Temperature From A Dirty Computer. - Dust-Off

Temperature
Impact From
A Dirty
Computer
June 3
2009
A dirty computer can be the source of many headaches for computer users.
Some of the symptoms can be minor and sporadic like system instability and
programs crashing. Other problems caused by heat can be a bit more
severe like constant Blue Screens, system crashes, and possible component
failure. Any of the symptoms from a dirty system takes away from the
computing experience, as well as increases the user’s frustrations level.
Is Your
Computer
Clean?
Temperature Impact From A Dirty Computer
Is Your Computer Clean?
Written by:
Ton Khowdee
from Team IRONMODS
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It has been a few months since you built your high end gaming pc from the ground up. You have spent
the last few months crunching number and fragging online opponents like there is no tomorrow. Recently,
you have noticed some system instability when you are gaming or doing anything that requires heavy
computing power. Occasionally the computer randomly locks up or even BSODs on you. Even after
formatting and reloading the operating system and applications, the problem still persists.
In a last ditch effort to find out what is wrong with your computer, you pull the system out and open up the
case to see what is going on. As you pull the panel off, you find a colony of dust bunnies that is clogging
the heatsinks and fans grills, and restricting the airflow in your computer. The system instability was
caused by the computer overheating. All these computer headaches could have been easily avoided if
you had taken a few moments to clean out the dust in the system.
The example that we cover above happens to many computer enthusiasts. We spends a great deal of
time researching website and reading articles on the best computer components to buy within our budget.
After acquiring the components we diligently puts all the parts together, run the cables inside the system
to maximize airflow, and keep everything nice and tidy. Once the system is up and running, the computer
is placed in its final location. The computer system does its task as being a computer, and typically never
opened again till there is a component upgrade or problem with the system. When the computer is
opened, all computer enthusiasts expect to see some level of dust in their computer, but most people are
either surprised with the amount of dust they fine and do not know the impact of a dirty computer.
A dirty computer can be the source of many headaches for computer users. Some of the symptoms can
be minor and sporadic like system instability and programs crashing. Other problems caused by heat can
be a bit more severe like constant Blue Screens, system crashes, and possible component failure. Any of
the symptoms from a dirty system takes away from the computing experience, as well as increases the
users frustrations level.
In an effort to capture and quantify the amount of heat generated from a dirty computer system, we will
build a new system and monitor the temperature of the processor and video cards when the system is
new, and dirty. In addition, we will cover a quick and painless way to safely clean your computers in a few
minutes. Once the system has been clean, we will see how much heat recovery is gained.
Hardware:
To be able to see how much system temperature increases in a dirty system, it is important to set a
baseline. Specifically for this test, we built a brand new high end PC gaming rig from the ground up. We
chose to use current high end gaming gear for the fact they generate more heat, and requires efficient
cooling to maintain optimal performance. We used new parts to make sure that there was no dirt or debris
in the components.
Here are the parts and gears we used:
CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 940
Mother Board: Gigabyte GA-MA790GP-DS4H
Memory: 4GB (2x2GB) Crucial Ballistix Tracers DDR2 PC2 6400
Video Card: (2) AMD Radeon HD 4870 512MB in CrossFire
Hard Drive: Western Digital 75GB Raptor 10k RPM SATA
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling 750 Watt Silencer
Case: Antec 900 Mid Tower Case
Cooling:
CPU Fan – Zalman CNPS 9500 AM2
Graphics Card Fan – Stock 4870 Fan
Case Fans:
Intake – (3) 120mm Fan (2 Front,1 Side Panel)
Exhaust – (1) 220mm Fan (Top), and (1) 120mm Rear
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Testing Procedure: System Monitoring, Logging, and Load Testing.
