Why do people handle computer parts as if they are a new born baby?

[cesh me inside b0z]

This never made sense to me, have you ever tried to physically snap a motherboard in half? if you can, congrats, you are very strong. I have done this and the force needed is ridiculous.

 

I man handle everything i have, never had anything break because of it.

 

I was reading a Reddit thread about people complaining if a post man dropped the Ram.. seriously? you could drop ram in a box like that from 700 feet and would still have no defects whatsoever. Weight is not enough, box is padded and absorbs shock... i swear some people are just idiots!

 

Hard drives, yes those are new born babies, don't drop that! or your power supply!

[Levent]

you can literally bend motherboards to like 70 degrees.

[minibois]

Because I don't have 100's of euros just laying around to replace expensive crap :s 

I would rather be careful and I guess 'baby' my components, rather than take a chance on destroying it (knowing my luck, if I tried anything dangerous, I would surely break all the things).

 

But sometimes people take it a bit too far. Someone was talking about spilling some thermal paste on their board and talking about just 'biting the bullet' and just getting a new board. That is a bit too much.

But next time I get the chance I'll try testing my might and snapping a board in half.

[dalekphalm]

3 minutes ago, F77 said:

This never made sense to me, have you ever tried to physically snap a motherboard in half? if you can, congrats, you are very strong. I have done this and the force needed is ridiculous.

You don't need to snap it in half to damage it (either superficially or critically). All you need to do is break a trace, pop a solder joint, etc.

 

Hell even something as simple as accidentally dropping something onto the pins and wrecking the socket isn't too difficult.

3 minutes ago, F77 said:

I man handle everything i have, never had anything break because of it.

Cool cool.

 

Other people have babied their tech and still had it break.

3 minutes ago, F77 said:

I was reading a Reddit thread about people complaining if a post man dropped the Ram.. seriously? you could drop ram in a box like that from 700 feet and would still have no defects whatsoever. Weight is not enough, box is padded and absorbs shock... i swear some people are just idiots!

I agree that dropping a RAM stick from normal height is unlikely to cause any damage, but dropping it from 700 feet can indeed destroy the RAM. I imagine that this was simple hyperbole - but just in case anyone took you seriously, just making that clarification.

3 minutes ago, F77 said:

Hard drives, yes those are new born babies, don't drop that! or your power supply!

HDD's are easy to damage, this is very true.

 

But, you can easily damage PC components if you're not careful. You don't need to baby every part, but there's no point in intentionally being careless either.

[Founders]

It’s really not the PCB that’s the delicate part on a board. It’s all of the other tiny components that are. There’s no need to handle components like a new born but you still want to handle with care. Same goes for anything tech related really. If you want to man handle your gear that’s on you I guess, but I don’t see how this doesn’t make sense to you that people would want to be careful with something they paid for and intend to actually use.

[cesh me inside b0z]

1 minute ago, dalekphalm said:

You don't need to snap it in half to damage it (either superficially or critically). All you need to do is break a trace, pop a solder joint, etc.

 

Hell even something as simple as accidentally dropping something onto the pins and wrecking the socket isn't too difficult.

Cool cool.

 

Other people have babied their tech and still had it break.

I agree that dropping a RAM stick from normal height is unlikely to cause any damage, but dropping it from 700 feet can indeed destroy the RAM. I imagine that this was simple hyperbole - but just in case anyone took you seriously, just making that clarification.

HDD's are easy to damage, this is very true.

 

But, you can easily damage PC components if you're not careful. You don't need to baby every part, but there's no point in intentionally being careless either.

Ram weighs literally nothing, it would hit maximum velocity and be too easily slowed by incoming wind to have any real damage done to it, this in it's shipped box also...

Ram is the least likely to break even at 700 feet.

 

Motherboards, yes traces, but in it's box, i could launch it at a wall pretty hard in it's box and it will still work.

Don't be scared to get frisky and bend it some either, seriously... i must have put my old H67 board through hell and that thing still never died on me.

 

If a component will fail it will be from heat, poor upkeep, it was not put together as solid at the factory or just wear and tear from many years of use.

[PlayStation 2]

Sorry that money isn't an object to most of us here.

[Mira Yurizaki]

Because for a lot of people, computer parts are some of the most valuable things they have in their possession. And a lot of people don't have much experience handling bare electronics.

[WereCatf]

5 minutes ago, F77 said:

Don't be scared to get frisky and bend it some either, seriously...

I'll take your advice seriously, if you agree to pay for any replacement parts, if something breaks. Until then, I'm going to be careful with my hardware.

