Three Ways to Extend the Life of your PC
Whether you have just purchased a new computer, or you are looking to do some maintenance on your existing computer, it pays to know a few things about longevity and computer hardware. Many consumers would sooner buy a new computer after two years, rather than extend their purchase with proper maintenance. As an experienced computer technician, I have observed some very basic steps that can prevent the need or desire for a new computer. Below, I will outline some of the most crucial things you can do as a consumer, to extend the life of your PC.
1. Scheduled cleaning
The obvious element of maintenance is to keep a computer clean. Unfortunately, many consumers rely on cheap cans of compressed air for this purpose. These are decent for microelectronics, but are not sufficient for a desktop, as the dust is generally exposed to other elements that are not present in the constricted space of a laptop or mobile phone.
There are two major routes you can take for cleaning. You can hire a professional, or buy a few items to do the cleaning yourself. If you find yourself regularly struggling with computer problems on your operating system, you may want to hire a professional, as many technicians will bundle a professional cleaning with other services. If you are tight on funds and do not have a need for other services on a frequent basis, you probably would rather clean your computer on your own.
The first tool I recommend is an electronic air duster. There are some decent ones available on discount sites for around $30, and more trusted brands for $50 on Amazon. When operating one of these high-powered air dusters, I recommend doing so either outside, or in an open area near a door or large open window. It is best to wear a mask when operating the duster, especially if it has been more than six months since your last cleaning. These machines will release a great deal more dust than your typical canned air dusters, so best to play it safe.
When cleaning your PC, you want to make sure it is disconnected from power. After shutting the PC down, locate and turn off the power switch near the power cord, and then disconnect the power cable after waiting for at least ten seconds. After you have performed the air cleaning, use a microfiber cloth with 99% isopropyl alcohol to manually wipe down the large (non-electronic) surfaces. For fans, you can use a soft bristle brush or tooth brush to loosen any hard dust on the back side of the fan blades, and do a second pass with the electronic duster to eject any remaining buildup. For more detailed cleaning, you may want to hire a professional, as they can ensure that the components are still connected correctly after removing them for a thorough cleaning.
Keeping your computer clean can help maximize the longevity of your components, as they have a hard time staying cool when excessive dust is allowed to build up. My professional recommendation is to schedule a cleaning once every six months. This helps prevent excessive dust from accumulating. Speaking of prevention, the most common cause I see for nearly impossible cleaning jobs, is when the user is frequently vaping and/or smoking near the computer. Do your best to avoid this, as it can lead to a very time consuming (and potentially expensive) problem in the future. If you would like an affordable professional cleaning service, and you are in the PDX area, you can contact me here to schedule a cleaning.
2. Thermal Paste
We all have heard the term “planned obsolescence.” The most common example of this, on the hardware side of things, is with thermal paste. Most manufacturers use cheaper thermal materials, and these are often applied by a machine. A manual application of Arctic MX thermal paste can do wonders for your PC, both for performance and longevity. You can apply it yourself, or find a technician to ensure it gets done properly. My recommendation, if calling a technician, is to have other services in mind to bundle with the thermal paste re-application, and to request they use Arctic MX paste. If you call a technician just for thermal paste application, they will likely try to charge you a significant minimum service fee for something that takes just a few minutes.
For this reason, if it is the only service you need at the time, you may consider doing it yourself. Every CPU cooler is different, so you may need a technician, depending on how difficult it is to remove. The most significant warning I can give, is that AMD processors prior to the AM5 series are notorious for ripping out of the socket along with the CPU cooler. For this reason, you may want to consider a technician for these systems. Alternatively, the way to prevent this is to turn the computer on for a while and warm the processor up before shutting it down and removing the cooler. This will help reduce the chance of the CPU coming loose with the cooler. You would then gently wiggle the cooler after removing/loosening the screws. If done properly, this should take about one to two minutes.
