Dust is definitely the computer's enemy; but sometimes in ways that surprise
people.
Dust that's just sitting on the bottom of the computer case
doesn't really hurt anything. It just
looks messy.
Dust that's on your motherboard or other electrical
components hurts, but only sometimes.
It becomes a harmful factor when it gets damp from high humidity in the
air. When damp, it can become
conductive and short out sensitive electrical components. But, this is more of a factor on car
batteries than computers out here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Despite our drizzly climate, our humidity is
quite a bit lower than Florida or even New York. Very thick dust can prevent the components from cooling, which
is a serious problem wherever you live.
Dust that is clogging the fins of heat sinks, such as those
that cool your CPU, chipset and video chips is a problem that should not be
ignored. The fins are there so that air
can pass through them. The fins are
warmed by the chips they are attached to.
When the air passes through, it is warmed by the fins, carrying heat
away from the heat sink, allowing it to absorb more heat from the chips. There's more about heat and your computer in
another article. For now, let's just
say that it's a very good thing to get heat away from your chips.
Dust that clogs the outside air vents of your computer is a disaster waiting to happen very soon. Whether it's clogging the air intake vents on the front and sides, or it's clogging the exhaust fan grill on the back, it is very bad news. If the fan grill is clogged, little or no air will move in the case, turning it into a deadly oven for your chips. If any of the other air vents are clogged, the airflow can be substantially reduced, again turning your case into an oven, although it probably won’t get quite as hot.
Animal hair magnifies all these issues. When combined with dust it can form a fabric that is tough enough to block the strongest of fans.
What to do if you have too much dust? Clean it out. The proper procedure varies by computer. If you are not comfortable with this kind of
work, call in a professional.