[Scott Macbeth]

In my experience, its not necessarily me knowing pc parts are easily breakable but more the cost of the parts. If im blasting upwards of 500-1000 pounds on a graphics card, even though i know i can man handle them more than you expect, its not worth taking the chances when that damage wont be covered in warranty IF i manage to break it man handling it.

[HanZie82]

Because its expensive as fuck.
I dont have enough disposable income to just trow around hardware.
I do when its not mine, but even then only when i think its able to handle it.

Its nothing to do with can it or will it break its with respect for you hardware. You treat it well it treats you well.
What i can never understand is why mistreat hardware. Motherboards are meant to be flat, why try and bend it. What do you get out of it? I actually really wonder.

I mean why take the risk, it jsut ends up costing more.

 

Respect your hardware people. Cus i don't respect people that don't.

 

[porina]

The biggest two risks as I see it are shock to surface mount components and static electricity. Surface mount components are pretty brittle. Bending a board or other shocks could break them, invisible to the naked eye. Static electricity I don't think I need to describe further, but it can be managed with basic precautions.

 

If the products are in packaging, that provides a fair bit of extra protection, especially if it is shipping packaging as opposed to retail packaging. You do have to assume shipping will put it through hell and back, and they will use enough packing to reduce that risk.

[Tristerin]

My first few experiences with PCs were:

 

My brother manhandling my parts making me nervous AF but it always worked.

Then I started doing my own builds, gently.

Then I realized its not as poorly built as I assumed, and can take quite the abuse in comparison

Now I manhandle parts.

I only don't when other peoples parts are in my hand and they are a newb who may get nervous AF if I do manhandle them lol

 

Agree on the HDD's Ive only botched 1 HDD and that was bumping a PC while it was using the HDD to hard.  PSU's I kind of manhandle still.

[dalekphalm]

7 minutes ago, F77 said:

Ram weighs literally nothing, it would hit maximum velocity and be too easily slowed by incoming wind to have any real damage done to it, this in it's shipped box also...

Ram is the least likely to break even at 700 feet.

To be clear, you edited your post and added in the word "box" - RAM in a box could likely fall fairly high and not be damaged (assuming no water damage)

7 minutes ago, F77 said:

Motherboards, yes traces, but in it's box, i could launch it at a wall pretty hard in it's box and it will still work.

A motherboard in it's original packaging would be more resilient, yes - and able to handle a fumbled drop without much worry - but I would not ever recommend "sending it" or launching it at a wall.

 

You could definitely damage a motherboard in box by throwing it at a wall too hard.

7 minutes ago, F77 said:

Don't be scared to get frisky and bend it some either, seriously... i must have put my old H67 board through hell and that thing still never died on me.

 

7 minutes ago, F77 said:

If a component will fail it will be from heat, poor upkeep, it was not put together as solid at the factory or just wear and tear from many years of use.

 

These are what we call examples of Anecdotal evidence. Other people have driven over speed bumps at two or three times the speed limit and never damaged their car - or ran over pot holes and never damaged their car.

 

That doesn't mean that speed bumps and pot holes cannot damage cars though.

[cesh me inside b0z]

Just now, dalekphalm said:

To be clear, you edited your post and added in the word "box" - RAM in a box could likely fall fairly high and not be damaged (assuming no water damage)

A motherboard in it's original packaging would be more resilient, yes - and able to handle a fumbled drop without much worry - but I would not ever recommend "sending it" or launching it at a wall.

 

You could definitely damage a motherboard in box by throwing it at a wall too hard.

 

 

These are what we call examples of Anecdotal evidence. Other people have driven over speed bumps at two or three times the speed limit and never damaged their car - or ran over pot holes and never damaged their car.

 

That doesn't mean that speed bumps and pot holes cannot damage cars though.

I guess there is a fine line between common sense and risk, i must have some of it down to a tee.

 

I was always electrocuting myself and tearing electrical equipment down as a child though, so rough handling to me is normal handling because i understand what it can and can't take.

 

 

[WereCatf]

3 minutes ago, F77 said:

I guess there is a fine line between common sense and risk, i must have some of it down to a tee.

 

I was always electrocuting myself and tearing electrical equipment down as a child though, so rough handling to me is normal handling because i understand what it can and can't take.

To be quite frank, it just sounds to me like you trying to brag about how cool and macho you are.

 

I don't coddle my hardware, I don't wear silk gloves while handling stuff nor do I get a heart-attack from accidentally dropping something. I do swing my PSUs around from the cables if it's a non-modular PSU, I just toss my RAM-sticks in a box and so on, but at the same time I do try not to deliberately bend PCBs since I don't want to accidentally lift any traces, I don't want to detach any leads from the ICs or dislodge BGAs, and I certainly don't see the point in bragging about being stupidly careless with hardware.