Testing Set:
The testing procedure we will be using is very straight forward. The temperature of the processor and
video card will be independently logged under load conditions (100% utilization) at both stock and
overclocked speeds. Each set of procedure will be repeated under 3 different computer condition. The
computer conditions are Base Line, Dirty, and Cleaned. Base Line temperatures will be taken after the
computer has been built and the software has been loaded. The Dirty system will have temperatures
logged after we have successfully recreated months of dust and dirty buildup inside the system. The
Cleaned System will have the temperature logged right after it has been cleaned. The results of the test
will allow us to see how much heat is generated from a computer system. Below is a quick reference
chart for the testing set used for this article.
Processor
Video Cards
Stock Speed Temperature
Base Line/ Dirty / Clean
Base Line / Dirty / Clean
Overclocked Speed Temperature
Base Line / Dirty / Clean
Base Line / Dirty / Clean
Software and Drivers:
To reduce the impact of 3rd party applications to the system stability and processing load, only a minimal
number of programs were installed on to the computer. Here is a list of the program installed and how it
will be utilized:
1. Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate -The test will be conducted using Microsoft current generation
operating system.
2. CPUz – This program will be used to identify and validate the speed and specifications of the
processor, motherboard, and system memory.
3. GPUz – This program will be used to identify and validate the speed and specifications of the
video card.
4. OCCT – The primary program that will be used to generate, monitor, and record the load
temperature that is generated on both the processor and video card.
5. AMD OverDrive (AOD) – Windows based program to overclock the Phenom II processors
6. Catalysts Control Center – Windows based program to overclock the video cards
Testing Procedure:
For each Computer condition, the following testing will be done, along with logging the information:
Stock Speed Test:
1. Idle Temperature – The computer will be left on for 15 minutes to allow for idle temperature to be
reached.
2. OCCT CPU Load test – OCCT will put 100% load on all 4 core of the processor for 1 hour.
Temperature will be logged during this period.
3. Post Cool-Down Period – After CPU Load test is completed, the computer will run at idle load to
allow temperatures to return to pre-load test conditions
4. OCCT Graphic Load Test – OCCT will put 100% load on both video cards for 1 hour.
Temperature will be logged during this period. Fan set to 40%.
OverClocked Test:
1. Overclock Processor – AOD will be used to increase the processor to 3.8Ghz. Voltage was
increased to 1.525v to allow for full system stability.
2. Idle Temperature - After processor has been overclocked, system will be left on for 15 minutes to
allow for idle temperature to be reached at overclocked speeds.
3. OCCT CPU Load test – OCCT will put 100% load on all 4 core of the processor for 1 hour.
Temperature will be logged during this period.
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4. Post Cool-Down Period – After CPU Load test is completed, the computer will run at idle load to
allow temperatures to return to pre-load test conditions
5. Overclock Video Cards – CCC will be used to increase the video cards to 790Mhz GPU and
1100Mhz Memory. Fan set to 40%. Voltage on video cards are left at stock settings
6. OCCT Graphic Load Test – OCCT will put 100% load on both video cards for 1 hour.
Temperature will be logged during this period.
Base Line Temperature Logging:
To see the impact the temperature impact from a dirty system, we need to establish a baseline for both
stock and overclocked settings. Getting the stock temperature was very straight forward. After we had the
system fully built and the software loaded, we ran all load tests and logged the results.
Here are the results from Stock Speeds:
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Overclocked Base Line Logging:
Finding an optimal overclocked speed for both the processor and the video card was a small challenge.
We had to find speeds stable enough to pass OCCT load testing with no errors. We increased the clock
speed to see how fast we could get. Once the processor started failing the load test, we added a bit more
voltage to help the stability. After a few short run, we determined that 3.8Ghz speed at 1.525 volts was
stable on air.
Overclocking the video card went the same way. We kept on increasing the speed to the point where it
would not pass OCCT. We then turned down the speed a few mhz without modifying the voltage, and we
had a fully stable overclocked video card running 790 Mhz and 1100 Mhz on the mem.
Here are the base line results from Overclocked speeds:
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Dirty System Temperature logging:
This was a very challenging task. How do you simulate months worth of pc neglect in less then 2 weeks?
