Cleaning my new PC and Temperature Management Tips

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waljoricar

Member
Evening all,

I bought my PC almost 2 months ago and am loving it. I'm just over the moon with everything, including my free copy of Starfield.

On that note, I've noticed that, on two occasions now within the last week, my PC has become very hot when running Starfield. On both occasions it sounded like it was going to take off and I'd describe it as "hot to the touch".

This hasn't happened before and I've been playing Starfield since I bought it. I was worried that it could be an issue with dust build up, but I've taken my PC out of its cupboard and removed the dust covers only to find barely any dust - even after almost two months. Nevertheless, I gave it a good spray with some canned air just in case.

I have a [CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE] and a CORSAIR H100i ELITE RGB High Performance CPU Cooler fan.

I've attached an image of where I store my PC.

My questions are:

1. Is the storage space for my PC too small? Could that be causing any temperature regulation issues? It's a bit of tight squeeze, but I wouldn't have thought it would be that much of an issue (I typically have that open cupboard door closed).

2. Does anyone else have this type of PC case? If so any case specific tips regarding how often it needs cleaning/dusting?

3. Is there anything additional I can do to keep my PCs temperature down that isn't going to cost a lot?

4. Should I even be concerned? I was really surprised to hear/feel my PC get so loud/hot, but does that just happen sometimes? Should I be worried about stuff like that after only two months?

5. Does anyone have any general tips about cleaning your PC? Like, how regularly, what to use, etc?

As always, thanks so much to everyone who reads and (hopefully) responds. Hope you're having a good start to your week!
 

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Bhuna50

Bhuna50

Author Level
Can you post your full spec please from your order page. It will help people to see the entire picture of the build when giving advice.
 
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waljoricar

Member
Bhuna50 said:
Can you post your full spec please from your order page. It will help people to see the entire picture of the build when giving advice.
Click to expand...

Yeah, of course. My apologies.

CaseCORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW TEMPERED GLASS GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Eight Core CPU (4.2GHz-5.0GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
MotherboardASUS® TUF GAMING B650-PLUS WIFI (DDR5, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s)
Memory (RAM)32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR5 5600MHz (2 x 16GB)
Graphics Card16GB AMD RADEON™ RX 6950 XT - HDMI, DP - DX® 12
Graphics Card Support BracketNONE (BRACKET INCLUDED AS STANDARD ON 4070 Ti AND ABOVE)
1st M.2 SSD Drive512GB SOLIDIGM P44 PRO GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 7000MB/sR, 4700MB/sW)
2nd M.2 SSD Drive2TB SOLIDIGM P41+ GEN 4 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 4125MB/sR, 3325MB/sW)
DVD/BLU-RAY DriveNOT REQUIRED
Power SupplyCORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ - MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable1 x 1.5 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead, 1.0mm Core)
Processor CoolingCORSAIR H100i ELITE RGB High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal PasteSTANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
Sound CardONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network CardONBOARD 2.5Gbe LAN PORT
Wireless Network CardNOT REQUIRED
USB/Thunderbolt OptionsMIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating SystemWindows 11 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence
Operating System LanguageUnited Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery MediaWindows 10/11 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office SoftwareFREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft 365® (Operating System Required)
Anti-VirusNO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
BrowserMicrosoft® Edge
Warranty3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
DeliverySTANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build TimeStandard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days
Welcome BookPCSpecialist Welcome Book - United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland

 
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Bhuna50

Bhuna50

Author Level
Have you run a program checking the temps at all inside? HWMonitor is a good one to use (free version).

Closing the door on that will not help with the temperatures at all as you are only leaving one open side for air to circulate and thats the rear which is usually the 'exhaust' fan.

It needs clear intake which depending on the number of fans you have will likely be where the radiator has been put - top or front.

As for cleaning the case, have you removed the dust filters and given them a good dust off as well? I believe the 4000D has a dust filter underneath the power supply and at front and top....(I've only just got mine so cant help on how often it is needed).
 
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waljoricar

Member
Bhuna50 said:
Remove your Windows key
Click to expand...
Eek! Done. Sorry. Thanks for the heads up.
Bhuna50 said:
Have you run a program checking the temps at all inside? HWMonitor is a good one to use (free version).

Closing the door on that will not help with the temperatures at all as you are only leaving one open side for air to circulate and thats the rear which is usually the 'exhaust' fan.

It needs clear intake which depending on the number of fans you have will likely be where the radiator has been put - top or front.

As for cleaning the case, have you removed the dust filters and given them a good dust off as well? I believe the 4000D has a dust filter underneath the power supply and at front and top....(I've only just got mine so cant help on how often it is needed).
Click to expand...
I've not run any temp monitoring programmes yet, but have been considering doing so. I'll take a look at HWMonitor so I may record any future spikes.

I'll take the door off my desk tomorrow; it serves no real purpose other than preventing what is probably a neglible amount of dust from reaching my PC, if any.

Ive removed all the dust filters, yes. After almost two months, the dust build up on each filter was very minor or completely unoticeable. That makes it hard to decide how often I should be cleaning it at this stage, and difficult to figure out the cause of the two temp spikes.
 
SpyderTracks

SpyderTracks

We love you Ukraine
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DarkPaladin

Enthusiast
I have the Corsair 5000D and can confirm that while airflow and cooling is very good, the negative is dust becomes your #1 enemy at home.

I usually clean my filters (bottom of PC, top, and front) weekly with a wireless air blower and a microfiber cloth. It usually does the trick and I haven't had any issues at all related to thermal performance.

If you notice your PC getting dusty on the inside, you can use a microfiber cloth to gently remove the excess dust as well.
 
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waljoricar

Member
Steveyg said:
I use this to clean my computer mate, it's excellent turned a 30min job into a 5min one. Can't recommend one enough

Click to expand...

Thank you for this suggestion, I just purchased it. Is this the only thing you use to clean your PC, or do you also still use microfibre cloths and/or cans of air, etc?

DarkPaladin said:
I have the Corsair 5000D and can confirm that while airflow and cooling is very good, the negative is dust becomes your #1 enemy at home.

I usually clean my filters (bottom of PC, top, and front) weekly with a wireless air blower and a microfiber cloth. It usually does the trick and I haven't had any issues at all related to thermal performance.

If you notice your PC getting dusty on the inside, you can use a microfiber cloth to gently remove the excess dust as well.
Click to expand...

This is really helpful feedback, thank you. I did notice a very, very fine coating of dust on the inside of my desktop. So fine that I could only see if when shining my torch on it.

I may just take it out of its cupboard in my desk. I doubt it's offfering that much dust protection and it makes taking the desktop out for cleaning a real chore.

Any other tips or equipment people can suggest would be very welcome. I'm definitely glad I asked!
 
S

Steveyg

MOST VALUED CONTRIBUTOR
waljoricar said:
Thank you for this suggestion, I just purchased it. Is this the only thing you use to clean your PC, or do you also still use microfibre cloths and/or cans of air, etc?



This is really helpful feedback, thank you. I did notice a very, very fine coating of dust on the inside of my desktop. So fine that I could only see if when shining my torch on it.

I may just take it out of its cupboard in my desk. I doubt it's offfering that much dust protection and it makes taking the desktop out for cleaning a real chore.

Any other tips or equipment people can suggest would be very welcome. I'm definitely glad I asked!
Click to expand...
Yeah I just use this, some of the "heads" that come with it have brushes and there's a little anti static sponge in there that's good if you need to give certain areas a wee scrub.

The tempered glass side I just take off and give it a rub with a cloth of some sort
 
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