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NSFW :You should dust off and keep your gaming system clean ( kotaku article)

phileep

Member
That picture is NOT normal. Who ever owns that particular PS3 must live inside of a literal shit hole. I opened up my PS3 Phat about a year and a half ago after it died in an attempt to bring it back to life. Had the PS3 only a few months after launch. It's been through two homes, one including a dog. It had a few layers of slight dust and a handful of dog hairs inside. I also pop open ancient retro consoles all the time and there is nothing like that insane.
 

Alebrije

Member
Are bugs in consoles actually common?

I think they like the heat and small areas inside consokes, also depends where do you live , in may area if you do not check often ants trend to use consoles as its nest, no matter how you clean your house.

By example

bV1v1.jpg
 

LQX

Member
I pretty much cover my consoles 24/7 when not in use. All pretty much look brand new. I just don't get dropping $400-$500 on electronics then not giving a shit about the condition.
 

Dad

Member
That picture is NOT normal. Who ever owns that particular PS3 must live inside of a literal shit hole. I opened up my PS3 Phat about a year and a half ago after it died in an attempt to bring it back to life. Had the PS3 only a few months after launch. It's been through two homes, one including a dog. It had a few layers of slight dust and a handful of dog hairs inside. I also pop open ancient retro consoles all the time and there is nothing like that insane.

I'd imagine how frequently you use the system plays a large part in how much dust is able to build up.
 

vazel

Banned
When my PS3 SuperSlim started getting loud I bought an ED500 blower and used it to clean all the dust out and now my PS3 is silent again. I now use it on all my consoles and PC about once a month.
 

kaioshade

Member
And my friends look at me like i'm a freak when i disassemble my consoles and computers once a month to clean them out.
 
Used to clean systems when I worked for a game store before putting them out for sale. This is about what we would see on a good day. Worst I ever saw was this + bugs + hidden pills/ condoms (PS2 with HDD bay)

Well, what wasn't hidden in PS2 HDD bay? This was the perfect place to hide stuff.

And my friends look at me like i'm a freak when i disassemble my consoles and computers once a month to clean them out.

Isn't once per month too excessive? I clean my PC once in a half a year and it doesn't even that dusty.
 
I imagine my systems would have a little dust in them, it can't be helped, but not this bad. However I never open them up to look inside.

I usually do a strip out of my entertainment unit, take everything out and wipe down the surfaces and my consoles at least once a month. I always vacuum around them whenever I do the rest of the place too which is usually every second week.

The fat PS3's would be bad with so many vent holes, I don't imagine other consoles get this bad as they usually have less openings for dust.
 

truly101

I got grudge sucked!
I vacuum the vents of mine all the time (still had to send it in to have YLOD fixed). I vacuum out the vents of all my systems.
 

Fractal

Banned
NSFW, huh?
And here I thought the PS3 started growing certain body parts... in any case, I'll take a moment to thank Kotaku. That was some top notch journalism!
 

Westraid

Member
Seems kind of extreme on the photo's, but you can do a lot to at least minimize the dust that will settle down into your console.

Ever since I got my 360 seven and a half years ago, I took extra care to keep the area around it clean, going so far as cleaning it again before turning on the console. When it wasn't in use, it was completely covered by a dustcover.

Compared it to the Xbox Slim of a friend that was only a year or two old, and who didn't care to protect it from dust, that one looked a lot more dusty.
 

Az987

all good things
Must've had a dirty house. I opened up my launch, original Xbox to remove a capacitor this summer and it didn't look even a tenth that.

I vacuum the vents of mine all the time (still had to send it in to have YLOD fixed). I vacuum out the vents of all my systems.

You shouldn't use a vacuum to clean electronics. Strong suction + open vents could damage it.
 

BibiMaghoo

Member
Spray some canned air in there every couple of months.

It won't be a thorough cleaning but it won't look like that.

I would advise against this, you are just as likely to blow dust into places you don't want it to be, as you are to clear it. If it needs cleaning badly, take the case off.
 

kaioshade

Member
Isn't once per month too excessive? I clean my PC once in a half a year and it doesn't even that dusty.

Possibly. I am highly neurotic about my consoles getting dusty/messed up, so i tend to go a bit overboard. I also disassemble my controllers and clean them with qtips and alcohol. I just like keeping my stuff pristine. And it really doesnt take that long. I do it so often it usually takes about 2 hours to clean all my consoles and controllers.

The PC is easier, since i have the dust filters on the intake and exhaust.
 

Taker34

Banned
How do I open amd clean a ps4 without voiding the warranty?

