i cleaned my fans & heatpipes, and yeeehh

i have a Dell 9400 and thought my overclocked go7900gs had become really bad, (i use to get +5500 in 3dmark06 but last weeks my scores have become lower & lower, (they was down to 4000) . i also feelt the laptop run slower in games.

BUT today i open my laptop, (removed palmrest, keyboard, etc) and cleaned away all dust & dirt from the heatpipes & fans (with a good/strong vacumcleaner), (both CPU & GPU), and guess what happend afterwards, my 3dmark scores became BETTER the my first time i overclocked. i also "feel" the boost when i play games, so this is the best thing i ever done with my laptop, i can dearly recomended it

 

I would suggest using compressed air instead of a vacuum. Vacuums can create static electricity and if you accidentally discharge that into your laptop, you could fry it. (Yes I'm speaking from experience)

 

i know that, i also know its VERY little chance that you destroy your computer that way.


i really REALLY recomend to clean your heatpipes & fans.. the computer runs like hell now

 

I bet it's higher than you think. Static electricity and computers don't mix and since compressed air works just as well (if not better), there's no point in taking the chance of wrecking your computer by using a vacuum.

 

To be fair compressed air doesn't come without it's dangers - theres always a chance of blasting fragments into areas you maybe wouldn't want it and would never normally reach.

 

I'm with Khris on this one. I took a sharp intake of breath upon reading the words 'cleaned away all dust & dirt from the heatpipes & fans (with a good/strong vacumcleaner)'.

That wasn't a smart move. I'd much rather invest in a cheap can of compressed air than several hundred dollars of new notebook, and so should anyone that reads this thread.

However, congratulations on breathing new life into your system. Cleaning out a machines vents every once in a while isn't someting most people realise they should do.

 

iv used a vacum many times just make sure the power lead is in and try and ground yourself while holding the vacum nozzle and it is true makes a great difference especially with the temps being lower the fans come on less and are quieter when they are on too

 

Was just adding rather than disagreeing - although I do tend to use a vacuum being aware of the dangers and best practice -but thought it worth mentioning that using compressed air aint without some disadvantage.

Main danger from using a vacuum cleaner, if it's especially strong, is getting too close and sucking something off the board

 

I agree that even compressed air has dangers.....however far less than a vacuum.

 

Vaccums are just too convinient though. You can clear a thinkpad's corner vents with one pass.

 

Grounding yourself makes no difference it's not static from you that is the danger when using a vacuum, it's static from the particles in the air being forced to rub togetther. All it takes is one unlucky set of dust particles rubbing against each other on the wrong component and you've got a dead or unstable laptop. I've seen maybe 20 computers over the years fryed by people using vacuums to clean them. Yes it doesn't happen every time, but it does happen and it's hardly worth the risk.

 

How can they make Vacuum cleaners that are ESD safe then. The problem is the air and particle movement causing static that builds in the nozzle and is released should you touch or get too close to a component.

Grounding yourself does make a difference unless you are controlling the vacuum with your mind

You're holding the vacuum, you're grounded, static goes to ground.

 

guys guys, i dont want to press the dust towards into my computer, i want to suck it up from my computer.

compressed air is good sometimes, but you should NOT use air on this kind of job, (the dust goes in between heatpipes and other stuff if you have bad luck, a good vacumcleaner is best here, (of course i ground myself before))

whatever. just clean the dust away from the fan/heatpipes and your computer will performe MUCH better in games...thats for sure

 

Take the heat pipe out (which should be a given in order to do it PROPERLY), and once it's out, blow the dust out.

It's stupid to use a vacuum when the odds of screwing your laptop are THAT much higher simply because it's more "convenient".

To each their own......but remember this advice when you vacuum your laptop and it refuses to start up anymore.

 

Stand on a carpet, and perform this operation. Your computer will not turn on again.

 

If you do it properly, as in remove the entire board out of your case, you can use compressed air without blowing dust back into to laptop. While you're at it, reapply better thermal compound because factories never apply it properly for sake of efficiency.

 

So your saying the plastic vacuum you are using is conductive??? It will not pass the charge from the plastic of the vacuum to you or through you. You being grounded makes no difference unless you are touching the board.

ESD Vacuums actually ARE conductive. They make them conductive and grounded so that any charge is safely dissipated.