In my years as a tech I’ve often opened a sick computer to find it full of dust bunnies.  Overheating is a big problem for the sensitive parts of your computer. That’s why computers have fans and air vents to continually circulate the hot air out and bring in cooler room air. When we keep our computers on the floor under our desks we sometimes forget to check for the dust accumulation and blocked air vents that can be a major cause of overheating.

For a cooler running computer keep it in a low dust zone with plenty of good airflow. If it’s in a cabinet, be sure there’s good venting and consider propping the door open at least a half-inch. If you have pets, you may need to check periodically for pet hair on those air vents, especially around the intake for the cooling fan. It’s best to keep a laptop on lap desk and not directly in your lap because your clothing can be sucked up against the air vents. Similarly it’s best to keep a desktop on the desk or a stand to keep it off the floor and especially off the carpet.

Other causes of overheating include worn out or defective cooling fans, usually recognized by their excessive or uneven noise. Sometimes adding extra equipment can cause the cooling system to work overtime. And of course the surrounding temperature is a factor. My introduction to computers was in the late 50’s when Dad proudly showed us the office’s new payroll computer. It took up a room the size of a large master bedroom and was kept a chilling 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Luckily modern desktops and laptops run well in comfortable temperatures.

It never hurts to clean your computer on a regular basis. Canned air is the cheapest way to blow out that dust. Wear a mask to protect yourself. Blow the air across the components, not into them, and use short bursts of air to keep the can from freezing your hand. If you need more frequent cleanings you can buy a much neater alternative, a small electronics vacuum cleaner for about the same cost as a dozen cans of air.

You Can Do It!