Why do you want to worry about cleaning your computer?
The main reason is that an accumulation of dust and dirt will cause the mother board an/or processor to overheat. If you have an PCI or other cards installed they also could be at risk.
How does this happen?
In today’s world speed is the name of the game. Therefore motherboards and processors needed to get faster. In this attempt manufacturers also needed to keep everything small. This meant they had to cram more and more transistors and other components into the same space. The smaller the components and the closer they are together, the hotter the components will get. Better fans were developed to cool the processors and computer case. These fans also became a very good air cleaner for rooms since they draw in large amounts of dust and dirt.
Is there a way to prevent this?
Yes and no! You can locate the computer in an area that is less likely to drawing in dirt. However, the fans are there for a reason. They are there to cool the mother board and process and all other components. In fact some computers have two or more case fans. Other fans are located in the power supply also. Some power supplies now have two fans and sizes have increase to about 120 mm. Normally they were about 80 mm.
How do I clean the computer?
TURN OFF ALL POWER AND REMOVE THE POWER CORD BEFORE YOU START !! Be sure the computer has cooled down. Do not spray a hot computer because it could crack the motherboard or other components. Canned air is by far the best way to do this. Spray by keeping the can upright. The product used for cleaning is colder than regular ice. Do not put your finger or hand in front of the nozzle. It could cause a frost bite condition. Read the instructions on the can. Do not allow any fluid to run into any component. Do not use any chemicals or a rag. A rag can create static electricity which could destroy the processor and/or motherboard. Chemicals may get into electrical component and cause them to short out. Depending on which chemicals were used, it may deteriorate the case or other critical supports since many of them are now made of plastic. It could render the case useless.
You can also use small vacuums that are specially made for this purpose. You still may need to use the canned air in areas that can not be reached with the vacuum.
What Should I clean?
The main things to clean are all fans. These get very dirty. There may be more than one case fan. Spray out the fans in the power supply. There may be more than one of these also. Look at the heat sink that is under the processor fan. Blow out the processor fan and the heat sink fins. You may have to remove the processor fan to gain access to the heat sink in some cases. Blow out any vents that may be plugged with dust or dirt. Spot check the inside of the case and blow out any dirt you may see. Inspect the outside also. Some computers have intake ducts. BE SURE !! to reboot the computer after your done to be sure everything still works in the event you forgot to assemble something. It should then be obvious. It is possible to hit a wire or ribbon cable by mistake.
What if I don’t do this?
You will pay for it in every way. It may cause the computer to constantly reboot due to overheating. It may not boot at all. It is not cheap to replace a mother board and/or processor. Many times you need to replace both of them.
Inspect the insides of the computer at least once per year. This could extend the life of a computer for many years.