Maintaining a clean computer on the inside is a very important thing to do. If your computer system is clean on the inside, the case will continue to move air through keeping all of your components cool.
A common problem I see when servicing other peoples computers is poor airflow. As a result usually the video card or the cpu end up running to hot, this causes system crashing, blue screen Windows errors, and just an overall performance loss.
If you have your motherboard controlling fan speeds, your system will also run louder because the temperatures end up being to high as a result of poor air flow. The motherboard compensates and runs the fans at full speed, all the time.
You will need a star screwdriver, a can of compressed air or an air compressor with a blow nozzle. If you use an air compressor, make sure the air is dry by spraying a piece of wood first, and checking to see if it is damp. If there is any moisture in your lines I recommend you pick up a can of compressed air and use that instead.
Never use a vacuum to clean a computer, they often generate a lot of static electricity. A single shock can cause a computer component to become useless.
In my experience the worst spots
for dust to build up are, the front case
fan, the cpu heatsink, the
video card, and the power
supply. Give these some extra attention when
cleaning.
To make sure you always have a clean computer, go through these simple steps every six months. It will help keep your system running its best.