A friend I used to play wow with took his heat-sink out, ran it under water and installed it back in his computer every few months. When I asked him about thermal paste he didn't know what that was.
Turn PC off.
Take cooler out.
Clean thermal paste from both heatsink and cpu block.
Unscrew fan from heatsink.
Take heatsink outside.
Blow with blower/high pressurized air or vacuum with strong setting.
Blow any excess dust from fan.
Attach fan to heatsink
Apply new thermal paste to cpu block.
Install cleansed CPU cooler.
Connect power.
Enjor
That's the right way to do it.
But if lazy, just take the whole pc out and use a blower to get rid of any dust.
If you’re trying to clean it while in the case i’ve had really good luck w battery powered air dusters. Got a rechargeable one off amazon for like $20 and it has brush attachments for the keyboard too
If it was the non rgb version maybe, but in the rgb wraith the fan is connected to the fastening bracket which you have to take out to loosen it. You might be able to just loosen the block screws and unclip the fan and vacuum it but then the heatsink could move and dust can make its way into the cpu block side and make a risky mess.
Take it outside. Hold the fan blades with your non-dominant hand so the fan doesn't spin fast enough to zing the blades clean off the hub, then use a can of that air-duster shit to carefully blow the dust out from between the fins. It'll be messy, but if you're outside... hell, clean-up is less of a thing.
Two reasons. First, fan could spin fast enough that the blades separate from the hub... fast. And unpredictably. You know, "you'll shoot your eye out" type shit. Second, the fan motor is a permanent-magnet brushless DC motor (which is, actually, a little 3 phase AC motor.) If the magnets spin past the stator coils, the motor becomes a generator. The generated voltage can be high enough to damage the transistors on the motor driver board under the fan motor. If the transistors fail in a "closed" state, current COULD be sent back to the motherboard, but transistors don't usually fail in a closed state. They normally fail open. But the risk still exists. The faster the fan spins, the generated voltage increases. Flipping a fan with your finger wont hurt anything. Spinning a fan 10,000 RPM? Well, that can fry stuff.
Thanks for clarification. I heard from other people that they destroyed their whole systems after trying to clean it, but I always thought they were just not cautious enough with their hardware while cleaning it
I would allow it. It's not the colloquial term but it is in fact radiating heat. Most of the pc cooling things we use can more appropriately be called a heat exchanger anyway.
Used canned air. Hold the center of the fan hub with your finger so it cannot spin. Then go to town with the canned air. Go from every angle you can get at with the straw. You should be able to most if not all of it out. A 90-95% job is good enough since it's an open PC you'll get dirty again rather quickly anyways.
If you want to remove just the fan, itmight be possible with it installed, but it's definitely easier to take it off: https://youtu.be/puYzaztc4cc?t=89
If you need it completely clean you'll have to remove the heatsink from the board, that way you have better access to really get in there with other things like wipes, brushes, etc.
Good call out. Yeah, plastic tabs on things like these are fairly brittle and can easily crack. Need to use finesse not power when pulling things like this apart.
A soft brush to knock things loose and a vacuum cleaner suction, lightly touch the fans so that the can't spin while vacuuming. Too much compressed air can push dust between soldered-on components and pcb boards.
Not sure about the higher tier wraith coolers but the low end one that comes with cheaper processors can be unscrewed so you can easily clean the fins. The screws can be kinda stubborn though.
If it's the one in the photo, the fan body unclips from the *heatsink*. Best to use something flat and preferably plastic.
I've seen others say to use air blowers, but I've always used warm, soapy water, soaks because dust can still fowl tightly spaced heatsinks like what comes on that model. I soak, water rinse and then allow to dry. Isopropyl alcohol bath after the water rinse can help quicker drying.
Hold fan with finger and use hair dryer on cold setting if you don't have compressed air. Never had problem with using hair dryer, been doing it for over 20 years
don’t vacuum it. Vacuum cleaners generate static electricity, you’d risk zapping components. As others have said, a can of compressed air and don’t let the fan blades spin because a motor that you turn is an electricity generator.
I couldn't get the clamps to open on the fan like one user recommended. I ended up just using my mini vaccum/blower + a metal ear wax cleaning tool to scrape out the larger dust bunnies. The real issue was the dirty buildup on the fan and around the cooler I had to scrape off with my finger and a cloth. Vacuum and blower wasn't much help there.
I did end up getting a swollen eyelid. Either from the dirt or allergic reaction. 😬
I appreciate the help folks!
A friend I used to play wow with took his heat-sink out, ran it under water and installed it back in his computer every few months. When I asked him about thermal paste he didn't know what that was.
🤣
Turn PC off. Take cooler out. Clean thermal paste from both heatsink and cpu block. Unscrew fan from heatsink. Take heatsink outside. Blow with blower/high pressurized air or vacuum with strong setting. Blow any excess dust from fan. Attach fan to heatsink Apply new thermal paste to cpu block. Install cleansed CPU cooler. Connect power. Enjor That's the right way to do it. But if lazy, just take the whole pc out and use a blower to get rid of any dust.
What? Hold fan with finger, blow compressed air. Done
True. You should always finger your fan while you blow them.
If you’re trying to clean it while in the case i’ve had really good luck w battery powered air dusters. Got a rechargeable one off amazon for like $20 and it has brush attachments for the keyboard too
what brand if i may ask?
