Clean Computer for New Year

I was on my girlfriend's computer the other day and noticed that the machine was loading web pages a little slow. The PC is by Asus with an Intel Core i3-4170 Dual-Core 3.7GHz processor, 4GB DDR3, 1TB HDD, and Intel Integrated 4400 HD Graphics. The 4GB DDR3 was only taking up 1 of the 2 memory slots. I figured the quickest upgrade would be to add another 4GB to the open slot. 4GB is probably the lowest amount of memory that will effectively run a PC with Windows 10. By increasing the memory to 8GB the system will load and run applications faster without running out of RAM and paging to the hard drive. I found a seller on Ebay who had a 4GB Micron DDR3 1600Mhz memory module for $10 with free shipping. A few days later the memory arrived.

I realized that I had never opened the case on this computer since I bought it brand new about 7 years ago. As I moved the computer away from the wall I saw a scary sight. The side air intake vent was completely covered with dust. I was worried what the inside would look like! I got the vacuum out and used the hand-tool attachment to clean the vent. After I got the case open, the inside didn't look too bad. I attached a straw to the end of the hand-tool to get into the tight spaces around the CPU fan. If your desktop computer is sitting on the floor, I would recommend shutting it down at least once a year to clean the air vents. Depending on how dirty your air vents are will indicate if you need to clean inside the case. Focus your interior cleaning efforts on the cooling fans. A build-up of dust on the fan blades will cause them to fail and overheat your PC.

There was one open memory slot, just as expected. The memory card was a tight fit, but the edge clips eventually snapped into place. I closed the case and re-attached the various plugs and crossed my fingers that it would start-up and recognize the new memory. The PC booted without issue and showed 8GB in the Task Manager. Everything seemed to run a little faster after the upgrade. But with all upgrades, it didn't take long to get used to the added zip. A slow processor and Internet connection are the other things holding this PC back. It is mainly used for email and web browsing. But the fact that it ran at all, with the amount of dust in the air intake, is an indication of how well Asus designs their products.