Intel processors are generally much easier to deal with. Stock intel coolers are very simple to remove, but you do want to be gentle, as they are secured by plastic clips that can break if handled improperly. After removing the cooler, you will want to use a microfiber cloth and 99% isopropyl alcohol to remove the old thermal compound. I recommend doing one final dry pass with the microfiber cloth before applying the new paste. For most intel processors, one pea sized dot at the center is plenty. For larger processors, such as the Ryzen 5 5600, I recommend a thin “X” running from corner to corner, ending about half a centimeter from the edges. When applying thermal paste to a direct die, such as a GPU, I recommend manually spreading the paste evenly, covering the entire surface. This can easily be done with a paper business card. Manual spreading on a CPU is generally not necessary, except when dealing with a massive CPU, such as a Threadripper or Epyc processor.
After applying the paste, you want to screw or press the cooler down corner to corner, to avoid excessive pressure being applied to either side of the processor. You may want to download a temperature monitoring program such as HWINFO64, to get a before and after reading of your CPU temperature. If your temperature is somehow higher after repasting, you either made a mistake with mounting the cooler, or used low quality thermal compound. I have seen a 5 to 8 degree (Celsius) improvement in average temperatures, in most repasting cases. This also allows your fan to run at a lower RPM, which is significant for stretching the life of your computer.
As mentioned in a previous article, thermal paste is one of the main reasons I recommend having your PC built and serviced by a certified technician. If you want to try repasting your processor, I suggest you watch few videos before proceeding. If the hardware you see in the video does not look anything like yours, keep searching for more videos, or try adding your computer’s model number to the search. This step can save you loads of cash in the long run, and usually results in a more quiet and comfortable user experience. If you are using a laptop, and it is running very loud, I recommend reaching out to a technician. If you are in the PDX area, and would like to get this done for a reasonable price, you can contact me here.
3. Optimize System Cooling
Apart from passive heat transfer being optimized by proper thermal paste application, it is important to ensure that your PC has optimal airflow. The solution that often comes to mind here, is to put a lot of fans in your PC. Although this can help, there is a bit more to the picture. Optimal airflow consists of intake and exhaust. If the PC is being pushed to its limits, the importance of adequate intake air increases. For most home computers, one intake, one exhaust, and a CPU cooler fan is generally all you need for optimal longevity. Having too much airflow in a PC that does not need it, can be detrimental, as this often results in unnecessary dust buildup. This increases the need for regular cleaning, with minimal benefit to your PC.
If you are running an epic gaming PC, but only have one exhaust fan in the case, you may soon be looking at a premature exodus for said rig. It is important to know the appropriate cooling solution for the use case scenario of your computer. Personally, I ended up building a dedicated mini home theater PC during the first wave of the Covid pandemic, as I found myself running my epic gaming rig (loaded with ten $45 fans) for over three hours every day, just for Netflix and YouTube. This prevented a lot of unnecessary wear and tear on an expensive piece of hardware, saving me loads of cash in the long run.
An average gaming PC should have at least two intake fans, and at least one exhaust fan. If your CPU cooler has two fans moving air to the back of the PC, you may want to focus your exhaust fans at the top of the case, for a more dynamic airflow trajectory. Another factor for fans is quality. The best type of fan to get is known as a PWM fan. These tend to have a wider range on their RPM, and can run at lower speed for idle usage, with the ability to ramp up to considerable speeds for intensive usage. A three pack of quality PWM case fans should run anywhere from $30 to $75, unless you are a big “fan” of over-the-top LEDs.
In summary, try to have one or two more intake fans than exhaust. I often count the CPU cooler fan as an intake, as this fan is generally pulling cool air to the heatsink. Make sure to download any software that is offered to control the fans. This may come with the fans (Corsair and Lian Li are known for having great software for this), or the software may come with the motherboard. Some cases even have little controllers with switches at the front panel for low, medium, and high. This is sometimes preferred, when the user wants to decide specifically when to ramp the fans up or down. If you are unsure whether your cooling solution is optimal, you can reach out to me here for a professional recommendation.
As stated in my previous article, these three methods of preserving your PC are another major reason to enlist the help of a technician. My mission with the ongoing operation of Dazzotek, is to provide support for those who want their computers to survive the long haul. I hope this article provided insight regarding the longevity of your computer, and confidence that you have a reliable technician to be an ally in the preservation of your digital companion!