[Ithinkwierdly]

Do you need demagnetized specialized screwdrivers and an anti-static wrist strap to build a comp? How else can you ground yourself? My case is aluminum so will that work? And do the tools need to be demagnetized?

[EarthDog]

Ehh.. no. Just use a little common sense when building a PC. Dont walk around shuffling your feet across the floor and the first thing you touch is your motherboard. I have never used a strap, I just touch the case first (when the PSU is installed, off, and plugged into the wall thus its grounded) before I touch a component.

[Bobnova]

Hold onto the case while you're doing stuff.
Magnet screwdriver is fine too.

[Neuromancer]

I have not had an ESD in a home in YEARS.

I have had them though. I worked for a while building handheld computers, when coming into the building from break you had to touch every rack as you came in through the door to discharge yourself.

If your house is very dry in the winter (very cold outside and you wood heat or something and do not use a humidifier, the risk of ESD is greater. Just prep by discharging yourself as Earthdog already mentioned.


Special drivers are no longer required either. Many OEMs used to sue torx bits or hexheads, but a reular phillips head is all that is needed. I do not have magnetized drivers, but I ahve used them before (great for those motherboard screws up i nthe top corner after you have attached your heatsink )

[Marshmallow64]

You dont really need any of that stuff, if you are really paranoid then get some disposible gloves and you are good to go.

[Paradoxmaker]

I've never once used a ESD strap when building systems and more than one of them has been assembled while laying right on the carpet..

I know i've probably been lucky, but it all a matter of being careful also.

[Mr.Guvernment]

just touch the case or the PSU and your fine, i have never used one ever in my life.

[Old Thrashbarg]

Yeah, I haven't ever used a wrist strap either, never had a problem.

As far as screwdrivers, I personally magnetize all my drivers... makes things so much easier when the end of the driver will hold the screw in place for you. I wouldn't recommend leaving 'em sitting on top of floppy disks for extended periods of time or anything like that, but otherwise it won't hurt anything.

[Bobnova]

What i do for ESD is thusly:
If the PSU has an on/off switch on the back i turn it off, then plug it into the wall.
As each card goes in, it gets plugged in and grounded.
I spend my entire time touching the case (unpainted) with my hand or arm, so i too am grounded.

If the PSU doesn't have a switch, i just hold the case and don't plug it into the wall.

[Daddyjaxx]

I have never used one either. As mentioned, just use common sense. I always touch something metal before handling the parts, especially in the winter.

[madhatter256]

If you live up north, and the air is dry, static is more likely to build very quickly with little effort. If that is the case, then always wear a wrist strap.

I live in FL, I rarely feel a static shock when I ground myself by touching the case.

I have never had a static shock incident that affected a component in the case, such as mainboard, cpu, etc.

So, always touch the case or PSU (if plugged in) before touching anything else. Have the components near by so that you don't travel and build up static electricity.

[EarthDog]

Correct me if I am wrong guys but doesnt the case need to be plugged in via the PSU in order for it to be grounded?

[georgelogy]

It's really just about voltage potential. As long as the voltage potential of your body is the same as your case (which it will be if you are touching it) there is little risk of ESD. Plugging in your PSU ensures you and your case is the same voltage potential as the earth, but really, you would be fine with it unplugged as well. Although plugged in would be safer I suppose...

I have built numerous PCs on carpet, unplugged, and have yet to have any problem at all.

[Bobnova]

The moment the mobo touches the case pegs it's at the same potential as the case, hence if you're also touching the case the three of you are all at the same potential.
Static is interesting in that it builds up as a capacitance, and even more interestingly you don't have to put the electrons back where you got them. Hence, the earth in general (ground, heh) is a great way to get rid of your static charge, it has far more capacitance then you do and can suck those electrons up without an issue.
The case, not so much, so you could in theory just be sharing your charge with the case and then sharing it with the mobo. If the mobo somehow got grounded while it still had that charge you could have an issue.

Really though, it's only the last two computers i've done plugged in, and only the first three that i used a wrist strap (to the unplugged case) on. The other couple dozen (more? I lost count) i've just touched the case often, or held onto it.

[Theocnoob]

I lost my wrist strap.

I use a stripped speaker cable duct taped to my arm and the case

[Bobnova]

lol. That's perfect.
Go duct tape!

[I.M.O.G.]

I see a lot of people who have never used ESD straps.

I'll say you should use one. If you don't, you'll never know if that part you have to RMA was actually DOA or if you fryed it with ESD while removing it from the packaging.

The thing about ESD, is that the amount of charge necessary to fry a component is much less than the amount of charge necessary to make a visible/audible spark. You can fry it and not even know ESD took place.

Good practice can go a long way - don't work on carpet, touch something grounded, etc. If you don't want to go the grounding strap route put a grounding mat in front of your workplace - it's less cumbersome.

I should follow this advice.

[Bobnova]

That, is a lot of honesty.

[MARCI]

Antistatic wrist-strap = $5

Shipping label for RMA with Tracking = $9

Go with the math.

[Theocnoob]

so hangon


you can STILL ESD if you are grounded to the case but the case is not grounded to an outlet?