Grounding

[JoshPC]

What objects can you touch to ground yourself?

[Aytex]

psu, case, metal parts

[The_Stig]

The PSU when its plugged in but remains off

[JebKerman]

PSU (plugged into a wall socket but not turned on)

metal frame of case once the PSU is installed in said case

[skullrebell]

What objects can you touch to ground yourself?

my coaster its an old intel heatsink

[JoshPC]

The PSU when its plugged in but remains off

Any place on the PSU?

[AnonymousGuy]

Touching a PSU is unreliable due to most PSUs nowadays being painted.  Back 10 years ago the case was bare metal.  However, the case is grounded still but has to be plugged in to the wall to be truly grounded.

 

Proper protocol in my workroom is antistatic mat and wrist strap both grounded to the wall outlet ground (you just buy a 3 prong plug with 3 bare wires on the other end, cut off the hot and neutral wires and leave the ground wire exposed)..  Wall outlet ground is earth grounded through copper plumbing (how most houses are setup).  I also wear antistatic gloves.  They have silver woven in the fabric to prevent charge from concentrating in one area.  Ain't got no time for troubleshooting static discharge caused problems.

[Theminecraftaddict555]

Touching a PSU is unreliable due to most PSUs nowadays being painted.  Back 10 years ago the case was bare metal.  However, the case is grounded still but has to be plugged in to the wall to be truly grounded.

 

Proper protocol in my workroom is antistatic mat and wrist strap both grounded to the wall outlet ground (you just buy a 3 prong plug with 3 bare wires on the other end, cut off the hot and neutral wires and leave the ground wire exposed)..  Wall outlet ground is earth grounded through copper plumbing (how most houses are setup).  I also wear antistatic gloves.  They have silver woven in the fabric to prevent charge from concentrating in one area.  Ain't got no time for troubleshooting static discharge caused problems.

But linus stated that touching the metal on psu casing still does the job and he stated that in his videos less than 10 years ago...Unless he is misleading us which I doubt...

[AnonymousGuy]

But linus stated that touching the metal on psu casing still does the job and he stated that in his videos less than 10 years ago...Unless he is misleading us which I doubt...

If it's bare metal you're fine.  Let me go grab a multimeter quick to check that I'm not bullshitting about paint fucking over continuity.

 

EDIT:

 

Yeah anywhere painted there's nothing.  With mobo installed in the case and plugged in (24 pin connector), anything that's shiny (not painted) is connected to ground.  This includes the IO shield, GPU waterblock (copper), the insides of phillips screws (where the screwdriver has removed the paint).  Notably the CPU mounting and socket isn't grounded, so don't assume your heatsink is connected to ground.

[Theminecraftaddict555]

If it's bare metal you're fine.  Let me go grab a multimeter quick to check that I'm not bullshitting about paint fucking over continuity.

Is the OCZ 650w ZT PSU considered bare metal or is that painted over?

[AnonymousGuy]

Is the OCZ 650w ZT PSU considered bare metal or is that painted over?

It's black painted steel.

[AnonymousGuy]

If you want to for sure ground yourself, I reccommend inserting a paperclip into the ground prong of an outlet and touching that.  Don't be an idiot and insert it into the hot / neutral and if you don't live in the US then I have no idea which is ground.

[Theminecraftaddict555]

If you want to for sure ground yourself, I reccommend inserting a paperclip into the ground prong of an outlet and touching that.  Don't be an idiot and insert it into the hot / neutral and if you don't live in the US then I have no idea which is ground.

Also will touching the inside metal of my Fbm-01 case discharge the static?

[AnonymousGuy]

Also will touching the inside metal of my Fbm-01 case discharge the static?

 

If the PSU is plugged in to a grounded outlet, and the mobo is installed (standoffs electrically connect the mobo to the case), and the 24 pin connector is plugged in to the mobo (electrically connects the mobo to the PSU, and indirectly connects the case and whatever touches the case to the PSU), then any shiny metal is mostly likely grounded.  If it's black then it's not ground.

[Theminecraftaddict555]

If the PSU is plugged in to a grounded outlet, and the mobo is installed (standoffs electrically connect the mobo to the case), and the 24 pin connector is plugged in to the mobo (electrically connects the mobo to the PSU, and indirectly connects the case and whatever touches the case to the PSU), then any shiny metal is mostly likely grounded.  If it's black then it's not ground.

