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How many years worth of dust build up with affect the temperature and the performance of a computer?

How many years' worth of dust build up in the heatsink and fans will take a slight effect on the performance and temperature of a Macbook?


And how often should I get it cleaned?

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Aug 28, 2022 11:02 PM

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Posted on Aug 29, 2022 11:47 PM

Yes. The Mac's exhaust fan and cooling fins can accumulate quite a lot of dust before its performance becomes affected. Opening the Mac introduces the possibility of damaging something or perhaps dislodging an accumulation of dust where it wasn't causing a problem. Don't do anything unless there is a reason to do it.

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Aug 29, 2022 11:47 PM in response to Cyflor-N-Ac

Yes. The Mac's exhaust fan and cooling fins can accumulate quite a lot of dust before its performance becomes affected. Opening the Mac introduces the possibility of damaging something or perhaps dislodging an accumulation of dust where it wasn't causing a problem. Don't do anything unless there is a reason to do it.

Aug 29, 2022 5:33 AM in response to ku4hx

I use this computer in a room with these screened window filters, and my room is cleaned every now and then. My macbook rests on an elevated computer table (Which looks clean).

https://www.google.com/search?q=window+screen+filter&sxsrf=ALiCzsZRmTKsB6VyiaMU5LvOp4R7Rck6PA:1661766803162&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjy04Hg4-v5AhWctlYBHdFMBBUQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1440&bih=701&dpr=1#imgrc=icVFS7dZBlt8jM&imgdii=8yDZWMqcQYKgZM


With this operating environment. How often should i clean my CPU fans?

Aug 29, 2022 1:37 AM in response to Cyflor-N-Ac

Depends entirely on your environment. Our house is has very little dust (think HEPA filters) so our filters in all appliances and devices, that use filters, are seldom dirty. We change them mostly as a preventive measure, not because of any build up.


So, again, it depends on your environment. But for the average computer user I'll guess 5+ years .. maybe 7. But I've opened 20+ year old Windows computers that had very little accumulation. And of course some that looked like the interior of a vacuum cleaner bag.

How many years worth of dust build up with affect the temperature and the performance of a computer?

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