hello again. well I just went about cleaning my very, very dusty pc. I didn't want to open it up but I'm so glad I did. It was actually intimidating the amount of **** that was in there. I had no idea how I was going to get it all out. 2 of the fans in there were completely clogged to the point that they couldn't move.

happily though I got it cleaned up and now that motherboard temp is down to 40-45c (that's safe right?) also my PC doesn't sound like it's under stress like it used to.

thanks so much for the help guys. finally, is there any way I can prevent this happening? or should I just plan to clean it up every few months?

There are "filter screens" you can add on the case fans if any--but frankly the only real way is to shut down and clean it out once in a while.

I read somewhere that the fans in a typical PC circulate an entire roomful of air thru the case in a day-- so thats going to draw in all manner of stuff. Cooling is the biggest concern for anyone who builds or runs any PC. Without it you can permanently damage your processor/other components.
I try to check mine once a month
Many homepage websites offer a reminder service-- you can email yourself a note or a reminder will appear when you log on.

I use myway... My Way - Welcome!

it's free.