How to kill a old CPU

[elfishz]

For the sake of science, I was wondering what EXACTLY happens when you put a CPU near some house hold item like a plasma ball?

[Daniel Z.]

If it is unpowered, nothing should happen. CPUs are surprisingly durable.

[Spotty]

What will happen if you place it near your plasma ball at home? It would be bad. How bad? Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously, and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light. For this reason I personally try and keep my CPUs away from my plasma balls and proton accelerators. The manual also recommends keeping them at least 8 metres away from any flux capacitors.

The most frequent cause of damage to CPUs will be physical damage to the pins/contact points underneath during handling and installation, or overvolting and/or overheating during use. Avoid these and your CPU should last a long time.

[elfishz]

Here's my theory:

Near a plasma ball, the electromagnetic field pumps high voltage electricity through the logic gates, frying them.

[Daniel Z.]

Just now, Spotty said:

What will happen if you place it near your plasma ball at home? It would be bad. How bad? Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously, and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light. For this reason I personally try and keep my CPUs away from my plasma balls and proton accelerators. The manual also recommends keeping them at least 8 metres away from any flux capacitors.

The most frequent cause of damage to CPUs will be physical damage to the pins/contact points underneath, or overvolting and/or overheating.

I think OP means like this

 

https://www.amazon.ca/HDE-Novelty-Sensitive-Lightning-Electric/dp/B004HFL73I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522213680&sr=8-2&keywords=plasma

[emosun]

1 minute ago, Spotty said:

What will happen if you place it near your plasma ball at home? It would be bad. How bad? Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously, and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light. For this reason I personally try and keep my CPUs away from my plasma balls and proton accelerators. The manual also recommends keeping them at least 8 metres away from any flux capacitors.

Plasma ball protection was implemented with sse2

Obviously flux capacitors are going to cause damage when unshielded due to the inherit properties of silicon.

[Spotty]

Just now, Daniel Z. said:

I think OP means like this

Ohh. That makes more sense than him having a fusion reactor in his kitchen. It's really just a glorified lightbulb so it shouldn't be a problem.

It would still be wise to safely store your CPUs when not in use though, as one of the most common causes of damage as I mentioned earlier is physical damage. If a CPU fell off a table it would easily bend or break enough pins to kill it. No point risking that - store it in its original packaging if it is not being used.

[Daniel Z.]

1 minute ago, Spotty said:

Ohh. That makes more sense than him having a fusion reactor in his kitchen. It's really just a glorified lightbulb so it shouldn't be a problem.

It would still be wise to safely store your CPUs when not in use though, as one of the most common causes of damage as I mentioned earlier is physical damage. If a CPU fell off a table it would easily bend or break enough pins to kill it. No point risking that - store it in its original packaging if it is not being used.

Good idea. I literally carried an old Pentium D around in my pocket to show my friends at school and stuff and it still works lol. The pinless CPUs are VERY durable. Still, store it responsibly.

[elfishz]

Guys when were flux capacitors a real thing?

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

5 minutes ago, Daniel Z. said:

Good idea. I literally carried an old Pentium D around in my pocket to show my friends at school and stuff and it still works lol. The pinless CPUs are VERY durable. Still, store it responsibly.

Their corresponding boards on the other hand... not so much...

[Daniel Z.]

1 minute ago, BlueChinchillaEatingDorito said:

Their corresponding boards on the other hand... not so much...

Agreed. It isn't nearly as hard to bend pins on a CPU than a board but bending it back is the opposite.