Cleaning the graphics card - the best tips

If your graphics card is dusty or dirty, you should clean it. We explain what you have to consider.

Clean the graphics card properly

If you want to clean your graphics card, there are a few things to consider. The following tips will help you. In the following picture gallery we show you photos and detailed tips for a better understanding for beginners.

1. First of all: When cleaning graphics cards, mechanical or electrical damage can occur, which damage the graphics card far more than a little dust. Only clean your graphics card if it is very dusty or if liquids or other dirt has got onto the card.
2. If your graphics card gets too hot, this practical tip shows you software settings that can solve the problem without cleaning if necessary.
3. The easiest way to identify your graphics card is at the monitor input. In this practical tip you can see how exactly cables and connections from VGA, DVI, Display Port and HDMI look.
4. Before cleaning electrical parts, first pull out the power plug and the monitor cable. The best way to get at the graphics card is to remove it.
5. The easiest way to remove dust and other dry impurities from the card is with compressed air spray, as in this practical tip for cleaning the laptop.
6. You can dab off coarser dirt with an antistatic cloth, with cotton swabs you can get behind components and in corners. Be careful: if you wipe over a large area, fibers can detach from the cloth or cotton swabs and further contaminate the graphics card. Therefore, carefully dab contaminated areas.
7. The best way to get into the narrow spaces between passive coolers and active fans is with a toothpick.
8. If your graphics card is stuck with liquids, soak a cloth or cotton swab in alcohol or distilled water. Do not use other cleaning agents. These can damage the circuit boards and components. Wait until the liquid has completely evaporated before connecting the device or reinstalling the battery. Distilled water, together with dust, becomes conductive and can cause short circuits.

In further CHIP online practical tips, we will show you how to best clean PC fans, PS4 fans, projector filters and your smartphone camera.

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Always pull out the power plug before cleaning technical devices. The most important cleaning utensils for graphics cards are an antistatic cloth, cotton swabs and distilled water, methylated spirits or other alcohol. A toothpick is suitable for hard-to-reach places. You usually need a screwdriver to open the tower or remove the card from the housing. You should keep screws in small bags or boxes.

The easiest way to identify your graphics card is that your monitor is connected here. Only in exceptional cases, such as with 3D FX cards, is the monitor not directly connected to the graphics card.

To get a better access to the graphics card, first remove the monitor cable and then loosen the screw or clamp (a) of the card. Then pull the card out carefully and with even force.

If you prefer not to disassemble your PC, at least remove the battery from the mainboard. Now you can clean the graphics card as described above.

You should especially remove dust from coolers. You can recognize passive coolers by the numerous fins that ensure a large surface. Active coolers have a fan. Coolers are often also attached to the underside.