[TopherMan]

Electrical components can still break.  I see no reason why I would try to be rough with something that can potentially break.  Look at the motherboard.  You have capacitors being held into place by solder and a piece of metal.  That can break.  Why intentionally be rough?  Doesn't seem very wise to me.

 

 

[cesh me inside b0z]

Just now, WereCatf said:

To be quite frank, it just sounds to me like you trying to brag about how cool and macho you are.

 

I don't coddle my hardware, I don't wear silk gloves while handling stuff nor do I get a heart-attack from accidentally dropping something. I do swing my PSUs around from the cables if it's a non-modular PSU, I just toss my RAM-sticks in a box and so on, but at the same time I do try not to deliberately bend PCBs since I don't want to accidentally lift any traces, I don't want to detach any leads from the ICs or dislodge BGAs, and I certainly don't see the point in bragging about being stupidly careless with hardware.

Well in that case, i don't value objects bought with money over other people since you want to get angry.

[cesh me inside b0z]

< content remvoed >

 

It is quite subjective in how someone handles part etc, but i would not change my mind on the HDD or power supply, power supplies literally bricks and all the shock goes through the entire unit.

 

Motherboards are far stronger than folk think, ram... mentioned ram already.

Did you not have the crazy scientist in your head as  a kid? you know looking inside electronic equipment, tinkering? electrocuting yourself? cutting your finger on some part you dislodged?

 

See we all learn differently, i gain the ability to understand the strength of components, back then though it was DVD players, Tube TV's, PS2's etc i messed with.

 

 

Edited January 7, 2020 by LogicalDrm

[HanZie82]

22 minutes ago, F77 said:

It is quite subjective in how someone handles part etc, but i would not change my mind on the HDD or power supply, power supplies literally bricks and all the shock goes through the entire unit.

 

Motherboards are far stronger than folk think, ram... mentioned ram already.

Did you not have the crazy scientist in your head as  a kid? you know looking inside electronic equipment, tinkering? electrocuting yourself? cutting your finger on some part you dislodged?

 

See we all learn differently, i gain the ability to understand the strength of components, back then though it was DVD players, Tube TV's, PS2's etc i messed with.

 

 

I did that too as a kid, but seems we learned a different lesson from that all.
I know the strength of most components still i take a lot of care since the monetary value is pretty high/important to me.

And it can be annoying sometimes to see others just totally trow around their shit. I mean if you care so little give it here.

Edited January 7, 2020 by LogicalDrm

[Mira Yurizaki]

Ultimately: if it gets the job done, who the hell cares how it's done? If you want to manhandle your electronics that's fine. That's how you get it done. If someone else wants to baby their electronics, that's fine. That's how they get it done.

 

If you have a problem with this, then the problem is with you.

[cesh me inside b0z]

The thought was there, the way it went was iffy, we settled in the end, thanks folks, was a good and interesting topic, a little heated but that's ok.

[HanZie82]

Just now, F77 said:

The thought was there, the way it went was iffy, we settled in the end, thanks folks, was a good and interesting topic, a little heated but that's ok.

I it aint heated ppl dont care. So why should we then.
But yeah looks a bit done here. Goodday everyone. Spread the love!

[Founders]

9 minutes ago, F77 said:

cutting your finger on some part you dislodged?

You do understand that some electronics have internal PSU’s with no shrouding right? You can literally die if you don’t know what you’re looking at and touch the wrong component.

32 minutes ago, F77 said:

I can buy things if i have the money for it, i save up and buy it, i still handle it like it's supposed to be, you know, grab it, may have to bend it a bit if my fingers are in the way installing it.

If you have to bend a rigid component in order to install it then you’re doing it wrong. If something has to bend in order to fit then it means your other components aren’t installed correctly.

[cesh me inside b0z]

5 minutes ago, Founders said:

You do understand that some electronics have internal PSU’s with no shrouding right? You can literally die if you don’t know what you’re looking at and touch the wrong component.

If you have to bend a rigid component in order to install it then you’re doing it wrong. If something has to bend in order to fit then it means your other components aren’t installed correctly.

Creative people find ways around it, metals are normally bendable, especially heat pipes and heatsinks, my Noctua bent quit a lot to fit a full sized GPU and Ram in, cooler worked just as good as it did before.

 

My Ryzen system i needed no bends or anything, everything fit fine.

 

Yes i am aware a PSU can kapow you, that is why you make sure to run the power switch for a while after unplugging, don't touch the internals with your fingers, just use a vacuum and / or compressed air.

 

As for other things, yeah if it mentions 5v and 12v, the cables are thinner and you see all of this after the large metal thing with yellow in it, usually a big heavy piece of metal with loads of copper in it, you are safe, touch anything before that, goodbye Vietnam.