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Cold-Proofing a PC build

morriscey

Looking to build a garage PC for a house warming present for my fathers new garage. I want to make sure that even if it's kinda frosty out there, or humid in the summer that it won't short out if it's turned on so I was looking for recommendations on condensation proofing a mobo / PSU.

Will likely be an old core 2 duo board or maybe an FM2 board.  Have a few old PSU's to sacrifice as well. 

 

Hopefully something I could just spray apply to give it a small insulation. thinking about perhaps neoprene sheets, or dielectric grease.

 

 

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9 minutes ago, morriscey said:

Looking to build a garage PC for a house warming present for my fathers new garage. I want to make sure that even if it's kinda frosty out there, or humid in the summer that it won't short out if it's turned on so I was looking for recommendations on condensation proofing a mobo / PSU.

Will likely be an old core 2 duo board or maybe an FM2 board.  Have a few old PSU's to sacrifice as well. 

 

Hopefully something I could just spray apply to give it a small insulation. thinking about perhaps neoprene sheets, or dielectric grease.

 

 

Linus did a build w/ sub-zero temps, I'd look into what he used there, I think it was kneaded erasers. But why a garage PC?

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The only real problem is condensation. Make sure that doesn't get into the PC and you're golden.

PCs love sub-zero temps.

Remember kids, the only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down. - Adam Savage

 

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You could use something called conformal coating (I don't know if this is the actual name of the stuff). It basically applies a layer of something like polyurethane. It's used in electronics that need to have water protection.

 

Otherwise, the only way to combat condensation would be to either keep the immediate area dry or warm. Humidity isn't really much of a problem (speaking from someone who used a computer for several years in a tropical/subtropical environment with no use of climate control)

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plasti dip. just plasti dip everything you can. i doubt there is going to be a problem even if you do anything but still, plasti dip is a great option

I spent $2500 on building my PC and all i do with it is play no games atm & watch anime at 1080p(finally) watch YT and write essays...  nothing, it just sits there collecting dust...

Builds:

The Toaster Project! Northern Bee!

 

The original LAN PC build log! (Old, dead and replaced by The Toaster Project & 5.0)

Spoiler

"Here is some advice that might have gotten lost somewhere along the way in your life. 

 

#1. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

#2. It's best to keep your mouth shut; and appear to be stupid, rather than open it and remove all doubt.

#3. There is nothing "wrong" with being wrong. Learning from a mistake can be more valuable than not making one in the first place.

 

Follow these simple rules in life, and I promise you, things magically get easier. " - MageTank 31-10-2016

 

 

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9 minutes ago, M.Yurizaki said:

You could use something called conformal coating (I don't know if this is the actual name of the stuff). It basically applies a layer of something like polyurethane. It's used in electronics that need to have water protection.

 

Otherwise, the only way to combat condensation would be to either keep the immediate area dry or warm. Humidity isn't really much of a problem (speaking from someone who used a computer for several years in a tropical/subtropical environment with no use of climate control)

Is it this: https://www.liquipel.com/products/watersafe

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1 minute ago, M.Yurizaki said:

I think Liquipel does the same thing, just you send it to them and they use their special machine to do it, and then send it back to you. I'd check before spraying anything on the mobo though. And if Liquipel does it, they'll have to replace it if they mess it up. :D

Intel HEDT and Server platform enthusiasts: Intel HEDT Xeon/i7 Megathread 

 

Main PC 

CPU: i9 7980XE @4.5GHz/1.22v/-2 AVX offset 

Cooler: EKWB Supremacy Block - custom loop w/360mm +280mm rads 

Motherboard: EVGA X299 Dark 

RAM:4x8GB HyperX Predator DDR4 @3200Mhz CL16 

GPU: Nvidia FE 2060 Super/Corsair HydroX 2070 FE block 

Storage:  1TB MP34 + 1TB 970 Evo + 500GB Atom30 + 250GB 960 Evo 

Optical Drives: LG WH14NS40 

PSU: EVGA 1600W T2 

Case & Fans: Corsair 750D Airflow - 3x Noctua iPPC NF-F12 + 4x Noctua iPPC NF-A14 PWM 

OS: Windows 11

 

Display: LG 27UK650-W (4K 60Hz IPS panel)

Mouse: EVGA X17

Keyboard: Corsair K55 RGB

 

Mobile/Work Devices: 2020 M1 MacBook Air (work computer) - iPhone 13 Pro Max - Apple Watch S3

 

Other Misc Devices: iPod Video (Gen 5.5E, 128GB SD card swap, running Rockbox), Nintendo Switch

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2 hours ago, Bananasplit_00 said:

plasti dip. just plasti dip everything you can. i doubt there is going to be a problem even if you do anything but still, plasti dip is a great option

Hadn't even considered plastidip - may be easier to get ahold of than conformal coating and may do a decent enough job. 

2 hours ago, M.Yurizaki said:

You could use something called conformal coating (I don't know if this is the actual name of the stuff). It basically applies a layer of something like polyurethane. It's used in electronics that need to have water protection.

 

Otherwise, the only way to combat condensation would be to either keep the immediate area dry or warm. Humidity isn't really much of a problem (speaking from someone who used a computer for several years in a tropical/subtropical environment with no use of climate control)

Yeah conformal coating is what I was looking for. it'll be in a garage - so hot humid days with a bay or two open and cool dark evenings might make a problem. in the summer the surfaces in his old shop were commonly covered with a slick coating of condensation. 

2 hours ago, Zando Bob said:

I think Liquipel does the same thing, just you send it to them and they use their special machine to do it, and then send it back to you. I'd check before spraying anything on the mobo though. And if Liquipel does it, they'll have to replace it if they mess it up. :D

Lol looks like a solution for a much better class of hardware - I'm not too worried about messing it up - all this machine has to do is basically be a web terminal to look up information in the shop so I'm using *close to* garbage hardware. If I wreck it I'm out roughly twenty bucks - forty max.

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4 minutes ago, morriscey said:

Hadn't even considered plastidip - may be easier to get ahold of than conformal coating and may do a decent enough job. 

Yeah conformal coating is what I was looking for. it'll be in a garage - so hot humid days with a bay or two open and cool dark evenings might make a problem. in the summer the surfaces in his old shop were commonly covered with a slick coating of condensation. 

Lol looks like a solution for a much better class of hardware - I'm not too worried about messing it up - all this machine has to do is basically be a web terminal to look up information in the shop so I'm using *close to* garbage hardware. If I wreck it I'm out roughly twenty bucks - forty max.

plasti dip will do a fine job for you here, its going to keep the moisture out

I spent $2500 on building my PC and all i do with it is play no games atm & watch anime at 1080p(finally) watch YT and write essays...  nothing, it just sits there collecting dust...

Builds:

The Toaster Project! Northern Bee!

 

The original LAN PC build log! (Old, dead and replaced by The Toaster Project & 5.0)

Spoiler

"Here is some advice that might have gotten lost somewhere along the way in your life. 

 

#1. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

#2. It's best to keep your mouth shut; and appear to be stupid, rather than open it and remove all doubt.

#3. There is nothing "wrong" with being wrong. Learning from a mistake can be more valuable than not making one in the first place.

 

Follow these simple rules in life, and I promise you, things magically get easier. " - MageTank 31-10-2016

 

 

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