Has anyone here fried a pc component with electro static discharge

Seth8530 · 05-27-10, 12:24 AM

just curious to see if anyone here has actually managed to fry anything inside of their pc with an esd. Im asking because one time i was tidying up some wires in my trophy rig while it was running (yea... swell idea wasnt it?) and apparently one of the wires had a bare spot or something and it arced onto the interior of the case.

So i looked up at the screen and saw that it actually froze the screen. and made the pc completely unresponsive. Luckily one hard restart later and everything was golden... So is the risk of ESD death over talked? or am i just a lucky bugger

Arclight · 05-27-10, 05:14 AM

Never had it myself, but seen it happen plenty, and heared from first hand experiences even more.

Yeah, components are pretty sensitive. Simply using a bad PSU that delivers voltages that are of the mark too much will destroy a system over time. Sudden spike from esd is more than capable of wreaking some havoc.

CaptainHaplo · 05-27-10, 06:25 AM

What you were dealing with wasn't static electricity, since you had a conductor that simply arced to "ground".

Is it overstated? Yes, but with good reason.

The chances of you frying something are pretty low with ESD, mainly because static electricity isn't a huge issue for most people. However, every person is different, some people build it up naturally and never seem to "bleed" it off, getting shocked quite often, while others never build up enough of a charge to ever create that "arc". I have no idea why this is, but basicly, if your one of those people who gets shocked 2 or 3 times a day, don't work on your own PC - because your static charge is likely to be higher than the device your working on can stand.

krashkart · 05-27-10, 11:45 AM

I've only [possibly] fried one component in 12 years. I think the risk of plugging a Berg adapter in upside-down (then turning on the machine -- there's a story behind this one) is higher than an ESD happening.

Seth8530 · 05-27-10, 12:24 PM

please elaborate sounds like quite a story lol

PS i just got posted up to an XO (:

SteamWake · 05-27-10, 12:29 PM

Nope but I usually make it a point to take off my shoes when working on a PC.

I have blown a powersupply but yea dressing cables while hot is not a good idea

Oh yea Ive done the plug the power connector backwards thing too.

convoy hunter · 05-28-10, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seth8530

just curious to see if anyone here has actually managed to fry anything inside of their pc with an esd. Im asking because one time i was tidying up some wires in my trophy rig while it was running (yea... swell idea wasnt it?) and apparently one of the wires had a bare spot or something and it arced onto the interior of the case.

So i looked up at the screen and saw that it actually froze the screen. and made the pc completely unresponsive. Luckily one hard restart later and everything was golden... So is the risk of ESD death over talked? or am i just a lucky bugger

I have't "kill" any part of my pc with esd yet. But I did burn my CPU because the technician had forgotten to put the cable of the fan in the plug.

krashkart · 05-28-10, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by convoy hunter

I have't "kill" any part of my pc with esd yet. But I did burn my CPU because the technician had forgotten to put the cable of the fan in the plug.

Always a good idea to double check just to be sure. Crispy baked CPU's are not very tasty.

Seth8530 · 05-28-10, 09:22 AM

wow, when my blew it didnt smoke any. not that i could tell anyways. Ive heard that computer smoke is bad for the noggin lol.

And you actually managed to kill a cpu with heat? wow. im surprised it didnt throttle and turn itself off.

HunterICX · 05-28-10, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seth8530

And you actually managed to kill a cpu with heat? wow. im surprised it didnt throttle and turn itself off.

a old video, but it shows you what happens when you take of the fan with older Intel chips and the AMD Athlon chips

I think nowadays the AMD has the same safety that the it slows down or freezes the aplication but saves the CPU and ofcourse your others components..

still I wouldn't advice to take of the fan's of your CPU

HunterICX

krashkart · 05-28-10, 10:33 AM

That hurt to watch. Had a fan give out on the K6-2. Far as I can tell it didn't burn up, but watching that video has me worried about the Athlon. Would rather not fry eggs on it.

05-27-10, 12:24 AM	#1
Seth8530 Captain Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tennessee Posts: 546 Downloads: 17 Uploads: 0	Has anyone here fried a pc component with electro static discharge just curious to see if anyone here has actually managed to fry anything inside of their pc with an esd. Im asking because one time i was tidying up some wires in my trophy rig while it was running (yea... swell idea wasnt it?) and apparently one of the wires had a bare spot or something and it arced onto the interior of the case. So i looked up at the screen and saw that it actually froze the screen. and made the pc completely unresponsive. Luckily one hard restart later and everything was golden... So is the risk of ESD death over talked? or am i just a lucky bugger __________________

05-27-10, 05:14 AM	#2
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Never had it myself, but seen it happen plenty, and heared from first hand experiences even more. Yeah, components are pretty sensitive. Simply using a bad PSU that delivers voltages that are of the mark too much will destroy a system over time. Sudden spike from esd is more than capable of wreaking some havoc. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

05-27-10, 06:25 AM	#3
CaptainHaplo Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 4,404 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	What you were dealing with wasn't static electricity, since you had a conductor that simply arced to "ground". Is it overstated? Yes, but with good reason. The chances of you frying something are pretty low with ESD, mainly because static electricity isn't a huge issue for most people. However, every person is different, some people build it up naturally and never seem to "bleed" it off, getting shocked quite often, while others never build up enough of a charge to ever create that "arc". I have no idea why this is, but basicly, if your one of those people who gets shocked 2 or 3 times a day, don't work on your own PC - because your static charge is likely to be higher than the device your working on can stand. __________________ Good Hunting! Captain Haplo

05-27-10, 11:45 AM	#4
krashkart Navy Seal Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 5,292 Downloads: 100 Uploads: 0	I've only [possibly] fried one component in 12 years. I think the risk of plugging a Berg adapter in upside-down (then turning on the machine -- there's a story behind this one) is higher than an ESD happening. __________________ sent from my fingertips using a cheap keyboard

05-27-10, 12:24 PM	#5
Seth8530 Captain Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tennessee Posts: 546 Downloads: 17 Uploads: 0	please elaborate sounds like quite a story lol PS i just got posted up to an XO (: __________________

05-27-10, 12:29 PM	#6
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Nope but I usually make it a point to take off my shoes when working on a PC. I have blown a powersupply but yea dressing cables while hot is not a good idea Oh yea Ive done the plug the power connector backwards thing too. __________________ Follow the progress of Mr. Mulligan : http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147648

05-28-10, 09:22 AM	#9
Seth8530 Captain Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tennessee Posts: 546 Downloads: 17 Uploads: 0	wow, when my blew it didnt smoke any. not that i could tell anyways. Ive heard that computer smoke is bad for the noggin lol. And you actually managed to kill a cpu with heat? wow. im surprised it didnt throttle and turn itself off. __________________

05-28-10, 10:33 AM	#11
krashkart Navy Seal Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 5,292 Downloads: 100 Uploads: 0	That hurt to watch. Had a fan give out on the K6-2. Far as I can tell it didn't burn up, but watching that video has me worried about the Athlon. Would rather not fry eggs on it. __________________ sent from my fingertips using a cheap keyboard