I'm used to putting my desktop on the floor. I know from periodic cleaning of my older machines that a lot of dust can get sucked into the fans. I just got a brand new machine and am wondering if it's better off on the table, or if there's some other way to minimize dust collection. This machine was completely silent the first few weeks in operation, now it's got a slight whirring when it runs. How long should I wait before I break it open to clean things out?
I don't let any machines or wiring sit on the floor. You can either hang them from a bracket sold at several places online or you can just put your machine on a small table on the side. Dust from your rug/carpet as well as all kinds of hair, dead skin, etc all collects on the floor. How much will accumulate and how often you should clean your machine depends on your environment. Just open the box up once a month and if it is really bad, then clean it once every couple of weeks. The difference between when I had my boxes on the floor and now is huge.
illiquid I have my machines on the floor ... but on 6 inch white foam blocks. The air is cooler on the floor which helps keep the electronics cooler and that's a big plus... and I really don't see much diff in dirt-dust in most homes between desktop and floor. I also take them out to the garage and use the air compressor nozzle to blow out all dust 2 or 3 times a year. (Careful not to spin up the fans doing that) Also note there is less noise and more work space on the dest top with the machines near the floor. Computers tower cases are to use.. not to look at. agpilot
A guy at the comuter store suggested putting desktops over a platic mat if they are on the floor. Something about static elect. and less dust. Anyway, that's what I have done and don't seem to get much if any dust.
You can also take the box out back and get the garden hose and squirt it off, now and then...(if you don't use the pressure nozzle, you can leave it plugged in)
Personally, I run mine thru the car wash, but I have a cheap friend who uses the dish washer (Use only 1/2 the detergent, tho)
Actually, for cleaning your keyboard, a dishwasher is great. I have a KeyPro keyboard that has 12 programmable keys on it that I've had for yrs. A friend recently spilled a whole glass of tea on it and it went wacky. I put it in the dishwasher (no detergent) for a couple of cycles and let it dry out for a wk and it's working great now. Plus it's really clean! H
You can clean any gunk off LCD's screens by taking them down to your local truck garage and asking them to steam clean them. On a more serious note, I put my case on two 1 1/2 inch woooden blocks as a protection against someone leaving the bath to overflow somewhere and to ensure airflow.