Cleaning TRUE?

Cooling Processors quietly

Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee

Post Reply
Dutchmm
Posts: 106
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:06 am

Cleaning TRUE?

Post by Dutchmm » Mon Aug 11, 2014 3:56 am

Recently opened my P182 for the first time in several years. Dirty doesn't begin to describe the fans! But there was a good deal of cruft on the fan side of the TRUE cooler, as well.

Google seems to think that cleaning the TRUE has never been discussed in this forum. So three questions:

1. Has anyone ever done it?
2. How?
3. Did it do any good?

Thanks in advance

Mike

SebRad
Patron of SPCR
Posts: 1121
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2003 7:18 am
Location: UK

Re: Cleaning TRUE?

Post by SebRad » Mon Aug 11, 2014 5:06 am

Hi, I have cleaned heatsinks many a time, whether it makes much difference is another matter, if it's really clogged with dust and fluff then it probably will help. It will look better after though.
My technique is to remove the heatsink from the computer and remove all fans etc so just bare metal part(s) and 'slosh' in sink of soapy water, just using ordinary dish washing liquid. It needed to get in the fins use a soft hand brush, the type used with a dustpan, go gently though. An old toothbrush can also be handy for tight areas, not just in heatsink but fans and other parts too I find.

Rinse out with clean water and then dry and reassemble

good luck,
Seb

Vicotnik
*Lifetime Patron*
Posts: 1831
Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2003 6:53 am
Location: Sweden

Re: Cleaning TRUE?

Post by Vicotnik » Mon Aug 11, 2014 5:19 am

I usually just remove the case sides, carry the case out on the balcony and then go crazy with a manual air pump.

Image

If the owner of the system is a smoker the dust is sometimes sticky and brownish, then dishwater is the only way.

xan_user
*Lifetime Patron*
Posts: 2269
Joined: Sun May 21, 2006 9:09 am
Location: Northern California.

Re: Cleaning TRUE?

Post by xan_user » Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:25 am

number one tip i give to people with dust build up inside their PC;

desktops belong on the top of the desk.

bonestonne
Posts: 1839
Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2007 2:10 pm
Location: Northern New Jersey
Contact:

Re: Cleaning TRUE?

Post by bonestonne » Sun Aug 31, 2014 1:44 pm

In the four years at my shop, it doesn't really matter where the computer is kept. If the person keeps a dirty house, it's apparent. If you enjoy eating at a restaurant, NEVER open up one of their POS computers. You'll never want to eat there again (and many are on top of the counter).

Compressed air is the way to go. Be thorough, and it's fine. I've always cleaned computers at my shop this way. Sometimes I remove the fan first, but unless it's really bad, I don't bother.

As has been said though, heavy smokers are a unique situation. It's not just the ash, the case generally feels oily, and it's pretty gross to me (no offense to any heavy smokers, I just don't like handling your computers). There was one situation specifically that I remember, it was a pretty expensive gaming build, the customer was an extremely heavy smoker (at least 2 packs a day by the smell alone) and the computer came back within a year, one bad hard drive and the case felt disgustingly oily.

I've never had to resort to a sink for cleaning heatsinks, and I wouldn't want to. Use a hair drier immediately afterwards to ensure everything is actually dry to prevent any early corrosion though, if there's no other option.

Dutchmm
Posts: 106
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:06 am

Re: Cleaning TRUE?

Post by Dutchmm » Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:19 pm

Thanks for all the contributions! In the end I gave the TRUE a blast from a can of compressed air I had lying around. That would have worked in isolation. Sadly, adding two new WD20EZRXs showed the power supply was dying. So I have decided to retire this rig entirely. Seven years ain't bad. I shall be on the lookout for a whisper-quiet NAS next year though.

jack_aubrey
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon Apr 28, 2003 5:27 pm
Location: USA

Re: Cleaning TRUE?

Post by jack_aubrey » Mon Sep 01, 2014 1:46 am

bonestonne wrote:Compressed air is the way to go. Be thorough, and it's fine. I've always cleaned computers at my shop this way. Sometimes I remove the fan first, but unless it's really bad, I don't bother.
I've been quite pleased with my Metro ED500 DataVac, which, despite the name, is a motorized air blower rather than a vacuum. Puts out an impressively high pressure stream of air continuously, good for dusting anything that won't blow away and terrifying cats. Though when we went to clean my SO's PC which hadn't been opened up in 4 years, some of the dust had compacted down into semi-solid form that required even more extreme measures.

bobb
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2014 6:13 pm

Re: Cleaning TRUE?

Post by bobb » Tue Nov 25, 2014 11:14 am

Your PC innards will get dusty over time, and the crud is stuck to the fan(s) blades. Regardless whether it makes difference or not, I give it a vacuum anyway the times I have to open it up and have to do something. If the fan(s) look real bad and I have the time, I go ahead and unmounted and and brush the stuck dirt off with some WD40. Makes a difference, don't know, it just makes me feel better.

Post Reply