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LethalWolfe

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jan 11, 2002
9,370
124
Los Angeles
I'm sure someone at Apple already thought of this, but in the pix I've seen I can't really tell, is there a dust filter on the inside of the mesch screen? I hope so otherwise G5 owners are going to be going thru bottles of compressed air like no body's business.


Lethal
 

tjwett

macrumors 68000
May 6, 2002
1,880
0
Brooklyn, NYC
that's a very good point. i can imagine that it would get pretty bad in there. my quicksilver used to get filled with dust and that is practically airtight.
 

bertinman

macrumors 6502
Jul 24, 2002
272
0
Davis, CA
Originally posted by Bozola
Use a vacuum cleaner hose.. it does wonders
(Try it on a hair dryer intake.. it's amazing!)

thats an idea :)

on the other hand, sucking up flameble particles and heating them isn't my idea of fun...:(

just turn the heater part off i guess

- bert
 

Mal

macrumors 603
Jan 6, 2002
6,252
18
Orlando
It actually might not be too bad if you think about the way Apple designed the cooling system. I don't know for sure, but it seems like the areas up towards the front were supposed to be cooler equipment and not need as much fan activity to cool them down, while the processors and power supply, which produce more heat, were at the back where the fans would blow out of that sectioned off area, keeping the airflow from the front of the computer to a minimum. I would say a good dusting every few months would keep it in good condition most likely. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

JW
 

Phatpat

macrumors 6502a
Jun 15, 2003
903
2
Cambridge, MA
I'm not sure about this, but I don't think dust will be a problem. Something about negative vs. positive pressure inside the case. If there were only exhaust fans dust would be a huge problem. Since there are plenty of intake fans and exhaust fans, the fans shouldn't be able to exert pressure to pull large particles inside the case.
 
Static Wipeout

"Use a vacuum cleaner hose.. it does wonders"

Er, not too sure that's a good idea. The insides of computers aren't renown for their love of static electricity, and vacuum cleaners tend to generate that in spades.

Then again, if it hasn't done your machine any harm, I may just be talking tosh?


Brother Mugga
 

LethalWolfe

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jan 11, 2002
9,370
124
Los Angeles
Originally posted by Phatpat
I'm not sure about this, but I don't think dust will be a problem. Something about negative vs. positive pressure inside the case. If there were only exhaust fans dust would be a huge problem. Since there are plenty of intake fans and exhaust fans, the fans shouldn't be able to exert pressure to pull large particles inside the case.

The intake fans are just going to suck the dust in. Oh well. Maybe sense the fans are slow and variable speed they wont pull in as much dust as fans that spin at the same speed all the time.


Lethal
 

jbomber

macrumors 6502a
Jun 24, 2003
549
0
Brooklyn - NYC
dust buster

oooh... somehow i don't think they anticipated this. i had an 8500 that would get dust in the oddest areas and that thing was sealed up like a drum. Anyone who owned one can attest that those buggers were hard as hell to deal with. Once you managed to wrestle the case off, you needed a map to find your way around. Heaven forbid you actually had to change something or (gasp) install RAM....

Maybe they can work out a deal with Hamilton Beach for some kind of HEPA-filter add-on.
 

daveg5

macrumors 6502a
Nov 28, 2001
741
0
wow

im suprised this was not addressed before
since the whole system appears to be open to dust and liquids in the front and back,

it is also quite a bit harder to get in to compared to the drop down g3/g4,
its about like the 8600/9600/biege g3/pc

a dust cover is a must when not in use
and maybe a small vacumn that blows both ways
 

daveg5

macrumors 6502a
Nov 28, 2001
741
0
Re: dust buster

Originally posted by jbomber
oooh... somehow i don't think they anticipated this. i had an 8500 that would get dust in the oddest areas and that thing was sealed up like a drum. Anyone who owned one can attest that those buggers were hard as hell to deal with. Once you managed to wrestle the case off, you needed a map to find your way around. Heaven forbid you actually had to change something or (gasp) install RAM....

Maybe they can work out a deal with Hamilton Beach for some kind of HEPA-filter add-on.
good idea a filter that clips on the front attractively or inside and catches dust before they get to the innards.
hmmm
 

Rustus Maximus

macrumors 6502
Jan 15, 2003
365
466
I'm sure Ive and the boys took this into account when they designed the thing...a filter could dramatically change the air flow in the Mac and cause increased use of the fan and more noise, wouldn't you think?
 

LethalWolfe

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jan 11, 2002
9,370
124
Los Angeles
Originally posted by Rustus Maximus
I'm sure Ive and the boys took this into account when they designed the thing...a filter could dramatically change the air flow in the Mac and cause increased use of the fan and more noise, wouldn't you think?


Possibly. But collection of dust on fan blades and in the bearings will lead to louder fans. And depending on how the fans are mad and the amount of dust in them the only way to get them quite again might be to replace them.

But, like I said, I'm sure someone at Apple thought of this and took it into account 'cause that's the first thing I thought of when I saw that the front and back of the case was just mesh.


Lethal
 

gbojim

macrumors 6502
Jan 30, 2002
353
0
Re: Static Wipeout

Originally posted by Brother Mugga
Er, not too sure that's a good idea. The insides of computers aren't renown for their love of static electricity, and vacuum cleaners tend to generate that in spades.

Then again, if it hasn't done your machine any harm, I may just be talking tosh?
Brother Mugga

You are absolutely correct. Vacumming electronics is a good way to kill them with static.

I'll always remember the words of the instructor at a seminar I attended re maintaining electronics - "never suck, always blow" :p
 

LethalWolfe

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jan 11, 2002
9,370
124
Los Angeles
Originally posted by Frohickey
Sounds to me like a 3rd party opportunity, or a science experiment in the making, come September. :D

I wonder if there is a way we could isolate just the grills and repel the dust w/some sort of electric charge or something. :D


Lethal
 

Sedulous

macrumors 68030
Dec 10, 2002
2,530
2,577
For those worried about dust collecting in the holes, I agree but maybe a quick wipe with a moist towel will help. Another way to look at this is that at least the dust isn't collecting in some hidden spot where it could cause a problem. And yet another way of looking at it is if the fans operate more effectively, maybe the optimized airflow will reduce the rate of dust collection.

(yes, I am an optimist)
 

Sedulous

macrumors 68030
Dec 10, 2002
2,530
2,577
I wouldn't use one of those ionizer type devices as nobody really knows how ions affect your lungs.
 

groovebuster

macrumors 65816
Jan 22, 2002
1,249
101
3rd rock from the sun...
Re: Static Wipeout

Originally posted by Brother Mugga
"Use a vacuum cleaner hose.. it does wonders"

Er, not too sure that's a good idea. The insides of computers aren't renown for their love of static electricity, and vacuum cleaners tend to generate that in spades.

Then again, if it hasn't done your machine any harm, I may just be talking tosh?

If you know how to do it, it doesn't do anything to your computer. I "vacuumed" so many Macs and PCs in my life already and not one of them was damaged by that...

groovebuster
 
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