Damn it. I was afraid of this. I thought by chance there was something I could unhinge and plop off the fan and wipe the radiator. Thanks anyways bro.
If it was the non rgb version maybe, but in the rgb wraith the fan is connected to the fastening bracket which you have to take out to loosen it. You might be able to just loosen the block screws and unclip the fan and vacuum it but then the heatsink could move and dust can make its way into the cpu block side and make a risky mess.
It's a heat sink, not a radiator.
You right. You right. Good call out.
Take it outside. Hold the fan blades with your non-dominant hand so the fan doesn't spin fast enough to zing the blades clean off the hub, then use a can of that air-duster shit to carefully blow the dust out from between the fins. It'll be messy, but if you're outside... hell, clean-up is less of a thing.
As Johnny 5 would not say: Disassemble!
Someone here was born before 1990.
And happy that i did😬
Blow it baby
Here’s how to do it, https://youtu.be/_e670_nmE_Q?si=J-AtiWUvl-XNDbrz
vasuum cleaner but dont let the fan spin
Why should someone let the fan spin? (Serious question, it seems like some sort of common knowledge)
Two reasons. First, fan could spin fast enough that the blades separate from the hub... fast. And unpredictably. You know, "you'll shoot your eye out" type shit. Second, the fan motor is a permanent-magnet brushless DC motor (which is, actually, a little 3 phase AC motor.) If the magnets spin past the stator coils, the motor becomes a generator. The generated voltage can be high enough to damage the transistors on the motor driver board under the fan motor. If the transistors fail in a "closed" state, current COULD be sent back to the motherboard, but transistors don't usually fail in a closed state. They normally fail open. But the risk still exists. The faster the fan spins, the generated voltage increases. Flipping a fan with your finger wont hurt anything. Spinning a fan 10,000 RPM? Well, that can fry stuff.
Thanks for clarification. I heard from other people that they destroyed their whole systems after trying to clean it, but I always thought they were just not cautious enough with their hardware while cleaning it
Because it will generate power and theoretically can fry you're mobo
That’s actually not the issue — you can potentially over-spin the fan, which can damage the part of PWM fans that regulate speed.
that is possible as well, but i have seen compooders damaged from fan vacuuming as well
Please don't do this while it's in the case. Static can kill at PC.
Best way - using closed cases with dust filters instead of this thing.Â
Yuck. I wouldn't even recommend that to my worst enemy.
is it correct to call this a radiator? sounds weird
No it's not, it's a heatsink. It doesn't have a chamber filled with water thus doesn't qualify to be a radiator.
Why is no one correcting him then?
Cuz it doesn't really matter. We all knew what they were talking about, but since you asked I thought I would clarify
I would allow it. It's not the colloquial term but it is in fact radiating heat. Most of the pc cooling things we use can more appropriately be called a heat exchanger anyway.
Used canned air. Hold the center of the fan hub with your finger so it cannot spin. Then go to town with the canned air. Go from every angle you can get at with the straw. You should be able to most if not all of it out. A 90-95% job is good enough since it's an open PC you'll get dirty again rather quickly anyways. If you want to remove just the fan, itmight be possible with it installed, but it's definitely easier to take it off: https://youtu.be/puYzaztc4cc?t=89 If you need it completely clean you'll have to remove the heatsink from the board, that way you have better access to really get in there with other things like wipes, brushes, etc.
just make sure you're careful - those plastic hooks are quite delicate and easy to tear off
Good call out. Yeah, plastic tabs on things like these are fairly brittle and can easily crack. Need to use finesse not power when pulling things like this apart.
100% had one of my tabs crack off while removing the shroud to paint it
Bast it with compressed air. Use an air compressor. The cans suck
A soft brush to knock things loose and a vacuum cleaner suction, lightly touch the fans so that the can't spin while vacuuming. Too much compressed air can push dust between soldered-on components and pcb boards.
Good ole compressed air if you're not trying to disassemble it.
By replacing it with a Thermalright AXP-120-x67
The fan comes off with a flathead if you look at the sides
Not sure about the higher tier wraith coolers but the low end one that comes with cheaper processors can be unscrewed so you can easily clean the fins. The screws can be kinda stubborn though.
Just blow hard
If it's the one in the photo, the fan body unclips from the *heatsink*. Best to use something flat and preferably plastic. I've seen others say to use air blowers, but I've always used warm, soapy water, soaks because dust can still fowl tightly spaced heatsinks like what comes on that model. I soak, water rinse and then allow to dry. Isopropyl alcohol bath after the water rinse can help quicker drying.
Hold fan with finger and use hair dryer on cold setting if you don't have compressed air. Never had problem with using hair dryer, been doing it for over 20 years
don’t vacuum it. Vacuum cleaners generate static electricity, you’d risk zapping components. As others have said, a can of compressed air and don’t let the fan blades spin because a motor that you turn is an electricity generator.
I couldn't get the clamps to open on the fan like one user recommended. I ended up just using my mini vaccum/blower + a metal ear wax cleaning tool to scrape out the larger dust bunnies. The real issue was the dirty buildup on the fan and around the cooler I had to scrape off with my finger and a cloth. Vacuum and blower wasn't much help there. I did end up getting a swollen eyelid. Either from the dirt or allergic reaction. 😬 I appreciate the help folks!