You have to be creative! We placed the system in the laundry room, and left the computer on for 24/7
with the side panel off. After 2 weeks, we took the PC and repeated the load test and logged the
temperature.
Stock Dirty System Logging:
Here are the results of the Stock Speeds:
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Overclocked Dirty System Logging:
The overclocked test yielded some very interesting results. The CPU was no longer able to run at the
same overclocked speeds we had set during the baseline. The system would overheat and crash. In
order to successfully run through a full hour of load testing, we had to drop the overclocked speeds from
3.8Ghz to 3.6Ghz. Here are the results of the CPU at the lower 3.6Ghz speeds. The video cards were
able to still run at the same overclocked speeds we set in the baseline:
Here are the dirty system results from Overclocked speeds:
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Dissecting a Dirty Computer System:
From the temperature log, we can tell that the system is pretty dirty. We wanted to take the computer
apart and show some close up of the dirt and dust that can build up in a computer. With larger and higher
CFM Fans in computer, there is a significant amount of air that passes through a system. As the air
passes through the system, dust and dirt particle comes along with it. As the air goes through heatsinks
and fans grills, those dust and dirt particle get deposited and left behind. Over time, the amount of dust
and dirt build up can be significant.
For this project we intentionally put the computer in a high dust area to simulate a computer that has been
neglected. Here are some pictures below:
Intake and Exhaust Fans and Grills:
CPU and Graphic Cards Heatsinks:
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How to Clean your computer:
Before going into the “Clean System” temperature results, we want to take a moment to show how to
properly clean the inside of a computer. For this article, we used a very safe and readily available
cleaning tool that no computer enthusiasts should be without, a Dust-Off can duster. We used 3 different
type of Dust-Off duster sprays. Each of the Dust-Off duster has a unique features and benefits. Any DustOff dusters will work well to clean your computer. Please note that no physical contact or wiping was
done during the cleaning process. All dust and dirt was removed using only the dusters. Here are the
steps we used to clean the computer in this article.
1. Remove computer from the house – When you clean your computer, you want to make sure you
are in a open and well ventilated area. When you clean your computer a large amount of dust
may be dispelled from the computer. So doing this outside the house is a best idea.
2. Remove CPU Heat Sink Fans – The denser the fin pattern on the heatsink, the more dust that will
be trapped as air passes through it.
a. Here is a picture of the heat sink fan. You can see that the entire back side of the fan is
clogged with dust and lint.
b. We used Dust-Off XL to quickly dislodge the dust and blow it away from the fan.
c. Here are some Before and After Pictures:
3. Cleaning the Video Cards
a. With the video cards, the heat sink is covered by the plastic housing. The plastic housing
is used to direct the air over the heat sink, and exhaust the hot air out the system.To get
to the heat sink, we had to disassemble the card.
b. Once the card was disassembled we took the heatsink, and blew out the dust using DustOff Classic. The shorter chrome nozzle allowed us to direct the duster exactly where we
wanted it to go.
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4. Cleaning the Fans
a. This case has 4 sets of fans, 2 Intake and 2 Exhaust. For this task, we used Dust-Off
Plus. The Plus has a 360 nozzle, which allows the duster to be blown in any direction
while keeping the can upright. This feature was particularly handy when cleaning the top
exhaust fan, and around the corner in the HD cage.
b. All fans were cleaned without removing them from the system.
5. Cleaning the Interior and motherboard
a. When cleaning the motherboard, be sure to focus on dislodging any dirt and dust in the
heat sinks.
b. This will help keep the chipset running cool.
c. Try to blow dust out of the computer, and not into other components.
6. Parts Re-Installation:
a. Once everything is cleaned, it is time to reinstall the heatsink and video cards.
b. Reapply new thermal paste to maintain efficient heat transfer from the chip to the
heatsink.
c. Note: We intentionally applied new thermal paste to the CPU, but not the video cards. We
will show in the next step why it is important to do.
d. Close the case, and turn the pc back on. Here are some pics of the cleaned system:
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How often should I clean?
