Stop using compressed air on dusty disc drives, I learned the hard way

Last month my PS4 Pro started sounding like a jet engine every time I booted up Red Dead 2, so I grabbed my air compressor and blasted the vents from the outside. Big mistake. The dust just packed deeper into the blower fan, and I think I actually jammed a clump against the bearing because a week later the fan started grinding. I pulled the whole console apart, 20 screws later, and found the real issue: those little foam dust filters on the intake are what catch everything, and mine were completely clogged. Once I removed them, washed them in warm soapy water, let them dry for 24 hours, and used a soft bristle brush on the heatsink fins instead of air, it ran quieter than when I bought it. So my tip is, never point any high pressure air into the disc drive slot either, because I did that once on an old Xbox 360 and it blew the laser ribbon cable right off its connector. Has anyone else ruined a fan by blowing air the wrong direction, and did you manage to revive it or just order a replacement off eBay for like $15?

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schmidt.amy21d ago

wait, nobody's mentioned that the direction you point the air matters just as much as the pressure. when you blast from the outside on a sealed console, all that junk has nowhere to go except deeper in. i learned that with a laptop cooler once, thought i was being clever and compacted a layer of cat hair right onto the heatpipe. took me three tries with a vacuum on low suction to pull it back out, but the fan sounded worse for months after. those foam filters are the real hero, washing em is a game changer nobody talks about.