Thread: How to manage airflow inside your PC

Ideally, you should clean your computer every 6 months. But if your computer exists in a dusty environment then you should clean it every 3 to 4 months. Three biggest enemies of your computer are heat, dust and moisture, plus an unorganized wiring of the components increases the overall temperature of the cabinet thus decreasing the efficiency of your PC. Simple steps like regular cleaning and maintenance will help take your computer a long way.

Make sure you have disconnected your computer from the mains before opening up the computer cabinet. Unscrew the cabinet cover and open it. Dusty, isn't it? Carefully make a note of all connecting wires, in case you forget which cable belongs to which peripheral. Next, lay down the cabinet on a flat surface and
remove all cables and wires.

Use the blower end of a vacuum cleaner, maintain a safe distance of approximately 4 inches from the cabinet and blow away dust from the power supply, CPU fan, motherboard, hard drive bays etc, blow away as much dust as possible. Be careful not to touch any part inside the computer. Sure there will be some stubborn dust particles which just won't come off. This is because dust particles combine with moisture and get firmly stuck to the cabinet and other computer parts. Use a soft brush to remove the dirt by gently tapping on the dust and then sweeping it away. Finally, use a soft cloth to wipe the inside and outside body of the case. 'Do not' use any alcohol based liquid for cleaning, as this could damage the plastic components. It's now time to clean the CPU fan.



STEP 1 8< 2: Carefully remove the heat sink and clean the surrounding areas near
the CPU socket. You can refer to your motherboard installation manual if you face problems removing the heat sink.

STEP 3: Clean all dust and dirt from the fan blades using a soft cloth or/and brush. STEP 48< 5: Use a soft cloth to clean the old hard paste from the bottom of the heat sink and the CPU surface.

STEP 6: Apply a fresh coat of thermal paste on the CPU. Ensure that you apply only the required amount of paste. Too little can damage the CPU, while too much can spurt out from the sides onto the motherboard. Use about two small drops of paste. Once done, mount the CPU fan back onto the CPU socket in the same way you removed it.

Cable Management
The objective of cable management is aimed at air circulation. Adding more fans won't help in air circulation if the wires
and cables block the airflow. The best
way to resolve this problem is to neatly tie the wires by using wire twisters or cable ties. The flat ATA cables used to connect the hard drives and optical discs are the toughest to manage. You could either buy the rounded ATA cables which are available at a price, or you could follow these simple steps to round the cables yourself.

Cable Management
STEP Choose which side of the cable you will need for the drive. Cut the remaining length of the cable if not required. Do not cut the cable if you have to connect it to another drive, or if you plan to upgrade to another PATA drive. Note: This does not apply to floppy drive cables.

STEP B Fold the ATA cables as shown in the picture below. Tie the cables with wire twisters to prevent it from opening. SEP c Tie all loose wires together, this will not only help in proper air circulation but will also make your cabinet look less
cluttered, which results in lower overall temperature. Do not use rubber bands as they melt.

SYP D Once everything is clean, connect all wires to the right slots. Now safely
plug in the power supply cable and test to see if your system boots up. If not, double check to see if everything has been plugged to their respective slots. You can keep silica gel packets to absorb moisture and make sure you clean your cabinet every 4-6 months.