Sean writes, "I have a big problem with dust in my computer - every time I open it up it looks like it's covered in a thick blanket. That can't be good for my system. How do I keep dust out of my gaming computer?"

Dust is a natural product of living in our modern world. It's a whole lot of things - dead skin, pollutants, dirt, etc ... - but what it's not is good to have in your computer. While dust usually won't short circuit your gaming computer, it will cause the fans to work harder because the heat is trapped inside the system. Essentially, dust acts like a blanket.

There are a couple of ways to eliminate dust. The most practical way is to make sure you have a balance between air intake and exhaust - if you pump too much air into the system and take too little out, you're going to cover your system in dust (the other end of the problem is creating am air vacuum). By making sure you create an equilibrium between intake and exhaust you can minimize the amount of dust that gets sucked into your system.

The other, less practical, way of dust deterrence is to install air filters behind your intake fans. This is far less practical than ensuring a good balance of airflow because it reduces the amount of fresh air coming into the system (more as the filter becomes clogged), and it needs to be changed regularly, otherwise you risk overheating your computer.

For now, I'd recommend seeing how much air you're pumping into the system without actually pumping out. If you can't shut down one or two intake fans, see if you can install another exhaust fan, and start cleaning that gaming computer.

If you have a question, just send it to me and I'll answer it in this newsletter: lordkat@gmail.com

Be safe,
Jason