Surely it’s not beyond the whit of computer manufacturers to fit “fluff catcher” ( Switches to best Frankie Howerd mode…oooh er Missus!) meshes over cooling intake vents on the external casings of laptops and full size CPUs ? The larger fibres could then be filtered out of the intake airflow at that point, and the build up would be both readily visible and easily removed by mini-vac (other cleaning products are available) without any need to disassemble the PC casing and get inside the beast?

Are PC Manufacturers unaware of the “real worlds” in which their products are used these days, do they still think we still all use our PC’s in special airconditioned, near sterile, working environments…?

(Switches to best conspiracy theory whisper) Or maybe they intentionally leave such obvious improvements out of their products in the hope that x% of PCs will get their cooling systems clogged up every year, then over-heat, get damaged beyond economic repair as a result of being gently cooked to death, and thus generate a steady “replacement purchase” market stream…..

Also, fitment of effective fluff ‘n fibre filters might also rapidly put their far eastern “USB Mini Vac” manufacturing colleagues, and their authorised PC repair agents out of business I guess….

I hate to think what microorganism nasties many domestic PCs are harbouring inside their darkest nooks and crannies given the likely build up of carpet fibres, pet hairs, clothing fibres, human hairs…. yeeeuch, don’t even go there…. Might be safest to fumigate the machine before removing the case, or it’s resident colonies might try and fight back 😀

Paul F