My filthy radiator

[BlueGlue]

I started overclocking my old i7 950 and was concerned i was getting quite high temps.
I ordered two Corsair SP120 quiet editions for a standard push out configuration on my XSPC 240 radiator and found this sorry mess when i came to remove the old fans!!

Cleaned up easy though and replaced the two case fans with Bitfenix Spectre pro's 200mm (with HDD bay relocation) and 120mm for an old Hiper fan i had at the back to exhaust.

Before: With my 6970

After: with my 7970

 

[FTR.4500MHz]

Jesus...

Dat layer of dust.

 

[Roooker]

HOLY SPAGHETTI xD what have you done ?

 

[Cru]

thats why i'd use pull lol

 

[FTR.4500MHz]

Regular maintenance (blowing dust out to avoid this kind of build up) could also help =p

 

[NRG!]

You'll always have that kind of build up because you have more exhaust than intake.

 

[FTR.4500MHz]

Personally i never had. Blowing my rig out every 3 weeks with my compressor helps a lot avoiding this.
But i am also aware that not everybody has a compressor, so i am not blaming anybody here... =)

Edit: i am a bit maniac when it comes to dust in my PC.

 

[Mysterae]

Filters on your intake fans would minimise it too. My stock 670's were going up to 84c while gaming in a FT02 case and I thought they shouldn't be that high. I checked the 3 filters at the bottom of the case - chocked up full of dust. After a good clean the temps of the cards reduced to 72c, massive difference! If those filters weren't present that dust would be inside my gpus instead.

Air flow makes such a difference as you'll have noticed since cleaning your rad.

 

[BlueGlue]

My case is a Corsair 650D so it does have an airfilter on the front and one underneath for the psu. Weird thing is ive just sold my old graphics card and there was barely any dust at all in it.

Im not sure whether there is some weird looping pressure going on around the radiator itself as i has quite an open top, i.e dust get blown off the top when it starts up then sucks in around the edges (making this up as i go along). Althought come to think of it it i did go for about six months with no side panel on the case at all haha :lol:

To be fair that is about 15 months worth.

 

[Cru]

Weird thing is ive just sold my old graphics card and there was barely any dust at all in it.

because all the dust is in/on your rad mate! lol

 

[BlueGlue]

because all the dust is in/on your rad mate! lol

haha very true!

Still makes me cringe looking at my first picture.

 

[SeekaX]

Personally i never had. Blowing my rig out every 3 weeks with my compressor helps a lot avoiding this.
But i am also aware that not everybody has a compressor, so i am not blaming anybody here... =)

Edit: i am a bit maniac when it comes to dust in my PC.

ocd much?
but yea, i spent a good while with a tissue trying to get that little bit of dust off behind the fan of my old 6870. need some compressed air.

 

[Mysterae]

ocd much?
but yea, i spent a good while with a tissue trying to get that little bit of dust off behind the fan of my old 6870. need some compressed air.

It's CDO (the way it's meant to be spelled)