Overheating is a sure sign that your PC needs a clean.

This article appears as part of the April 07 issue of PC Advisor, available now in all good newsagents

Overheating is a good sign that your PC is dirty. Unless you have a tool that monitors your CPU (central processing unit), you won't realise that the system is nearing meltdown.

Try SpeedFan. This watches your system data, such as temperature and the fan revolution rate, displays information in the system tray and can sound an alarm or send an email to warn you. Alternatively, if you have an Intel motherboard, try Intel Active Monitor.

Or if you aren't sure of your motherboard's brand, try CPU-Z.