1. PSU is plugged into an extension cord? should be fine right

2. Mobo is obviously installed, of course it would be shorted out already if it wasn't

3. 24 pin is plugged in

 

So the metal inside the case I listed should be fine to touch and discharge static electricity right? Even if the metal looks a little cheaply made?

[Godlygamer23]

Moved to General Discussion.

[AnonymousGuy]

1. PSU is plugged into an extension cord? should be fine right

2. Mobo is obviously installed, of course it would be shorted out already if it wasn't

3. 24 pin is plugged in

 

So the metal inside the case I listed should be fine to touch and discharge static electricity right? Even if the metal looks a little cheaply made?

 

Extension cords don't matter.  Your copper plumbing in the walls is basically a giant extension cord to earth ground since pipes run underground in most/all places (hence why it's called earth ground - runs through the earth).

 

Easiest place to ground that I can say for certain is ground would be one of the IO connectors (where they show through the IO shield).  The headers are always grounded and probably aluminum and easily large enough to touch with your finger.

 

EDIT:  Also, with everything installed in a case it's unlikely you'll damage it with static.  There's just too much metal available to absorb the shock.  You ramp up static-protection the hlower level you go.  In order from "least likely to damage" to "most likely" : assembled computer, individual components (motherboard, video card, etc), individual parts (resistors, capacitors, chips, LEDs, etc etc).

[Theminecraftaddict555]

Extension cords don't matter.  Your copper plumbing in the walls is basically a giant extension cord to earth ground since pipes run underground in most/all places (hence why it's called earth ground - runs through the earth).

 

Easiest place to ground that I can say for certain is ground would be one of the IO connectors (where they show through the IO shield).  The headers are always grounded and probably aluminum and easily large enough to touch with your finger.

 

EDIT:  Also, with everything installed in a case it's unlikely you'll damage it with static.  There's just too much metal available to absorb the shock.  You ramp up static-protection the hlower level you go.  In order from "least likely to damage" to "most likely" : assembled computer, individual components (motherboard, video card, etc), individual parts (resistors, capacitors, chips, LEDs, etc etc).

So touch the metal on the io shield? 

[AnonymousGuy]

So touch the metal on the io shield? 

Anything circled in red here:

 

 

It's soldered to the motherboard and hence grounded.

[Theminecraftaddict555]

Anything circled in red here:

 

 

It's soldered to the motherboard and hence grounded.

Alright will touch that to discharge the static :3 

[bob345]

Touching a PSU is unreliable due to most PSUs nowadays being painted. Back 10 years ago the case was bare metal. However, the case is grounded still but has to be plugged in to the wall to be truly grounded.

Proper protocol in my workroom is antistatic mat and wrist strap both grounded to the wall outlet ground (you just buy a 3 prong plug with 3 bare wires on the other end, cut off the hot and neutral wires and leave the ground wire exposed).. Wall outlet ground is earth grounded through copper plumbing (how most houses are setup). I also wear antistatic gloves. They have silver woven in the fabric to prevent charge from concentrating in one area. Ain't got no time for troubleshooting static discharge caused problems.

not 100% true. While this would be the case for relatively low voltages, it is not when it comes to a very high arcing voltage. Static can easily jump through paint. Ever get out of a car and get a static shock? Also, nowadays static it's not a big issue anymore as most modern electronics have spark gaps to ground built in to the circuits themselves.

[Xizerz]

i don't worry that much about static, I just wouldn't wear a winter coat or pet a cat while building a PC

[Theminecraftaddict555]

not 100% true. While this would be the case for relatively low voltages, it is not when it comes to a very high arcing voltage. Static can easily jump through paint. Ever get out of a car and get a static shock? Also, nowadays static it's not a big issue anymore as most modern electronics have spark gaps to ground built in to the circuits themselves.

Still get static shock from gray painted lockers and red painted ones too LOL

[Guest]

My case is black but I'm not sure whether it painted or not. Its the Xion Xon 310 BLK. First time builder here. Also how can I ground myself a psu? Does it matter if its painted. I have an EVGA 400w and I'm not sure if its painted or not.