I cleaned my AIO radiator and fan blades with an electric air compressor while the PC was unplugged. I also held the power button and pressed it a few more times to discharge the system. The compressor may have been too close, and one fan no longer works when the computer is powered on. I'm more concerned about the RTX 5070 Ti and power supply, since I briefly directed air near them as well. Both still appear to work normally. Could static electricity have damaged either component, or could the force of the air have loosened something internally even though they still function? I also want to know whether spinning fans with compressed air can cause electrical damage.
1 Answer
If the GPU and PSU power on and behave normally, they’re probably fine. A brief blast of air is very unlikely to physically dislodge components inside either one, and static damage from this situation is also unlikely. The bigger risk is allowing a fan to spin extremely fast while cleaning it, since the motor can generate voltage and feed it back into the fan header or motherboard. Hold the blades still or disconnect the fan first. Also use short bursts and make sure the compressor isn’t spraying moisture or oil. Since you said the fan wasn’t spinning during cleaning, that particular backfeed risk doesn’t apply; the failed fan may simply have been faulty or damaged by something unrelated. Test its cable and header separately before replacing it.
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