As summer is now in full swing it is important to clean out the dust from your computers to help stop the computer from overheating and shutting down. Most computers can accumulate dust quickly even in the cleanest of environments. This dust can clog cooling fans and heat sinks leading to the computer slowing down the processor and reducing speed and performance. This throttling of the processor is implemented by the operating system to try to reduce heating. If the overheating continues the computer may eventually shut down or restart.
The computer might also start making a beeping noise to indicate that the temperature is starting to get too high. Running the computer at elevated temperatures can also reduce the lifespan of the computer.
If dust builds up in the power supply unit of the computer be a potential fire threat if the power unit gets too hot and the dust/hair etc catches fire.
Recommended Cleaning.
We would recommend that you clean out the dust every two years and get the computer serviced to ensure it will continue to run over the summer and for the next year(s). In very dusty environments it may need to be cleaned yearly. It is best to bring it in to the TDB workshop, that way we can blow the dust out of the computer and power supply unit. We would also recommend a basic service and update on the computer. The basic cost is about $70 for the clean, update and check over etc. There may be additional costs if we find additional issues, We will advise you so you can choose if you want these additional items done.
Notebook Computers
Notebooks usually have only one fan this fan can become blocked by dust or just fail after a couple of years of use. If the fan is not working correctly heat will build up on the motherboard and be radiated away via the case this can lead to issues with higher voltages on components on the mainboard and can shorten the lifetime of your notebook. If the notebook gets too hot, then the notebook will restart or shut down.
