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What I was thinking is getting a good size clear plastic storage container with a seal-able lid, cut tiny holes in it for the cables that need to be hooked up, and cut a larger hole and place a filter like material over it.
This way, the computer is always inside a clean area (no dust or smoke, etc) can get to it.
My computer is an HP and its only about 10" wide, 10" long and maybe 3" tall.
The only thing Im concerned with is if it could overheat being inside a container like this (with or without the hole with filter material).
You need two holes, on for cooler air to go in and one for heat to exit. If you look at higher end computer cases they have fan in the front of the drives on the lower front, this pushes air into the computer. The ones on the back push it out. One case I purchased around 2003 had electrostatic screen there you could remove to clean. If there is no fan that is typically where the cool air enters, the one case I have now in addition to those fans has bottom that is all mesh. That case also has the power supply mounted on the bottom, the air for it is external and never goes through the case. This reduces the amount air flow required in the case this reducing dust and the power supply gets much cooler air.
The hole by themselves will probably not be enough and you may need fan. They do make thermostatically activated fans..... If it's just regular PC one good fan should suffice.
How much heat that is generated by your PC depends on it's components, but the computers made in the last few years make SO much heat that CPUs now have their own fan (or even their own entire cooling system), most graphic cards (if not all) have their own fans, and most cases come with more than one fan.
If you put the system within an air-tight container, with the inlet filtered, you must find a way to move air through the filter, into the PC, and then exhaust it, so that enough air goes by the PCs internal parts to keep them cool. This means that fan with a filter would have to be far larger than you probably expect.
My tower case (a huge box supporting a lot of expansion within), has one 5" fan, and four 3" fans, plus one more 3" integral to the power supply. and still gets warm inside. It also got VERY dusty.
My PC is in a relatively dusty environment. I used to have to open up the box every 6 months to vacuum clean all the fans, the CPU, RAM chips etc. The dust layers were surprisingly thick and almost certainly more insulation for cooling that was healthy for the components. So . . . .
What I did was re-mount the casing fans to blow ALL the air "in", pressurizing the box.
All the air will either exhaust through the power supply fan (second only to the CPU for cooling priority), or exhaust through front cracks in the casing, (that are between the internal drive bays and will help cool the individual drives).
This lets me control all the supply into the box, I added Velcro strips to the sides of the fan inlets, and affixed filter media to them. This way all air supplied into the box is filtered. Of course, adding filters may reduce the amount of air these fans can push, so I keep a close eye on my CPU and PS temps.
I'm struggling to determine why you need to keep your computer "super clean" Is it some kind of OCD thing, or do you live in a dirty house/operate it in a dirty environment? A once a year blow out with a can of compressed air is a lot easier IMHO.
I'm struggling to determine why you need to keep your computer "super clean" Is it some kind of OCD thing, or do you live in a dirty house/operate it in a dirty environment? A once a year blow out with a can of compressed air is a lot easier IMHO.
y old computer died one day, and when I took it to it have it looked at, they said contaminants had built up on the inside.
Im pretty good about keeping the area clean, I use a can duster about once a month on it, although Im not sure If I should shoot the air inside the computer (thru the vents) or not, I also try to keep the cooling fan area clean.
I'm struggling to determine why you need to keep your computer "super clean" Is it some kind of OCD thing, or do you live in a dirty house/operate it in a dirty environment? A once a year blow out with a can of compressed air is a lot easier IMHO.
If there is enough dust on your CPU, and/or memory sticks, fan blades, graphic card or PS inlet screen so that it's an actual layer and not just a dusting, then it might cause the component to overheat and should be removed. How long this takes is, of course, dependent on how much dust is in the air, and how well the inside of the PC is ventilated.
In my case, (pun intended), I open up my windows a lot for the fresh air, and have to dust a lot. Usually every 3-6 months. I wanted to drop that to annual, so added the inlet filters.
You can use a vacuum to clean outside, do not use it on the inside. Open the case and be sure you touch the case before touching anything inside the computer, this will discharge any static buildup. Go to town with the canned air especially on any finned heatsinks. When you get around the fans use stick of wood or plastic to prevent them from spinning.
Personally I no longer used canned air and just use a compressor. Be aware of the risk because compressed air can create a lot of moisture to form on what you are applying it to. I have a large compressor and let it fill, let it sit overnight and most of the moisture will have accumulated in the bottom of the tank and you can drain it. Once I'm done with the computer I let it sit for a few hours before plugging it back in and turning it on.
I wouldn't box it up unless you live in an extreme environment.
Once a year (or every six months) blow or vacuum out any dust (use a plastic attachment, not metal) and as long as the fans are reasonably clean and all working you won't have an issue.
The only practical solution is to install filters over all the inlets of the fans that bring in outside air. Rectangular car air filters will work and hardly restrict air flow, but you'll have to figure a way to mount them over the fans.
When you clean a computer, don't brush, wipe, or vacuum the circuit boards but just blow air over them. Actually it's not necessary to remove dust except from the heatsinks and fans and maybe blow out the power supply. If you have any unsealed optical drives, remove or cover them before blowing air. If you have one of those cutting-edge technology floppy disks the kids are raving about, it may need cleaning itself, which involves more than just vacuuming or blowing out dust.
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