Dirk_D 0 Posted January 19, 2011 I'm wondering if anyone has experimented with endust or other anti-static products, or anything for that matter that helps prevent dirt/grease on CPU heatsinks. Is something like this possible and/or a good idea? Obviously placement is key (sometimes it's not enough), and some cases come with cleanable air filters... I'm just looking for more options. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Birdman Adam 0 Posted January 19, 2011 I always try to eliminate dust from coming in in the first place. -Always have filters on intake fans. For example, the Antec 300 case has nice filters on the front intake. -Choose a case with a big intake, for better flow. -Have more intake than exhaust fans. This creates positive air pressure inside the case, forcing the clean filtered air out of little holes and crevices instead of sucking in dusty air. -Have lots of fans. The faster air is going through the case, the less likely dust will get stuck in things. -Choose cases with big fan openings. Minimum one 120mm intake and exhaust. I love the Antec 300 because it has a huge 140mm top exhaust, back and side 120mm exhaust, and two 120mm intakes! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted January 19, 2011 or every few months blow the case out and every couple years change the $30 heatsink? ive come to the conclusion there is really nothing to stop the dust, unless the case is 100% sealed tight it will still get dust no matter what. And if it were 100% sealed tight then along comes the heat. And boy does it get hot down here .. 10 months a year! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 187 Posted January 19, 2011 ideal for DVRs Compressed Air in a can twice a year keeps it nice and clean Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted January 19, 2011 ideal for DVRs Compressed Air in a can twice a year keeps it nice and clean our dust down here laughs at those things I just use a vaccum most the time (being careful not to suck up any dipswitches) leave blower also works. or theres a local store with a real compressed air machine that charges $10. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 187 Posted January 19, 2011 ideal for DVRs Compressed Air in a can twice a year keeps it nice and clean our dust down here laughs at those things I just use a vaccum most the time (being careful not to suck up any dipswitches) leave blower also works. or theres a local store with a real compressed air machine that charges $10. i have come to service your dvr. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted January 19, 2011 i have come to service your dvr. yeah it works good actually .. dont have one myself but used them on occasion .. i work on alot of home computers btw .. worst one was 3" or so of dust could barely make out it was a computer inside .. and a dead rat caught in the exhaust fan wait though there was another bad one, had puddles of dog pee inside which kind of dampened the dust ... now that was nasty .. rat droppings also .. ewwww!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomcctv 187 Posted January 19, 2011 rat droppings / dog pee forget the leaf blower . i have come to service your DVR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dirk_D 0 Posted January 19, 2011 lol guys I like Antec products (a lot) but the 300 is bigger than I'm shooting for @ 18x18x8.1. I'd like to shrink that down to 13x13x7 or so. Most of the machines I have in the field are 19x21x4u (whatever that is). The mini-ATX mbs look small in there, it's sometimes hard to find somewhere to park the big beasts, & customers have requested smaller machines when they upgrade, but I'll just keep looking in the mid/mini-ATX categories. I found a nice case that lacks filtering but looks nice & is priced right - just no front air filter. Regarding the canned air/compressed air/leaf blowers, none of that is real effective when compared to the air nozzle I piped (zip tied to the wall) over to the work bench. It's impractical for the service vans, but that canned air crap doesn't work for zhit, just IME, of course Piping that direct line from the compressor is one of the best things I've done for our bench. For particularly nasty machines I drag a hose outside to keep that crap off of our product. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dirk_D 0 Posted January 19, 2011 ENERMAX VOSTOK ECA2020-B This case is the one I settled on due to size & looks, but it doesn't filter the air at all. I'm not sure how effective the air cleaners are, & it seems like cleaning out the filter monthly is too big of a chore for most managers since most times I see my machines they're covered in greasy fuzzy dirt. (restaurant environment) I may have to keep looking if the consensus is that the air filters are effective. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted January 19, 2011 Trust me the leaf blowers blow the paint off the motherboard its so powerful we use the machine also but as mentioned we take it to them to do it as its not portable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted January 19, 2011 I may have to keep looking if the consensus is that the air filters are effective. Air filters are only effective for where they are mounted. There are many other areas for dust to get in. Also if they arent regularly cleaned, even more heat builds up inside. So Air Filters are good but dont prevent dust 100%. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Birdman Adam 0 Posted January 20, 2011 I bet the leaf blower gets the fans spinning good! I have found that a goof air filter can help a lot. I would say about 70% of the dust is removed. I've always used a compressor to blow out the dust, just be careful not to direct the air to harshly on parts. I'm scared to put a vacuum near my computers because of my idea of a static electricity buildup. (just my fear, probably not true). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
