How to clean your PC or desktop step by step

Our PC ou desktop computers usually consist of generously sized housings with a multitude of components inside, complex electronic and mechanical systems that operate at high temperatures and require suitable cooling systems , mainly by means of fans . Over time, these PC cases absorb a large amount of dust from our home, staying on its components and, if we don't fix it, deteriorating its performance . And it is practically impossible to prevent the entry of dust into its interior due to the great suction power of its fans, especially in very powerful computers or games, which can cause premature wear of the fans and other components to avoid. For this reason, we recommend that you perform a deep cleaning of our PC from time to time; Here is how to clean your computer step by step .

How to clean the inside of your PC

The first thing we need to get are specific cleaning products and utensils so that we can properly clean all the internal components of a PC, although the main thing is to have a fine brush or brush and a vacuum cleaner. You can also use a slightly dampened cloth of water or a cleaning product for electronic devices or a cloth for cleaning screens .

How to get inside your PC

Once we have the utensils ready, we can access inside the PC ; There are different methods for this depending on the type of box. Thus, conventional towers can remove their rear and their side by unscrewing certain fixing screws; On the other hand, the towers dedicated to the games have more facilities and additional windows that should not be left to clean. Thus, we can unscrew some special larger screws at the back and disengage the side, often transparent or with a large window.

With the main side panel removed, most of the interior components will be exposed; in some cases we can withdraw additional panels such as front or top with additional fans, which we also have to clean. You can also find additional "windows" with dust filters, especially in the upper part.

Cleaning of internal components

Depending on the design and structure of the chassis and internal components, the process will be more or less complicated. The first step will be to  clean the main external fans of the housing, front and rear; Normally, the front fans have more dust than the rear fans, so we have to be especially careful with them. In detail, the inner blades of the fans tend to have more dust.

If our PC allows us to disengage the fans, we can have easier access to them to start the process. So, just pass the brush or the brush over the blades of the fan with a vacuum cleaner nearby to absorb dust, preventing it from settling inside the PC. We will do the same with the rear fans.

CPU heat sink

Normally, and in more powerful PCs, the computer processor will be accompanied by its own heat sink and fan. The first thing to do is to unhook the fan to have better access to the radiator, an element which receives large amounts of dust due to its internal position, in full air flow. Once we have both components within reach, we can clean both internal fan blades and radiator blades , by combining brushes of different thicknesses to access the most complicated areas. We recommend that you do not disassemble the two components if we do not see excessive dirt, as they are usually attached to the processor with thermal grease.

Graphics card or GPU

The graphics card or processor is the easiest internal element to remove, though, again, only the most powerful computers will have one or two, depending on the model; the simplest PCs do not require a graphics card. To remove it, simply remove the power cables (if you need it) and release the anchors on the motherboard and on the back of the PC. Once released, we can clean its components much more easily. As with the rest of the fans, we must pass a brush through the blades ; that yes, you have to be more careful, because the fans of graphics cards are generally more delicate than those of the PC.

Cleaning the rest of the components

Once we have cleaned the main components of the PC, we can move on to the final stage of the process, taking care of the rest of the elements, such as RAM, storage units, bays or the motherboard itself, all with dust accumulated by suspension. , combining brushes of different sizes and cloths. The case of the power supply is different, although it will not be necessary to disassemble it completely; if we pass a brush through the blades, this will be enough.