This $35 Mini HEPA Air Purifier Is an Effective Way to Keep Your Gaming PC Dust-Free – IGN

A proper gaming PC has plenty of airflow, and that air is inevitably going to bring in a lot of dust. The most common way of dealing with this is to install air filters in front of the intake fans. I personally do not like using filters. They reduce the amount of airflow going in and that progressively worsens as the filters get clogged. Proper maintenance eliminates that issue, but let’s be honest: Most gamers don’t clean out their case often enough.

I’ve personally done away with fan filters entirely. Instead, I stick my bedroom air purifier right next to my gaming PC so that the purifier’s exhaust flows right into the intake vents on my PC. Despite having no filters, I blow out my case only once a year and even then it’s really just a fine layer of dust that has accumulated. Of course, the additional side benefit (and the main benefit for most people) is that it also filters the air I’m breathing in.

This particular Honeywell purifier measures only 10″x13″x17.5″ (dxwxh). It’s officially rated for 75 square feet of space, but I’d recommend it for a section of a room like your desk or bed area. The three-stage filtration system includes a combination carbon pre-filter for larger particles and odor removal and a HEPA filter for particles as small as 0.1 microns.

If you’ve owned a purifier before, you’re probably aware that the real cost of a purifier is in the cost of replacements. Fortunately, the replacements for this purifier aren’t too expensive. For example, right now a multi-pack costs $27.99 on Amazon. The carbon prefilter should be changed every 3-6 months and the HEPA filter every year. This pack will reasonably last you at least a few years, which equates to a very inexpensive cost of $1.17 per month.

Our Favorite Computer Vacuums or Dust Blowers

DataVac Dust Blower

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500-watt motor, .75 HP, 4.5 amps, 70 CFM airflow

If you do plan on keeping up with maintenance and routinely clean out your PC, you’ll definitely need some kind of PC dust blower or vacuum to help you get the job done. Old school compressed air canisters will certainly work, but now there are other more powerful options. I personally use a Datavac Dust Blower that I purchased off Amazon over a decade ago. This is an extremely powerful (and loud) vacuum with a powerful 7.5hp 500W motor. It still works great today and I haven’t needed to buy any replacement parts or attachments for it. This model was less expensive back then, but if I were to buy another one, it would still be this same vac or something like it.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.