Steam Deck and Co.: I open my gaming handheld every few weeks and there's a good reason for that

If your PC handheld sounds like a hairdryer, a little manual work could help.

Today I just want to share a quick tip with you if you own a gaming handheld like the Steam Deck or the Lenovo Legion Go. I open my handhelds every few weeks, but not because I like tinkering with them so much - that too. But it actually has a practical reason.

A loud fan could indicate dust inside

PC handhelds have one or two fans that usually suck in air from the back and then blow it out upwards. Depending on the location and placement in your household (e.g. through the stationary connection to a television or monitor), dust can build up in the fan or in the ventilation slots for weeks.

You don't have to worry about overheating. If temperatures are too high, the processor throttles the clock speed and if the heat is particularly high, your device simply switches off to prevent damage.

However, if your fan is struggling for air, it has to rotate faster than usual, which increases its volume - an indication that it may be worth taking a look inside.

Luckily, opening it is very easy

On all PC handhelds that I have tested so far, the back can be easily removed by loosening a few screws and using an opening tool (or guitar pick).

This does not violate the warranty on most handhelds. To be on the safe side, you should find out more about your device before opening it.

Once the back has been removed, you can remove dust from the fan and the ventilation slots using a blower or canned compressed air. Make sure that you hold the fan with one finger when cleaning so that it does not rotate due to the compressed air.

How often should I do this?

First and foremost, this process is not a must.Most gaming handhelds have dust filters installed that can prevent this problem. If your device is working fine so far, then don't worry about it and just enjoy your games.

After about six months or a year at the latest, it is still worth taking a look inside, regardless of the device, because dust can contaminate the filters and fine particles can penetrate them and settle on the fan. This way you can ensure that your handheld works properly in the long term.

If you are already noticing higher temperatures or a higher ventilation volume in your device, a regular check-up every four to eight weeks could make sense.

There are various things to consider when opening depending on the device. The Asus ROG Ally X, for example, has a ribbon cable that connects to the back. With the Steam Deck, you must definitely remove the microSD card before opening it, otherwise you will break it in two.

Special case Lenovo Legion Go:The Lenovo handheld does not have dust filters installed, which is why there are always reports from the community complaining about dust inside.