It's that time in my PC's life when the fans are held still and I unleash all hell with a can of compressed air again - what do people use/recommend? I've borrowed an air compressor other times, to sensational effect. I can't do that this time. Do cans have enough oomph to get what is frankly, a fairly disgusting PC, clean? And where do people get it? Is 6 quid a can fairly reasonable, or am I going to get through 10 cans doing this?
For anything that isn't static sensitive use a paint brush. Fans, heatsinks (removed) etc. Never used air myself. Then when you are done just vacuum it all up.
I bought one in 2015, never looked back. But then I do use it every week, not sure if its a bit ott for the people who just clean their pc's out twice a year, would take a good few years to get your moneys worth.
I usually use a rocket blower. Zero running costs, although if you're cleaning a really filthy machine your hands will be knackered by the end of it.
Another vote for the datavac here - even if you only use it occasionally you'll still appreciate the speed of the thing. Make sure you're holding tight though when you first fire it up!
Yes yes and yes! It has other uses mind you. Cleaning dust from hard to reach places including radiators for example. At least that's how I justified the expense! It's a really good piece of kit.
Ages ago in a thread like this I speculated that this hand held vacuum cleaner might make a good alternative to a relatively expensive DataVac: http://www.blackanddecker.co.uk/en-...-blackanddeckereanz-gb/2016/04/01/18/48/vh780 In the end I went for it and I'm really glad I did. It's maybe a little less ergonomic than a DataVac for blowing (it's intended primarily to suck so blowing means attaching a tube to the rear) but being 780W it has a seriously powerful blow and there are plenty of attachments that make up for the lack of ergonomics on the main unit. I use it for computer stuff, but also to dry my bike, as a leaf blower, airbed inflation and general dusting. It's never been used as a vacuum cleaner. The only time I use it to suck is to deflate stuff and to vacuum pack stuff. Well worth the (as I recall) under £40 I paid for it.
I think I'm leaning toward the low-budget solutions suggested. I have (somewhere) a football adaptor that'll go in my bike stirrup pump. Should be enough speed to get rid of the stubborn stuff, I can refill the tank by eating pizza, and I'm a student so £90 is a bit rich for me Thanks everyone!
If you want something dual purpose, get a shop vac that allows you to attach the hose to the air outlet. If you want something multi-purpose, a proper air compressor just can't be beat; I bought one ~10 years ago and now can't imagine life without it. Just keep in mind that it can be a bit of a gateway drug, before long you'll be wanting nailers, impact guns, die grinders, air chisels, etc. edit: post 1337
go for metrovac, not regretted getting mine also comes in handy when i decide to give my motorbike a bath, great for drying out the awkward spots before a coat of acf50
Ive used the 400ml cans to great effect on pcs that havent been cleaned for a few years (1 inch of dust on everything) and I could get 2 PCs out of 1 can.
