THIS MIGHT SAVE YOUR COMPUTERS LIFE

Hi, I remember when a friend of mine who always built PC's casually coming up to my house and fit some RAM into a old 200 MMX pentium. Anyway, when removing my old RAM which was working, he must have got a static discharge and fried the stick of RAM.

I knew cause when I put it back in cause the RAM i got given did not work as it was old, my old stick did not work. Luckily I had some other RAM laying around. So static can exist and can blow components as I have seen it happen.

Anthony
 
Static risk to the average computer is so low that it is not worth considering beyond the most elementary precautions, people actually discharge static without even realising it every time they touch the case chassis which makes
all these wristbands and straps etc pretty much useless.
 
Chaos said:
Static risk to the average computer is so low that it is not worth considering beyond the most elementary precautions, people actually discharge static without even realising it every time they touch the case chassis which makes
all these wristbands and straps etc pretty much useless.
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AGREED. Never used one ever and I have built loads of pc's and I am always messing around and changing parts ect. If I genuinely believed it would damage my PC i would wear 1!!!
 
NachT said:
You guys serusly don't use a wrist band to discharge yourself? The components your touching will definatly be effected, they may work ok now, but give them a few months and they'l probably give in.
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Yep, I bet the mail/net machine in the spare room that I originally build a decade ago, without using a wrist band, is just about to fail because of that, any second now.

It's good practice, but when you state it as essential or bad stuff WILL happen, people who've not done it in the past will disregard your comments as they know from their own experience that you're exaggerating.
 
I have built 10+ systems without using an anti-static wrist strap, although I must admit I do take a lot more care over handling my components. i.e. if I am going to lay them out on the floor, they will be ontop of their anti-static bags or packaging and I always touch the case etc first. I also dont put my fingers over the motherboard constantly. Did you notice how he installed the graphics card?? He was knocking it all over the place.

Another thing I noticed was the Magnetic screwdriver. Sure this shouldnt be a problem, but is it not a good idea to use a screwdriver that has not been magnetised.
 
acharris said:
I knew cause when I put it back in cause the RAM i got given did not work as it was old, my old stick did not work. Luckily I had some other RAM laying around. So static can exist and can blow components as I have seen it happen.

Anthony
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I don't think anyone is seriously denying the possibility of static electricity but most people(and I agree) appear to be saying that it isn't much of a risk and in all fairness it isn't. If wearing an anti-static wristband makes you more comfortable then by all means do so but I don't see the point for the most part.

celliot said:
Another thing I noticed was the Magnetic screwdriver. Sure this shouldnt be a problem, but is it not a good idea to use a screwdriver that has not been magnetised.
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I'd imagine the charge that a magnetised screwdriver holds is small enough to be of next to no risk to any components on a PC, or at least to put it this way, near enough every PC I've ever built has been done using a magnetised screwdriver(most of them with a screwdriver that I got from a Christmas cracker) and to the best of my knowledge all still work unless the owner(that is to say, not me) started messing about with them. :)
 
sandman06 said:
just buy a static wrist band...im serious

it will save your computer components.. and dont take apart your pc on a carpet or even dare to upgrade on the carpet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkSLC_Np2CE

like this nutter
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Or, you could rather spend £5 on something cool (like sweets :p) and not put your CPU on the carpet. :p

I usually build my PCs on a table now, no static & doesn't make things annoying like a wrist band would.

If I do build on the carpet I just use my motherboards anti static bag to put RAM, HDD, graphic card etc. on.

Craig
 
Hit something metal to discharge yourself, then dont put your PC parts on the carpet. A bit of common sense works in situations like this. Ive never damaged an item due to static, and ive regularly worked on PCs over the last 7 years. Anything that sis get damaged would go back under warranty because yes, i am that sort of sly sod.

Another thing I noticed was the Magnetic screwdriver. Sure this shouldnt be a problem, but is it not a good idea to use a screwdriver that has not been magnetised.
Click to expand...

Ive used magnetised drivers since i started building PC as it makes life a lot simpler and never had any bother.
 
Ive not lost any components to static that im aware of , but i always take laydown the anti-stat mat on the bale and hook up the clips and wristband when building a pc from scratch. cost to much to not play it safe :). upgrading or swaping parts however i dont bother with it as i usualy do all that with the pc in its place and hooked up to ground anyway. That said, after adding my new psu, the floppy controller died(not drive), and I cant read floppies at all now ;)
 
sandman06 said:
just buy a static wrist band...im serious

it will save your computer components.. and dont take apart your pc on a carpet or even dare to upgrade on the carpet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkSLC_Np2CE

like this nutter
Click to expand...
Z)))0MMGGG!!##!
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Assuming what he says about his carpet being static proof is a lie, I doubt any of his components actually died.

Unless you work all day in other peoples PC's I wouldn't worry about it, especially if you avoid the carpet.

Oh and upgrading on the carpet can also lead to nasty carpet burns.
 
Used one many moons ago, but i bust it as i went to walk away and it was still connected to the pc chasis. Since then I never bother with one, its pointless, just touch the metal part of the case, before you mess around inside. And make sure your not wearing a lycra bodysuit and your fine. ;)
 
I don't even touch a metal part of the case and I work on carpet.... never had a problem with any of my systems I have built.

Anyone seen PCs breaking due to not wearing these wrist bands?

I haven't :confused:
 
Well I recently built the spec in the sig below after an old 2500xp-m without any anti static stuff.. as long as you touch something grounded before handling components it's all good.

I didn't care about the components from my old computer and took no precautions when handling them. Last saturday I rebuilt that old computer once again with no care for the components and whilst on carpet. Guess what? no broken components, runs fine.
 
Hahahahaha....

I used to make sure i touched a piece of copper pipe by the radiator and made sure not to shuffle my feet, but on my recent build all i did was lay the case down on the carpet, remove the old mobo and place it on an antistatic bag, tranafer components to new mobo and pop it back in the case.

BIGGEST PRECAUTION I TOOK? --- don't touch any conductive parts of any PCB - just hold everything by the edges and be aware of what you are touching at all times. You can't static shock something if you don't touch it :rolleyes: TBH though - if you want to be safe just make sure you ground yourself and your case every few minutes - it's all down to whether you are AWARE of the potential risks at the end of the day.

And static shock can cause problems months down the line, but as i said - if you are careful with how you handle components you aren't going to damage them even if you're charged up to the eyeballs!
 
I think the safest way to avoid static damage is to wax off all your body hair and build the pc outside on the patio in the buff. Weather permitting.

If male, tuck it in.
 
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