We can read your mind. You are thinking, ‘why is a PC website reviewing a handheld vacuum cleaner? Well, more fool you actually. It’s the opposite of a vacuum cleaner, and it’s one of the handiest things any PC hobbyist could ever lay hands on. Yes, it’s the horrifically named Compu-Cleaner!
Right, so what is it. Well, think leaf-blower for your PC, minus the foliage. We all know the enemy of good airflow (besides Lewie’s cable-management) is dust. The number of fans we put in our rigs these days certainly shift a lot of air around the chassis, but they also bring with it a common enemy – filthy dust particles that clog up your nice filters and fan blades.
If you have ever ventured into the murky innards of a PC that has been up and running for a few months, heaven forbid a year – you know, the one your parents told you that used to work, but these days it seems really slow… yes, that one, no matter how seasoned a builder you are you will never fail to be amazed by the amount of dust that’s got in there and also that giving them a spring clean is a messy, and certainly not a pleasant job.
Let’s make it a bit easier then shall we?
Compu Cleaner 2.0
Dust - your time is over!
Weight: 1.76llbs
Includes: Attachments and brushes
- Save the planet
- Powerful air blast
- Save money on compressed air
- Niche product
Until I got my hands on a Compu-Cleaner my workflow for cleaning out my PC would be to
- Leave it for as long as possible
- Probably get round to it when the CPU fan actually stopped spinning and it started to shut down from melting
- Huff and puff, take the side off and lug it all down into my garden and get ready to pull everything out and get filthy in the process.
My tools of the trade would be maybe a can or two of compressed air dusters and a cloth.
Invariably when it came to needed them I’d find I had maybe a third of a can left and no real way to get a replacement anytime soon so I’d end up doing the best I could and putting all back together to continue to heat up my nice expensive components over the next few months until I remembered again.
Now besides the convenience factor of never having enough compressed air, we also live in a world where we probably need to stop firing compressed gases into the atmosphere just so we can have a clean computer. Just imagine Greta Thunberg watching you over the fence as you fired off can after can onto you exhaust fans. She’s not enjoying your work.
That’s where the Compu-Cleaner comes in. It looks like a handheld vac but it actually blasts a really powerful jet of air in a highly concentrated direction and will literally clean the majority of a PC case in seconds.
It’s mains-powered, comes with an array of different attachments to get into the various nooks and crannies and the key thing, it never runs out of air.
As well as PC cleaning I restore a lot of old consoles and arcade machines as a hobby and it is equally brilliant for that. Whatever dust is lying about, within seconds will be blasted to infinity, so a top tip is to use it outside, and if you have a mask - and let’s face it, who doesn’t at the moment? it’s probably a good habit to pop that on while you work.
The unit itself is quite light - although the internal compressor perhaps weighs a little more than expect when you first see it and is quite a unique shape. It’ could easily be some form of art deco vase with a flower protruding from the top.
The mains cord is long enough and braided, although I found it does tend to twist up. The closest example I can think of is like the cords you get on an iron - it is that kind of weight and braid.
The whole thing is operated with a simple on-off rocker switch which sits under your thumb for easy control.
There is actually a deluxe model available that gives you some variance on the speed of the air stream. This model is basically off and on then really powerful. Fine for most situations but just be wary when you do your fans that you fire it so the blades rotate the correct way. Besides that, there is not a lot to say. It’s one of those gadgets that you never knew you would use this much.
If there’s a downside, it perhaps comes in a bit more expensive than you would expect but it is one of those things where you can tangibly measure savings if you buy a lot of compressed air. All that money you throw away on cans of nothing, well that stops here so it won’t be long before your purchase visibly pays for itself. And maybe Greta might offer a little smile next time you see her at the fence too.
Conclusion
This is a gadget that at first glance might appear to be a gadget for gadgets sake, but in truth it really can make a difference if you are the type of person who uses a lot of compressed air, and cleans and lot of dust from things, especially PCs. It’s ESD safe, very powerful – perhaps too powerful for fans if you aren’t careful, and sits handily under your desk waiting to be needed for a quick blast under the keys of my mechanical keyboard.
The initial outlay might seem a bit steep but if you use it over a period of years rather than weeks it will end up paying for itself and you certainly can’t say that about all the tat you buy online. Is it a niche product? Yes and no. You will find you use it for more than expected and it certainly makes a job easier.
We recommend it wholeheartedly, even if it is something you never really thought you would ever buy.