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Topic: PC Access Panel - On/Off - OK/not OK? |
Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 18 Jun 2009 7:43 pm |
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I haven't bothered putting on my PC's access panel since I last blew the dust out of it (about a month).
I live alone (thank God), have no pets (but do have pests), so my abode is pretty much secure as far as anything bouncing into the open PC.
My point is: under my circumstances, why bother to put the panel back on after dusting?
I've found that on or off, the dust still gets there. On the plus side, with the PC's innards not so boxed-in, air circulates much better and helps to keep the heat down, no?
It just makes PC life a bit easier to keep fit and trim for the tasks at hand if you can eliminate one more obstacle in the way.
Any opinions one way or the udder will be most welcomed. 
_________________
Chip
Williams U-12 8X5; Keyless; Natural Blonde Laquer. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 18 Jun 2009 10:07 pm
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Chip;
Just keep the dust out of the fans and heatsinks.
One thing that a cover does is to minimize the amount of dust that gets attracted to various components. These include RAM modules, video cards and unused card sockets. Dust that is free to float around the inside of the case will settle onto everything, leading to more problems down the line. I'd keep the cover on and remove it to vacuum out the dust, from time to time.
An air conditioner in the same room will help preserve the PC's life.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 18 Jun 2009 11:13 pm
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Thanks Wiz,
That's all I needed to hear.
Later today, I'll give her another air-blast and then put the panel back on.
You sure know your stuff, brother. Those RAM modules and video/audio cards etc.
Potential down-the-road problems. I would never have guessed.
You-Da-Bess, Baby! 
_________________
Chip
Williams U-12 8X5; Keyless; Natural Blonde Laquer. |
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Posted 19 Jun 2009 12:52 am
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Chip:
When I build PCs, I typically leave the panel off for a few days because I know I will likely be back inside fiddling, inspecting, and rerouting cables.
I monitor temperatures during these first few days after a build and have yet to notice any obvious temperature differences compared to panel on, so I don't think it leads to noticeably cooler operation--assuming you have a decent fan setup.
Considering the circumstances you describe, I wouldn't expect your PC to pick up much dust.
A couple of things can help to reduce dust levels. Try to keep the thing up off the floor if at all possible. You can also use filter material of some type (nylon stockings, cheesecloth, custom cut pieces of air conditioning filters, etc).
My PC (like many these days) has a bunch of punched out BB sized ventilation holes in one of the side panels, directly over the processor and video card. Unfortunately, the holes are an excellent entry point for dust and an even better exit point for noise.
A few months back, I grew tired of that constant high-pitched whine that all PCs put out to one extent or another. As an experiment, I covered up all of the BB-sized vent holes. The sound level was reduced considerably and I have not noticed any increase in my temperatures.
The heat situation in your PC may be different, particularly if you have a poor internal fan setup or a fancy-dan videocard. But there is no harm done by experimentation assuming you have some way of monitoring internal temperatures--there are several tools around to do that. |
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Chip Fossa
From:
Monson, MA, USA (deceased)
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Posted 19 Jun 2009 5:48 am
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Hiya Mitch,
and thanks for your input, too.
I have about a 3 year old ACER AM3100 PC (tower) right on my desktop. Right within reach.
You are correct, and I don't get big amounts of dust, but dust never the same. I live in a trailer (not a mobile home). At least that's what I always refer to it as.
It's a dusty joint, for sure, but on certain things like the PC, I keep on top of the dust.
I have an adequate window air-conditioner, that in the hot, humid times keeps up pretty well at around 68dg on the hottest days and with a fairly large refrigerator adding more heat, also.
The PC runs pretty quitely and is very stable (Vista Home Premium).
One nice thing about the ACER PC unit, actually, is that it's very easy to remove the access panel; not like PCs I've had in the past, where somehow they made it a major task to slide the panel away from the carcass. They gave you a shallow indentation to push on, but it was never good enough to get a firm purchase, and so the fight is now on.
_________________
Chip
Williams U-12 8X5; Keyless; Natural Blonde Laquer. |
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