You can live far away from the western United States and still be affected by the smoke from the wildfires raging there. In fact, you’re not even safe if you live completely across the country. Back in July, hazy skies settled over New York City, Boston, Washington DC, and other parts of the east coast thanks to wind and jetstream patterns.

Living in the path of wildfire smoke isn’t the same high-risk scenario for a PC as actually surviving a fire in the home. But the danger of smoke remains the same, albeit in less concentrated form: acidity, discoloration, and speed of particulate build-up. All of these effects can possibly damage your PC.

How to protect your PC from wildfire smoke

Because smoke can have acidic properties, you don’t want to leave the ash, soot, and other particles lingering in your system for too long. Corrosive damage to your components and case aren’t a guarantee, but the more intense the smoke exposure, the more mindful you should be about its potential impact. Discoloration can be a concern, too—an issue for builders who care about their PC’s aesthetics. And particulate build-up can contribute a third problem by layering up thick and blocking air flow, leading to higher system temperatures. At best, having clogged dust filters and fans only drags down optimal performance, but at worse (when it’s extreme enough), it’ll affect the longevity of the PC in a quiet, indirect way.

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