can signs of static damage be identified?

[PCproverbial]

I was halfway through trying to install a waterblock on my graphics card, when I read that static can damage your PC components, and that there's really no way to know in what way or to what extent (unless it's dead, then it's not working at all). I'll see if it's minimally functional soon enough, but I'm wondering what I might look for on the monitor's display, software defects, or other things in order to detect partial graphics card damage, or what instances of static damage you have either experienced yourself or learned about through other people.

[emosun]

it takes a big static discharge directly onto a very specific area of a component to kill it. which is why in 15 years of pc building i nor anyone i know has been able to do it.

finish building the machine first and use it and if theres a problem report back

[G1K777]

I killed 2 Mainboards and 1 RAM DIMM, the "big static discharge" is wrong.

Depending on the part you touch it can be a tiny discharge to kill a sensitive component.

 

Don't build anything on a carpet.

Discharge yourself by touching a plugged in powersupply(doesn't need to be turned on).

You can also discharge yourself by touching a heater(on a wall).
When you build, try to touch only plastic components, coolers and heatsinks.

[Godlygamer23]

Most of the time, damage caused by ESD is not detectable for a long time, after using it for a while for many years unless it was straight up killed right at that moment. Electronics nowadays though are resistant to the effects of static electricity, with components added specifically to absorb the charge. 

[emosun]

1 minute ago, G1K777 said:

I killed 2 Mainboards and 1 RAM DIMM, the "big static discharge" is wrong.

i should have stated if you live inside a tesla coil then yes the chance of killing a component will be increased

for any other normal human the chance is very low

[.Apex.]

I really doubt any static discharge would kill anything, unless you somehow turned yourself into a super capacitor, and i have no clue where that rumor came from, static electricity is very high in voltage but extremely low in current, so it can't possibly damage anything.

 

your body can't hold enough charge to really damage anything, electricity will naturally dissipate out of your body and into the air after it reaches a certain point, so the charge is limited.

[Godlygamer23]

3 minutes ago, syn2112 said:

I really doubt any static discharge would kill anything, unless you somehow turned yourself into a super capacitor, and i have no clue where that rumor came from, static electricity is very high in voltage but extremely low in current, so it can't possibly damage anything.

 

your body can't hold enough charge to really damage anything, electricity will naturally dissipate out of your body and into the air after it reaches a certain point, so the charge is limited.

That's how it kills components. High voltage. So the idea that it can't kill something is wrong. 

 

Yes, it does dissipate, but you generate static electricity just from moving around with your clothing.

[.Apex.]

basically what i'm trying to say, is that the human body is a really shitty capacitor

[porina]

Finished electronic products will have protection built in to resist static from causing damage. That doesn't mean they wont be, but it can take reasonable abuse and continue working. With components the requirements are different to that of a finished product. Major components like ICs will likely have some level of protection on their pins. Other components are generally less sensitive.

 

It's practically impossible to tell how much damage there is. One day it'll work. Each zap can make it weaker, until some point it doesn't work right any more. Take some basic precautions and things will be fine. I've been building on and off of many years, and never killed anything, at least not by static...

[.Apex.]

Just now, Godlygamer23 said:

That's how it kills components. High voltage. 

high voltage with not enough current to back it up is not gonna do anything

[Godlygamer23]

Just now, syn2112 said:

high voltage with not enough current to back it up is not gonna do anything

Tell that to our research done on static electricity.

[porina]

1 minute ago, syn2112 said:

basically what i'm trying to say, is that the human body is a really shitty capacitor

Individual components are very small. You don't have to use dark side of the force levels of energy from your fingertips to damage something.

 

1 minute ago, syn2112 said:

high voltage with not enough current to back it up is not gonna do anything

In the case of static electricity, it is the energy.

[Razor Blade]

It is very difficult or impossible to detect ESD damage. That said working on a PC, you're way more likely to inadvertently touch the chassis. Mere moments after you do, you and the PC's ground plane begin to equalize in voltage potential thereby minimizing the chances for ESD to destroy components.

 

I always recommend a ground strap or at least keep a hand on the chassis.

[.Apex.]

