A customers computer today...Yuck!

Inpecting a customer's computer this morning, and noticed the heatsick immediately...



Notice the almost paste-like consistency of the dust stuck to the heatsink.



How people can allow their machines to run like this 

How people can allow their machines to run like this 

Are you as industrious cleaning the back of your refrigerator as you are cleaning the inside of your PC?

Was the outer rim of the dust curled up when you first opened the computer?  If so, I wonder what would cause that.  Does that computer case have a fan in the side panel close to the heat sink?

[Moderator]

2 pack a day smoker...minimum.

And with 3 cats and a ferrett.

Are you as industrious cleaning the back of your refrigerator as you are cleaning the inside of your PC?

I'd have to say no, as I don't own one

Was the outer rim of the dust curled up when you first opened the computer?  If so, I wonder what would cause that.  Does that computer case have a fan in the side panel close to the heat sink?

No but the casing does have one of the side panel funnels that is supposed to help direct cool air to the CPU fan. It is of course a socket 775 original HSF combo and the edges are rounded on the fan unit itself.

2 pack a day smoker...minimum.
And with 3 cats and a ferrett.

Funnily enough this is from the presentation computer in a church. Hehe

[Moderator]

Funnily enough this is from the presentation computer in a church. Hehe

Wow...no guesses there....

Leaving hard drives lying around without any sort of protection on your work table is just as bad..

Oh, I'll give you 10 bucks if you lick the dusty side of the cooler once.

Leaving hard drives lying around without any sort of protection on your work table is just as bad..

Oh, I'll give you 10 bucks if you lick the dusty side of the cooler once.

Don't worry that HDD is already dead. Any HDD on our work benches are there for a reason  We have an Anti-Static hand rail that connects to our wrist straps and also anti-static mats we work with when we are dealing with componentry

What are the hard drives "unprotected" from, exactly? Goblins?

What are the hard drives "unprotected" from, exactly? Goblins?

Can't think of anything other than static charge on the wooden bench/myself. Though it would have to be extremely high as wood is an insulator.

What are the hard drives "unprotected" from, exactly? Goblins?

Dropping items on top of it, shoving it off the bench ....

Dropping items on top of it, shoving it off the bench ....

  Havn't been tired enough to do that yet.
If your bench is clean enough, that doesnt happen

Havn't been tired enough to do that yet.
If your bench is clean enough, that doesnt happen

I thought you didn't put 'm on the bench? 

Was the outer rim of the dust curled up when you first opened the computer?  If so, I wonder what would cause that.

Convection currents, maybe? (Rising warm air forced to take a path between the outer vanes of the heatsink?)

That adhering material looks to be a bit fibrous - could it be from a rug or carpet? Mind you, the top of the case shows a sharply demarcated dust deposit.

I thought you didn't put 'm on the bench? 

Only if they are OK. if they are dead they can sit there, it's not like they can get any worse