How to clean CPU heatsinks

After several months, CPU heatsink often accumulates dust. This may jam heatsink fan or block air circulation. If CPU overheats, we may have to replace it with a new one.

It is important to clean heatsinks in CPU or graphic card regularly. I had a broken graphic card because of accumulating dust in heatsink fins - blocking air circulation. My CPU once had dust accumulated in its heatsink. BIOS showed CPU temperature reached 71° C. But after I cleaned it, CPU temperature was always constant in 60° C.

Brush is OK, but we must remove CPU fan first. It is easier to use vacuum cleaner and plastic pipe. We just need to fasten this pipe to vacuum cleaner suction using adhesive tape. This pipe should be small enough to go between CPU fan blades. Vacuum cleaner suction is strong enough to suck and clean dust from a heatsink.

It is important to prevent dust accumulation in heatsinks (like in CPU and graphic card) and power supply vents, as disturbed cooling system may lead to damages to these components.