ESD

From what I have seen in some of the threads in the forums here, a lot of people do not use safe ESD handling of computer parts, and frankly what I see scares the #$%^ out of me when I see this.

Now some of you make think that if you don't feel the static charge, it won't hurt the parts, WRONG!! It takes upto 1500V of static charge to feel it when you touch something grounded, for most new computer parts (CPU, memory, video, ect, ect) as much as 50V can kill or shorten the life of any ic on a MB, CPU plug in card (video, sound and so on).

Make sure you use a ESD mat to put all your componets on when working on your computer, never lay anything (MB, CPU, memory, add on cards) on carpet or any non-ESD safe plastic sheets. There are ESD safe mat you can get to use when working on your PC.

Here is a few links to look at that you can use to keep from zaping your computer and killing it.

Thanks for the other side of the coin. Im just concious enough to touch something grounded before I work on any PC. I have built and sold more PC's than you have seen in a store and use none of those parts. Its just about being careful is all.

Better safe than sorry.

We realize the risk, and personally, I've never killed a single piece of hardware out of the hundreds of systems I've worked on.

I hate the straps for home use. They are too annoying to use. However, I try to touch a grounded metal case/power supply before working on the hardware. If this was for hardware that was more expensive than I could afford, then I would use one.

I think your post is a bit paranoid, honestly.

Is it being paranoid when I have seen a demenstation of how static can kill a chip just by moving an arm and touching it?

Also, with all the new ic's with more and more transistors cramed in smaller and smaller chips, 50V will kill a chip, even 10V with a lot of new tech can damage a part, why take the chance.

You can call me paranoid all you want but I'm not making this up, it's real even if you don't feel it, it's there. You can build 100 computers and not have any problems, but it takes just 101th time to damage something and not have it work. Gets expensive replacing same part 3 times from static damage.

I'm not trying to make you do things my way or any other way, just letting you know what can happen, I see a lot of money go into some of these systems I see here. I'm just trying to help save some money

I never said anywhere in my post you were making it up; please don't put words in my mouth. I said it was excessive for the hardware we work with.

Sorry if it came across that way, was not ment that way, but it is not excessive for what we work with, I have seen for my self and read and heard of what static can do to electronic parts, even to todays parts.

thideras said:

I never said anywhere in my post you were making it up; please don't put words in my mouth. I said it was excessive for the hardware we work with.

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I used a grounding cable the first time I built a pc...then I realized that if you just discharge yourself before you touch anything...it's fine.

I do use a mat to lay parts on, but this is to be double sure that I don't scratch the bottom of motherboards and what not.

IMNSHO, a lot of the ESD-safety stuff is just scare and hysteria marketing trying to sell us more made-in-China junk. My computer has been on the floor of a carpeted room for years. I open it up to change components on that carpeted floor. I don't recall anything ever getting fried.