Cleaning fans on an M11x R2?

Hi, I have been noticing performance drops on my M11x from time to time and have concluded that my system is overheating. I was getting random fps drops, which I initially thought were driver issues. Got new drivers and didn't go away. In any case, could someone please give me a quick guide to cleaning fans, or direct me to a old thread regarding that? I realize that most of you will demand me to use the search function - which I did to no avail.
Thanks in advance.
-Noah R.

 

If you don't want to disassemble your laptop, then just simply take vacuum cleaner, and, having covered bottom area with cloth that wasn't covered by hose (to increase airflow force) vacuum clean it (put something like tooth stick or anything inside, to block rotation of fan, but be careful not to completely drop it inside). It's just important to take your time - no rush, do it thoroughly, make sure no dust is attached to grille. Then you may do the same thing to the air exhaust at the back of your laptop. As a bonus - quick run through keys (no real temperature effect here, but it's always nice to use a neat notebook). At first I was a bit scared that suction could rip a key, but construction is sturdy and no harm was made (though it depends on your vacuum cleaner).

BTW can of compressed air would do as well.

 

I'm a certified Dell technician and have taken apart many m11x's. The way I clean the heatsink grill without opening the laptop is with a can of compressed air. Air comes in from the bottom and out the back side. So blow the air in from the back side where the air is ejected. Don't worry about the fan spinning I do it all the time and it has never done any damage. Also plenty of techs do it as well.

I would recommend doing this every 3 or 4 months in a medium to light dusty environment. In a heavy setting...every month.

Hope this helped!


Oh also check if you have any background processes which are doing work. Especially windows updates, antivirus updates...etc. I have my M11x R2 (with the same specs as you) really streamlined to where I don't have anything else running in the background that doesn't need to be.

 

Bad advice. This blows dust back into the internals -not where you want dust. The grille itself doesn't really matter in terms of dust. It's the fins and the internals that you need to worry about.

 

you have to take apart the thing to nearly the last screw to get to the HSF itself... When I got to mine, it was chock full of dust

As in, there wasn't any space for ANYTHING but dust!!