A seemingly broken, overheating Alienware computer turns out to be simply dirty on a technician’s workbench.
What kind of computer is it? TikTok user 1969MAN posted a video in which he reports about a gaming PC he received as a gift. The previous owners reportedly bought it in 2017, but now it only overheats and is therefore likely “broken”.
At that time, it was a top system of the Aurora series from Alienware. It features an Nvidia Geforce GTX 1080 and an unspecified Intel I7-Core processor. It is probably a model from the 7700 series (via aw-community)
The solution approach to the problem is down-to-earth: the TikToker uses a vacuum cleaner and cleaning supplies, as he shows and describes in a comment under his video.
Students have built something dystopian out of a META glasses, a PC, and an AI: a spy glasses. We present the project in article form. You can watch the related video directly:
No passage for cooling air
What is the PC’s problem? At first glance, strong dirt is noticeable in the fans of the seven-year-old Alienware computer. In his video, the TikTok user begins to remove the dirt. It looks like a mix of dust, hair, and other household dirt. He describes the smell as typical for Mexican food, which points to an oily component in the dirt, as TikTok user Ivy comments.
The result: The heat generated during operation can no longer be dissipated. The system sometimes simply shuts down after just a few minutes.
Why is dust harmful to a PC? In principle, every PC should be regularly checked for dirt. The fans and heat sinks should be free of extensive dust buildup or hair. In the short term, these only reduce cooling performance, but over longer periods, damage can occur due to the increased load on the fans.
Moreover, there is a risk for the hardware. It first only throttles down, but eventually, as in the above system, a point is reached where it is practically no longer usable. And theoretically, damage can occur to the CPU or graphics card if they run too hot for prolonged periods.
What does the community say? The numerous comments under the videos all express amazement, disgust, or amusement:
- Bailey Rey:
I had to gag.
- Stinkyhorsebitch:
This is the first PC with cushions.
- Shwaggy:
This is a biological hazard.
- H:
Did you have the PC in an industrial kitchen?
- Miss Starfire:
Put the [cushion] back… it’s cold.
- Inspector Guy:
[Where I see this…], I should clean my PC again.
In the meantime, some are wondering why he is cleaning without gloves. Moreover, there is great curiosity to see if the once top system from Alienware has a chance for a second gaming life.
Is the computer running again? We don’t know the end of the story yet. However, 1969MAN describes under a second TikTok video showcasing the miserable state of the CPU cooler, the current status of his efforts. He has ordered a replacement fan, as at least one has likely been destroyed due to the dirt. However, he wants to keep the community updated.
We will update the article as soon as he fulfills the promise.
Speaking of overheating: When a user opened up his constantly overheating GPU, he also had a surprising discovery. But at least it was clear afterwards why his graphics card had such problems dissipating excess heat: New GPU for almost 2,000 Euros overheats for weeks: buyer opens it up and discovers that something important is missing
