When it comes to taking care of your PC, cleaning is one of the most important and overlooked steps. Your graphics card, in particular, needs to remain as dust-free as possible for maximum performance. Looking to learn how to clean a graphics card? We have all you know to know down below.
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Why Is It Important To Clean Your Graphics Card & Other PC Components?
If you find that your PC is getting overheated on the regular, you may need to clean your graphics card, along with the other internal parts. GPUs don't last forever and it's recommended by experts that you clean your graphics card every four months or so, but it is easy to let cleaning fall to the wayside.
What happens if you don’t clean it? You may encounter some of the following issues more frequently:
Cleaning your dusty GPU will not make your PC immortal, but it can help it do its job right.

How To Clean A Graphics Card (Safely With Disassembling)
1. List of Tools Needed
2. Step-By-Step Instructions
- 1Turn off the PC and remove it from a power source.
- 2Click the on/off switch a few times to remove excess static.
- 3Wait for the fans to stop spinning before continuing.
- 4Move your PC to a non-carpeted, clean, well-ventilated area and put on a face mask.
- 5Open the back of your PC according to manual instructions with the Phillips screwdriver.
- 6Disassemble the card according to manual instructions. This typically involves unscrewing the ones holding it to the case and mounting bracket. You may need to move a lever to get it free – check your manual for details on how to correctly do that.
- 7Clean your fan with a brush or Q-Tip and unscrew it if possible.
- 8Clean your dirty graphics card with a paintbrush or Q-Tip.
- 9Unplug the fan from its power source with the pliers.
- 10Clean the heatsink using compressed air and Q-Tips dipped in alcohol. If you need to replace the thermal paste then do so.
- 11Clean any other internal parts with your equipment.
- 12Reassemble according to manual instructions.
- 13Test if the graphics card and GPU are working well and if everything was assembled correctly.

How To Clean A Graphics Card Without Unmounting
To clean a graphics card without removing it, you will need to use the same tools above and do the following:
- 1Turn off the PC and remove it from a power source.
- 2Click the on/off switch a few times to remove excess static.
- 3Wait for the fans to stop spinning before continuing.
- 4Move your PC to a non-carpeted, clean, well-ventilated area and put on a face mask.
- 5Open the back of your PC according to manual instructions with the Phillips screwdriver.
- 6Clean the areas that you can with a combination of compressed air, cloth dipped in alcohol, and Q-Tips dipped in alcohol.
- 7Clean your fan with a brush or Q-Tip and unscrew it if possible.
- 8Clean your dirty graphics card with a paintbrush or Q-Tip.
- 9Clean any other internal parts with your equipment.
- 10Reassemble according to manual instructions.
- 11Test if the graphics card and GPU are working well and if everything was assembled correctly.
Experts recommend cleaning your computer's graphics card every 4-6 months and changing your thermal paste every 2-3 years. If you tend to forget, put a recurring event in your calendar to ensure you don’t forget when it's time.

People Also Ask (FAQs)
Can you clean a graphics card with water?
We do not recommend cleaning your graphics card with water. Water can damage electronic parts; isopropyl alcohol dries quickly and is less likely to damage parts.
Is it safe to vacuum your PC?
We do not recommend using a household vacuum to remove dust as its strong suction could damage or suck up vital computer parts. The compressed can of air is a smaller and easier to control alternative when cleaning and maintaining your PC.
Conclusion
The graphics card is a vital part of your PC, especially for those interested in gaming and other high processing activities. Take proper care of your gaming laptop through regular graphics card maintenance, and it should keep running for years to come.

Holly Curell is a US-based freelance writer & editor extraordinaire. With over a decade of writing technical manuals, blog articles, & even company communications, Holly has a passion for providing value to readers on everything she knows about tech-related topics. When she’s not writing, Holly enjoys reading, hiking, wine, & wandering the aisles of Trader Joe’s. Holly is currently based out of North Carolina, where she lives with her husband Ken & their three children.