The frequency of computer cleaning can vary substantially. If you are computing in a dust free sterilized
room, then the cleaning will be pretty infrequent, but most of us do not use our computer in that type of
environment. There are many variables that can increase the frequency of computer cleaning to maintain
optimal thermal performance:
1. Computer location:
a. Is the computer on the floor or on the table? Computer that are lower to the floor tend to
be exposed to more dust.
b. Is it in a house, office, warehouse? Warehouses tend to have higher concentration of dirt
and dust, compared to offices where the air is recirculated.
2. Are there pets around the computer?
3. Are there smokers?
As you can see, there are a lot of variables that can impact how quickly a computer system will become
dirty. After you have cleaned your computer a few times, you will be able to judge the best interval to
clean out your computer. The cleaning process if very simple and straight forward. It is definitely worth a
few minutes of your time to prevent all the frustrations that can come from an over heated computer
system.
Can I use a Vacuum to clean my computer?
As we cleaned the computer there was no physical contact. The Dust-Off Dusters was all we used to
dislodge and blow away the dirt and dust from the system. By not having to physically touch the computer
parts and components, it helps reduces the chances of damaging the equipment.
Here are some reasons why vacuums should not be used to clean your computer:
1. Mini Vacuum cleaner – those mini vacuum cleaners that are advertised to clean your keyboard
are useless to clean the inside of a computer. The actual suction is minimal, and the risk of
damaging your equipment is high.
2. Vacuum Cleaners and ShopVacs are very powerful cleaners with hose attachments should be
completely avoided.
a. Vacuum attachments are large, bulky, and clumsy. It is very easy to accidentally knock
off capacitors and other electronic component while you are trying to suck out the dust
b. Electrostatic discharge – As air moves at high velocity into the tip of the hose attachment,
electrostatic charge builds up. If the attachment comes in close proximity to an electronic
component, a static discharge may occur and kill that piece of equipment.
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Clean System Temperature Logging:
After the dirty system temperatures were logged, we immediately cleaned the computer. We cleaned the
computer using only Dust-Off Dusters. There was no special equipment or gear used to clean the
computer. After cleaning the parts, new thermal paste was applied to the CPU, but we did not apply new
thermal paste to the video cards.
Stock Cleaned System Logging:
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Cleaned Overclocked System Logging:
After cleaning the computer, the processor was able to run at the same overclocked settings as we had in
the baseline. The Video Cards were also set to the same overclocked speeds. Please note that new
thermal paste was applied to the processor, and we did NOT apply new thermal paste to the video cards.
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Analysis:
Now that we have all three system conditions logged, we will overlap the data and see how a dirty system
impacts the temperature of your computer system.
At stock speeds you can see that a dirty system run processor runs approximately 10% hotter and video
cards runs 28% hotter than a normal system. Cleaning the system returned the system to almost like new
temperature levels. The variants in base line and clean system temperature can be attributed to ambient
conditions. With air cooling, the ambient temperature has an impact on the efficiency of cooling.
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Here are the results of the overclocked system:
Even though the cpu overclocked was reduced for the dirty system data, the temperature is still
approximately 37% hotter. The video cards are running dangerously hot at times reaching 100c temps,
which is 23% hotter than base line.
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Conclusion:
Running a computer system that is dirty will increase the temperature of your rig. Our test rig increased
showed a significant increase in heat running stock speeds and voltage. The temperature increase was
dangerously high under overclocked conditions.
There are many great reasons and benefits to keeping a computer clean and from overheating. Avoiding
the headaches such as system crashing, losing or corrupting data on your hard drive or killing computer
parts are great motivators. In addition, you will have an overall “better” computer experience. Your
computer will run smoothly and parts will last longer. Keeping systems clean are especially important to
PC enthusiasts who have invested significant amount of money for top-of-the-line hardware and overclockers that require the most efficient airflow possible to keep their computer running at maximum
speeds.
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