 98% of the games decently, and has tons of cool features.
BUT THE FANS! oh god the fans...this is what i gotta pay for when i use my computer for 3 years straight without cleaning it physically.
Since that issue is pretty common, you could say i'm just another one who bites the dust...heheh.
Anyway, all that dust is there, and it makes my CPU fan sound like a jet engine, and sometimes like a chainsaw. Maybe I'll take it to the zombie apocalypse.

The weirdest thing to me is that, despite the noise that seems like it's about to explode any second, my computer works completely fine.
no slowdowns, no crashes, no freezing and really, everything normal.
But I'm not stupid. Even if the computer seems in great condition, I gotta make these damn fans calm down.

It happened a few months ago, and for some reason, it stopped when I ran the same game that caused that noise to happen in the first place.
This time, it doesn't work. The noise remains...
I'll probably take it to the store where i bought it. they have a lab there, and it's nearby too!
Whatever's gonna happen, money is on the roll, especially considering my computer's warranty have already expired.

I don't mind waiting for a few days anyway. After all, it's just noise, and just like every not-too-loud noise, i can just cancel it with music or just turn off my computer when I don't use it.
Hopefully if they'll be able to clean it immediately, i'll be able to learn how to do it myself. many sources claim how to do that, but it requires some tools that aren't currently in my possession.
And really because they show that on different computers, and I'd rather see a fancy cleaning operation on what I own.

I doubt there's anything that needs to be replaced though, because otherwise, I would notice actual problems or slowdowns.
  • Like
Reactions: 5 people

Comments

Cleaning or Dusting Computers is a pain in the ass for most part but a Air Duster works well then you just need a hoover to lift the crap you just blew out off the Case and Fans / Heatsinks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
If it's just one fan making the noise, it could be that the bearings have gone bad. Replacing the fan will be the easiest fix in that case.

Air duster works wonders, if the fans are just dusty.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 people
If you do a lot of cleaning work then rather than buying air duster it may be worth investing in a small air compressor
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
Compressor great I had one in previous job specifically set up for that purpose although idiots thought it be fun to spray each other not realising how dangerous it is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
Honestly I never cleaned a computer. I'm always afraid that I'll accidentally damage a component or even damage myself.
Like I said earlier, I don't have the tools that you all suggested.

The noise comes from the back side, which might be related to the PSU, while the noisy "whirlng" probably comes from the CPU fan on the upper part.
There are rare moments now when the noise slowly stops, and the CPU fan gets faster(around 1400-1500 RPM) and doesn't "whirl" anymore. it all lasts for about 10 seconds, but that should be the normal condition.
when it gets noisy, it seems to be around 500-900 RPM with constant changes, and when it does the "whirling" sound, it drops to..let's say, 0-160 RPM.
Maybe the program i'm using isn't accurate, and it only checks the CPU fan's speed. I tried to check the BIOS settings as well, but for some reason it's impossible to check since it gets quiet at that time.

QFan Control is all at Standard setting, and always was. I'm not sure if I should change any of those to "Silent", since I never really tested that out and It's not a good moment to try that.
Like I said, everything on my computer works normally despite that noise, but I'll see tomorrow if I can replace the fan. I don't really need any upgrade in performance, so I won't add more fans if they suggest that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
It really doesn't take a lot even on a low budget.

1. Use a cotton swab to break up the clumped dust on the heatsink.
2. Use a hair dryer on the 'cool' setting to blow the dust free.

Most times you don't even need to remove anything. The tricky part is just blowing it out a door or something so it doesn't get messy inside.
 
hmm, i dunno. i'd rather seek professional help from the store.

Also very important question: Should I keep using my computer normally while the noise still continues?
I won't be able to bring it to the store until tomorrow, and since there are no issues in the software, i'd rather like to keep doing my business while I wait.
 
Sometimes it comes down to the type of case you use. I have a Phanteks Enthoo itx case and I rarely clean it. The dust filters on that case are amazing. Try an AIO with a radiator mounted on the back for your CPU and some dust filters for the fans. You could also invest in a Datavac or Xpower handheld air blower.
 
