Is your PC starting to whine? Are the fans beginning to come out of the darkness and make noise? Wait, before you go for that can of compressed air, consider this… A can of compressed air will blow dust into all the tiny cracks and crevices of your PC. Pushing dust into fan bearings will cause additional grinding which puts additional wear on moving parts. Many times it triggers that loud, whining fan noise to get even louder, so keep your sanity and try using a vacuum.

A decent vacuum, hose, and the narrow attachment (for extra focused suction) could very well be your ticket to relief. The vacuum will yank most of the dust and dirt out of your PC. Removing the majority of it, keeps the components clean and running smoothly, clear from potential extra wear and tear. In some cases it will prevent fans from starting the loud whining and will extend the life of your system. By keeping fan running at normal speed the components will stay sufficiently cool.

Many computers have temperature sensors and dust and dirt acts like a layer of insulation. It keeps the heat in. So when the system gets abnormally hot from dirt and dust buildup, many computers will trigger the fans to speed up in an effort to keep the temperature down and move more air through the system. When you remove the excess dust, fans operate more efficiently because the air can cool the actual components and the system will slow the fans back down, which also lowers the overall noise levels.

Some fans can be oiled if they’re not too gummed up already. Those that have a sticker on the fan mount, contain a rubber cover which can be removed for oiling. This restores smooth operation, eliminating noise. One or two tiny drops of oil inside a PC fan’s bearings can be a significant improvement in performance of the fan. If you attempt this yourself, be careful not to drip any oil on the plastic cover or surface around it, otherwise the sticker won’t stick back down to hold the rubber lid in place.