Best place for tower...

[draceena]

Hi!

I'm a first time poster, long time lurker. I'm not sure if this is the best place for this question, if not please move.

I have a PC that was built by a local computer store and while it runs fine and the temps seem in the reasonable range (31C light use - 41C heavy gaming) but it collects dust like no tomorrow. In just a month the temps will climb 2 or 3 degrees and I have to pull the tower apart and dust with an air can.

Right now I really only have one place for my tower and that's near to the floor (a no-no or so I've heard). What would be a good solution to kill the dust? I was thinking something along the lines of a fabric (like a speaker grill cloth) for placing over the tower but am concerned about heat building up that way too.

Any suggestion would be appreciated, thanks!

[faint545]

Placing the tower on top of the table seems to work for me. But if there's no room, then I don't really know.

[Mr.Ferrari]

Try to have more positive airflow rather then negative. Meaning, a little bit more air coming and a little less going out. This will cause higher temperatures but reduce dust build up.

Also try some fan filters. Speaker cloth shouldn't be too restrictive and could work well. Try it out and see how it works.

I've also seen people using pantie hose to good effect. lol.

I personally use these filters, http://www.petrastechshop.com/fanfilters.html. The aluminum ones. They will restrict airflow as the others, but are easy to clean and remove.

[Adam2562]

i put mine in the basement which is a much cooler part of the house year round.. and on a small desk with my printer bout 2 feet high

[whubbard]

I keep it on my wood floor. havent gotten ANY dust yet in 5 months...but my case has filters on the whole front.

[RazorDX]

Cheap fan filters can work wonders, as long as you clean them regularly.

I also make it a common practice to put some duct tape over the little intake slit at the front of the case. If you set it on a carpeted floor, this just sucks dust in.

I prefer to set mine on a desktop, but right now it is on the floor to accommodate my Momo wheel and my printer.

[tigstah]

mne has to go on the floor. its such a huge case. i just have a habit of blowing the dust off the fans once every so many weeks, then a good cleaning out with a can of compressed air and a vacuum hose.
the air to blow the dust off the components and the vacuum to suck it up.....

[boondokk]

It's a bit hard to sit my CM stacker on a table haha. I just use some very "airy" foam that my fans can easily pull through. Just gotta vacuum em clean every couple months or so. Works for me.

[kram 2.0]

While I have not seen it in practice, I do recall a Maximum PC article recommending dry Swifter duster filters as dust filters adjoining the fans to the case. I would imagine that would work very well since the sole purpose of a swifter filter is to trap dust. Obviously, you will need to frequently clean it.

kram

[boondokk]

Interesting... never thought of that. Probably works real well, too.

[draceena]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I have 5 airflow slits at the front of the case and on the inside where the slits are located, is a square plastic mount for a fan that could easily hold one of thoes little filters but I'm also intreigued by that dry-swiffer idea (I use them for the floors so I have tons handy).

I'm also intrigued by the Pany Hose suggestion, is the whole tower somehow wrapped with the hose (industrial size maybe?) or is the hose just used in specific areas (around all the fans?).

As to filtering, since my tower seems to pull air in from the front and side and blows it out the back would I only need to filter the front and side or should the back be filtered too?

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by draceena I have 5 airflow slits at the front of the case and on the inside where the slits are located, is a square plastic mount for a fan that could easily hold one of thoes little filters but I'm also intreigued by that dry-swiffer idea (I use them for the floors so I have tons handy).

Bounce drier sheets were popular a few years ago too. Of course just plain window screen would also work.

Originally Posted by draceena I'm also intrigued by the Panty Hose suggestion, is the whole tower somehow wrapped with the hose (industrial size maybe?) or is the hose just used in specific areas (around all the fans?).

It's just used in specific areas. I tried nylon hose before and didn't care for it.

Originally Posted by draceena As to filtering, since my tower seems to pull air in from the front and side and blows it out the back would I only need to filter the front and side or should the back be filtered too?

Only on the intakes.

Cricket