Sealing computer case

[Seizure1990]

My house is quite dusty, and I wanted to try and alleviate the effects on my computer's innards by sealing all the cracks and etc between the computer case's plates and parts (PCI slot covers, front bay covers, etc). Obviously, I'd leave the fan and exhaust/intake ports open.

Before I did that, I wanted to make sure that this wouldn't have some unforeseen consequences, if the case is actually MEANT to be fairly open, as opposed to restricting air-flow to only the structures meant for it.

Thanks for any help.

[Jen Smith]

I doubt sealing off the chassis isn't going to have much (if any) effect on dust. You still have fan(s) sucking air into the chassis, it would be like trying to stop a river with chicken wire. I'm not 100% positive, maybe a science type could answer better, but isn't the electromagnetic fields generated a literal dust magnet as well? The only way you'd be able to keep it 100% dust free is to make it air tight... and that would be very bad for the computers health. Even with liquid cooling (which more often that not only covers the CPU), the system needs air flow, as you're generating heat from the CPU, GPU, memory, chipset, hard drives, etc etc... it'll turn into an oven rather quickly. There's a reason for all the fans, heat sinks and all that good stuff. If you want to risk a few hundred to a few thousand in hardware over about 10 seconds of work, that's on you.

Just get yourself a can of compressed air and give it a good cleaning when you think it needs it. My systems are in a fairly well climate controlled area, dust is pretty minimal, usually do it once a year myself. Husband's tower is sitting on the floor in his office, and usually a couple of dogs/cats sitting nearby, his needs a cleaning much more frequently.

[mrp04]

It won't help keep dust out if you don't seal the intake fans up, and if you seal the intake fans and open holes up, you have no airflow.

[greenwizard88]

It shouldn't, as long as you keep the computer properly cooled. The only reason those openings exist are to help facilitate air-cooling. If you can keep the ambient temps cool enough around the computer, you don't even need fans.. obviously that's rather hard to do, so people use fans/water cooling.

In short:

1) Close up the small holes.

2) Monitor the CPU temps. As long as they're within acceptable ranges, you could even consider removing the intake fan to further reduce the dust that gets into the machine.

[Seizure1990]

I know that dust would get in no matter what, but I figured that it would at least help to not have it come in through the cracks around the DVD drive and whatever, where's its more likely to slow down and settle, then through the main sections where it will hopefully just get sucked back out?

Also, I am neurotic. I'm kind of aware that this may not help much, but as long as it won't hurt, I'm willing to try.

[MR_Candyman]

Covering the small cracks will not actually change anything about the amount of dust. If it was a huge issue I would probably recommend a sealed case with an external power supply and water cooling every component. Or you could always do the whole mineral oil bath thing.

[Seizure1990]

I'm can't afford anything fancy. Thanks for the suggestions though.

[ozgeek]

I do this on my case to stop the damn spiders from webbing in there. Because my case is a no-name $100 case, it has un-replacadble backplates. once off, can't put it back on to cover the holes. What I do is find old backplates that doesn't plug into the mainboard like very old network cards, sound cards, had those from my sister's old computer so I tore it apart and sticky-taped the holes and install it in the back of my case.

You know the DVD tray cover you take off to install DVD drives? Yep, when I pulled one out to install my DVD drive, I glued the cover to the back vent holes to cover it up. (the holes was 1cm large). I didn't worry about the ventation becaus I have a 180cm side fan window on where a grill is covering (giving me the view of my case insides 24/7).

This only reduce dust a bit. Fans are almost always responsible for the dust in the case. I only covered mine to stop insects and spiders from getting in my case which does help a lot.

[sc302 Veteran]

Here is fancy, get a small automotive air filter and stick it infront of your case fans. And if your psu is a sucker and not a blower, put one there too. That will keep the dust down inside, otherwise your fans are just sucking dust in and it is settling on your components. The only way around this is to remove air cooling so it can't suck dust in, so what does that leave you with?

They make these, but there is room for dust to still get in. http://www.amazon.com/3-2in-Washable-Foam-Case-Filter/dp/B00006B8D5

[Rigby]

The only way to really stop dust from getting sucked into every crevice and through your optical drives is to have a positive pressure setup. That is, you have more intake than exhaust so that the pressure inside the case is higher than outside. This of course requires you to have filters over your intake vents, and from what I understand it won't keep your system as cool as using negative pressure.

[Seizure1990]

Will putting fan filters reduce the dust? I know it won't rid it entirely...

And will sealing the cracks and crevices with seran-wrap reduce the case's cooling ability? Is that even possible to know without testing it on my particular case?

[sc302 Veteran]

it will never be completely dust free, even if you had liquid cooling. well maybe if you could submerge the whole computer in non conductive liquid then it would be dust free, but it would be rather wet.

[Seizure1990]

Yes, well, like I said, going for reduction, not ridding.

[sc302 Veteran]

  On 25/03/2011 at 02:12, Seizure1990 said:

Yes, well, like I said, going for reduction, not ridding.

I am sorry if you think I was kidding:

wet and functionable. :p no dust, but a pita if you have to put in a new graphics card.