Just now, Godlygamer23 said:

Tell that to our research done on static electricity.

depends what kind of static electricity, i'm only talking about static electricity that is stored in the body, other things will surely damage something depending on what the object is.

[Godlygamer23]

Just now, syn2112 said:

depends what kind of static electricity, i'm only talking about static electricity that is stored in the body, other things will surely damage something depending on what the object is.

Even there, you can still do some damage. I imagine this is why companies, like my workplace, take great precautions against it.

 

Gamers Nexus claims to have killed a board with static electricity just from walking around with it across carpet. Mind you, it wasn't immediate, but over time. And that's the thing. Even if you keep voltages low, it will still do damage over time. I don't know what video it was where Steve said that, but it wasn't a video specifically about static electricity. 

[.Apex.]

1 minute ago, Godlygamer23 said:

Gamers Nexus claims to have killed a board with static electricity just from walking around with it across carpet. Mind you, it wasn't immediate, but over time. And that's the thing. Even if you keep voltages low, it will still do damage over time. I don't know what video it was where Steve said that, but it wasn't a video specifically about static electricity. 

that's interesting, i'll check it out, i guess it would be possible to damage something if you're constantly charging your body while holding the board, rather than a millisecond spark

[Razor Blade]

2 minutes ago, Godlygamer23 said:

Even there, you can still do some damage. I imagine this is why companies, like my workplace, take great precautions against it.

 

*snip*

Yup... when I work on board level repairs, I have an anti static mat and wrist strap which is literally plugged into the wall's ground. However when I'm swapping boards, I just have a wrist strap connected to the chassis of the machine.

[Godlygamer23]

4 minutes ago, Razor Blade said:

Yup... when I work on board level repairs, I have an anti static mat and wrist strap which is literally plugged into the wall's ground. However when I'm swapping boards, I just have a wrist strap connected to the chassis of the machine.

My workplace(military) keeps humidity above a certain point, grounds all the tables and floors, and then of course we have to be grounded as well. Also, we use ESD containers for our solvents and trash cans. Some might say that's going too far lol.

[Blademaster91]

27 minutes ago, emosun said:

i should have stated if you live inside a tesla coil then yes the chance of killing a component will be increased

for any other normal human the chance is very low

The chance is higher if you're in a very low humidity room and with carpet, though the chance of killing a motherboard or graphics card immediately is still low.

As mentioned install components by the heatsinks and never by the motherboard or pins, I always pick up a motherboard or GPU with the heatsink.

[emosun]

12 minutes ago, Blademaster91 said:

As mentioned install components by the heatsinks and never by the motherboard or pins, I always pick up a motherboard or GPU with the heatsink.

pick up a motherboard normally not by the heatsink

[Rakanoth]

45 minutes ago, G1K777 said:

I killed 2 Mainboards and 1 RAM DIMM, the "big static discharge" is wrong.

 

I find this hard to believe.

[aezakmi]

53 minutes ago, G1K777 said:

I killed 2 Mainboards and 1 RAM DIMM, the "big static discharge" is wrong.

Depending on the part you touch it can be a tiny discharge to kill a sensitive component.

 

Don't build anything on a carpet.

Discharge yourself by touching a plugged in powersupply(doesn't need to be turned on).

You can also discharge yourself by touching a heater(on a wall).
When you build, try to touch only plastic components, coolers and heatsinks.

damn what are you, palpatine? lol

[Blademaster91]

On 1/19/2019 at 6:46 PM, emosun said:

pick up a motherboard normally not by the heatsink

I see so many reviewers do that though, but I personally don't I install or remove a motherboard by holding the heatsinks.

[X_X]

6 hours ago, Godlygamer23 said:

Gamers Nexus claims to have killed a board with static electricity just from walking around with it across carpet.

FUD. If it was being carried it would be at the same potential as the carrier.

[Godlygamer23]

9 hours ago, X_X said:

FUD. If it was being carried it would be at the same potential as the carrier.

If you're generating a charge from movement, then it would immediately discharge to anything conductive enough, which would be the motherboard in this instance.

 

I'm not sure what your point is.