Apply dust filters to every inlet (any fan pulling air in), and any vents on the top. You'll have to clean them, but it's easier than cleaning the inside of your PC, and they really do work.
 
And while dust in a normal case doesn't have any major impact on your temps as long as the heat sink isn't caked in dust so air can't get through, dust caked on your fans (likely what's causing the noise) will wear out the fans and cause them to fail prematurely. You will know when they're failing, because they make unbearable noise, and while they aren't expensive to replace, it really sucks to turn on your PC one day to game, and not be able to because your CPU fan is dying and the CPU is overheating. Even worse if you can't do anything at all before it overheats.
 
It might be a bad time to mention that, but a lot of the things you all said is gibberish to me. really not my field of experience.

@The Real Jdbye CPU temperature seems to be normal all the time. around 30-35c. fan moves slower right now, but it doesn't really affect the games I play.
My only concern right now if I should continue using my PC normally until tomorrow, since the store is already closed for today.
 
Don't worry about it. Just don't leave it like that long term.
Get some canned air, try to avoid putting a vacuum cleaner near any components, you can use it to vacuum up dust that comes off when using the canned air, just don't put it very close to any important components. It most likely wouldn't do any harm, but it's just not worth the risk when canned air is so effective.

Canned air does not produce static electricity like a vacuum cleaner does. But try to keep it vertical and if condensation appears when you use it, let it evaporate fully before you plug the power in.

Also, discharge yourself by touching a grounded object such as the metal tap in the kitchen sink, do this before you start working on it, and every now and then while working on it. No need for an antistatic wristband, this is more than good enough.

Dust filters are definitely recommended though, they'll save you a lot of effort.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
@The Real Jdbye i'll probably turn it off in 3 hours, when i go to sleep.

And again, i don't have any of these products. I also rather see someone in the store do it first, so i'll be able to understand it and then clean it myself later.
After experiencing all this nonsense, i'll make sure to clean my computer once a month or once in 3 months.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
For once I may have something resembling sympathy.

For my £10 360 slim I got earlier this year I was unaware you had to clean the power supply too so ended up pulling it apart earlier this evening.

Full of nice smoker's yellow dust, though fortunately was only just on the verge of smelling.

That said you can go the other way and try to do a positive pressure system (make the pressure higher inside than outside, as opposed to fans sucking air into it). That way you only have the one inlet and just have to filter that.
 
If you have money you could also upgrade to a aio water cooler. Dusting it out regularly is a good idea though. I dust my computers every 3-6 months
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
Air compressor works wonders. Also do spray air inside the PSU, you could be surprise to see how much dust is in those thing, I have two of them going at the same time, so double duty for me. Funny thing for me the drive bays and the 5 1/4 inch bays gets the most dust and the backside of the case as well, while surprisingly the inside of the case gets very little dust especially where the CPU heatsinks resides. The air is being pulled in from the drive bay, so that makes sense to why a lot of dust build up there, and the bays are hot swap type of bay. It also keep the drives cool as well. If you are going to use air compressor and are worried about moisture from them, you probably could use moisture filter on the air compressor. Oh I would like to say that my computer fans spins around 4200 to 5700 RPM on balance mode. It most likely can spin much faster then that on performance and full speed mode. Yes the fans are loud but they are loud by default and sounds like a 747 taking off on the runway when booting up. The fan does quiet down (depending on fan setting) after post, but still are loud. At those speed, I'm surprise by how little dust reaches inside case especially in the CPU heatsink fins.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
UPDATE: After cleaning the entire computer from the inside(and outside), the sound is still annoying. no progress.
There's a chance that either the heatsink or the additional cooling thingy has gone bad, so i asked someone to come here tomorrow and he might replace it with a new one.
 

Blog entry information

Author
RedoLane
Views
699
Comments
68
Last update

More entries in Personal Blogs

More entries from RedoLane

General chit-chat
Help Users
    K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2: My therapy chair is padded