Unfortunately, you can't. You shouldn't clean your PS4 while you still have warranty.
Well I applied new thermal paste while having 2 months warranty left but this gen of consoles rarely have any kind of malfunction, so it's not a big deal.
 

Wasp

Member
My 2006 Xbox 360 sounds ten times louder than it used to do when it was new, I dread to think how much dust is in there.
 
Used to clean systems when I worked for a game store before putting them out for sale. This is about what we would see on a good day. Worst I ever saw was this + bugs + hidden pills/ condoms (PS2 with HDD bay) + cigarette smell + sticky residue everywhere.

Windex, air can, papertowels, and toothbrushes is what we used to clean.

On a side note, when I took my launch PS4 apart to reapply thermal paste to it (sounded like a hair dryer), I was shocked at how much dust was in it. We dust every week and I dust my electronics ever few days. Most of the dust had collected on the heat sink in a very thick wad that I was able to pull off by hand without it breaking. Rest of the console was only a thin layer.

How did the thermal replacement work out did it quiet down?
 

th4tguy

Member
How did the thermal replacement work out did it quiet down?

What made me decide to do it was buying a new PS4 for my wife (coop $200 kmart deal) and seeing how much quieter it was in the same conditions.It was becoming a problem because we moved it to my wifes desk for streaming and the fan noise was getting picked up heavily by the mic.
After cleaning it out and redoing the thermal paste, the system is more quiet than the new one. Even in games like Rocket League, the fan barely kicks in. Really nice.
 

khaaan

Member
I opened up my Gamecube once after 10 years of buying it, it was stupid clean on the inside. I think I may have brought in more dust than cleaned out.
 

Faustek

Member
That picture is NOT normal. Who ever owns that particular PS3 must live inside of a literal shit hole. I opened up my PS3 Phat about a year and a half ago after it died in an attempt to bring it back to life. Had the PS3 only a few months after launch. It's been through two homes, one including a dog. It had a few layers of slight dust and a handful of dog hairs inside. I also pop open ancient retro consoles all the time and there is nothing like that insane.


Yeah pretty much this. If a person never cleans their home and have fucking dust dragons chasing the cockroaches I can see this happening.
Closest thing I've seen to this was a dude that needed help fix their PC last year. It was a Pentium III in that Box, so at least 15 years old, he had bought from work and he has never cleaned it. Amazing that he had used it so long.
 

Zeta Oni

Member
I will never forget working at a game store in high school, and one day i was cleaning up a 360 that looked pretty decent when we first got it traded in...

Made sure it worked, tossed it on the back shelf, went on to a different task for the time being..

Looked back at it about 30 minutes later and there's maggots crawling out of the system. Someone had gotten food stuck in the system (I don't know how) and now it had become a home to several types of insects.

If there's one thing that job taught me, it's that there's some dirty ass gamers out there. Dime bags in video game cases, residue lines on 3ds systems, it was crazy.
 

Az987

all good things
Microfiber cloths work good. I use dry swiffer cleaner cloths to wipe everything down. Dust and hair stick to them and I can just toss them when they get too dirty.

Isn't once per month too excessive? I clean my PC once in a half a year and it doesn't even that dusty.

Maybe for you. I try to wipe off my consoles once a week. I have a 1 year old, high energy pup that just chills in the room with my consoles usually so even the day after dusting I notice the entertainment center has dust on it.
 
Looks like the console of a smoker or cat owner (or both). I've also seen some seriously nasty PCs and equipment come out of restaurants where it sat near the kitchen area.
 
Should have bought Dustforce :^)

The worst I've ever had was slight dust on top of the system. I have no idea how people are so negligent that they have dust bunnies inside the system. Do they smoke while sitting right next to the system and never dust their house?
 

texore

Member
How can I clean my PS4?

This thread is making me anxious
Just dust it off and wipe the vents every once in a while. I don't think this is representative of what most people will experience. I recently opened up my 12 year old PS2 and it wasn't even close to this dusty.
 

AlexBasch

Member
Bought my PS3 used at some store, and so far, I have replaced the laser once and cleaned it twice.

I'm surprised at how fast dust builds up inside, compared to my Arcade 360 which is far from being in a pristine condition, but still is less dirty compared to the PS3.
 
Do they smoke while sitting right next to the system and never dust their house?

If they smoke in the house, it goes everywhere. They don't need to be right near the console. The next time you visit a place where someone has smoked inside for a couple years or more, pick a white wall and randomly lift a picture frame or painting and look behind it. Unless they clean religiously you will be shocked at the dust and discoloration on display.
 
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