Dropped metal tweezers on motherboard... caused damage?

[LE-FISH]

I recently opened my case to insert a PCIe USB 3.0 hub. In the process I dropped metal tweezers (was using to straighten pins on USB socket on PCIe card) and now worried I may have damage motherboard? Am I being too paranoid?

 

[SteinerW]

Yes. You would have to put some force on it to do any damage. Hell, I've accidentally stepped on motherboards and they're still fine. 

[AlwaysFSX]

I've dropped a screw driver on my motherboard a few times, it's probably fine. Your only real risk is scratching a trace but you can see if there's any damage.

[dizmo]

Have you noticed any problems?

[vorticalbox]

3 minutes ago, 3DGamerOnSteam said:

Yes. You would have to put some force on it to do any damage. Hell, I've accidentally stepped on motherboards and they're still fine. 

Me to slipped from a stuck intel heatsink and screwdriver right into the PCB

[Naeaes]

If it was on, you'd know if there was damage. If it was off, get a bright flashlight (your phone's flash is fine) and comb though the traces on the PCB. You're looking for any scratches that dug though the lacquer and exposed the copper. The flashlight makes the copper reflect back very distinctively. Albeit, i bet the tweezers weren't heavy enough to do that much damage. 

 

Here's a picture with exposed copper: 

 

The thing is, the current running though a nicked trace can heat it up and eat it away more in the long rung. Over time it'll burn out altogether and stop working.

[LE-FISH]

3 minutes ago, dizmo said:

Have you noticed any problems?

No problems. Everything boots up fine.

[dizmo]

1 minute ago, LE-FISH said:

No problems. Everything boots up fine.

Then why are you worried?

[LE-FISH]

4 minutes ago, Naeaes said:

If it was on, you'd know if there was damage. If it was off, get a bright flashlight (your phone's flash is fine) and comb though the traces on the PCB. You're looking for any scratches that dug though the lacquer and exposed the copper. The flashlight makes the copper reflect back very distinctively. Albeit, i bet the tweezers weren't heavy enough to do that much damage. 

 

Here's a picture with exposed copper: 

 

The thing is, the current running though a nicked trace can heat it up and eat it away more in the long rung. Over time it'll burn out altogether and stop working.

There's no exposed copper. The tweezers are quite light so I guess nothing was damaged physically by the looks of it. I am just more worried about the fact that tweezers are metal and metal touching PCB is bad???

[LE-FISH]

5 minutes ago, dizmo said:

Then why are you worried?

Hmm, maybe just worrying too much

[manikyath]

6 minutes ago, Naeaes said:

If it was on, you'd know if there was damage. If it was off, get a bright flashlight (your phone's flash is fine) and comb though the traces on the PCB. You're looking for any scratches that dug though the lacquer and exposed the copper. The flashlight makes the copper reflect back very distinctively. Albeit, i bet the tweezers weren't heavy enough to do that much damage. 

 

Here's a picture with exposed copper: 

 

The thing is, the current running though a nicked trace can heat it up and eat it away more in the long rung. Over time it'll burn out altogether and stop working.

exposed copper also doesnt really mean a failure, it's just like.. "at the edge of a failure"

 

it's like having your power cord frayed out to the point there's no insulation and it's just two bushes of copper near each other waiting to short out.

[Naeaes]

Just now, LE-FISH said:

There's no exposed copper. The tweezers are quite light so I guess nothing was damaged physically by the looks of it. I am just more worried about the fact that tweezers are metal and metal touching PCB is bad???

It can be bad if it was on. But if it was bad, it would have sparked and you'd know. Sounds to me that you're fine. 

[LE-FISH]

Thanks guys