# Noooooooooo!!!!!!!!



## nepts2 (Mar 25, 2007)

When I left my room, my bro came in and touched my mobo all over the place, with bare hand and said dropped some spacers accidently...

Do you think my poor mobo will be okay?

Thank you.


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## mattsprattuk (Mar 26, 2007)

try before you post


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## heyman421 (Mar 26, 2007)

It's gonna take more than that to kill a motherboard

an unmounted cpu, maybe, but a motherboard will be fine


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## nepts2 (Mar 26, 2007)

Phew... Thank you for your reply.

Sorry Matt. My other parts are coming tomorrow so I'd just set up what I can///


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## Bradan (Mar 26, 2007)

noooooooo. its dead forsure, dont power it up it will explode


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## INTELCRAZY (Mar 26, 2007)

wtf is a spacer? Do u mean jumpers or capacitors?


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## curtains (Mar 26, 2007)

Well i've built like 10 computers in my life, Never used a ESD strap before. touched CPU pins and motherboard everywhere. I don't intentially do it, but to date i haven't killed any components yet. its the static that kill's them. As long as your not wearing a woolen jumper or woolen like. you should be fine or on carpet. Oh and dont have sweety hands or really really dry hands cause that may cause static aswell.


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## mattsprattuk (Mar 26, 2007)

yea, itll be fine i reckon.
it takes quite a bit to ruin a board.
you can be quite rough with it, as long as you dont put it on a carpet and irish dance on it, you can touch it quite comfortably and have it work still 999 times out of 1000


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## nepts2 (Mar 27, 2007)

... I layed it on my blancket... Would it be fine>?


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## PohTayToez (Mar 27, 2007)

Probably not the smartest thing to do.


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## SimpleSimon (Mar 27, 2007)

All depends on what kinda of blanket you have.


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## Trizoy (Mar 27, 2007)

INTELCRAZY said:


> wtf is a spacer? Do u mean jumpers or capacitors?



NO, a spacer. It holds the board from the case... just a little.


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## elitehacker (Mar 27, 2007)

I NEVER let my BRO anywhere near my computers for exactly that reason.


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## Olive (Mar 27, 2007)

Your post,or we called it "problem" is merely a puzzle....
I am sure you would have to pay the cost for your mobo...


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## mattsprattuk (Mar 27, 2007)

if you layed it on your blanket then its probably you that broke it, not your brother.
they come in anti-static bags for a reason 
and i cant think of things in a bedroom that carry much more static than a blanket.
i tend to lay it on top of the anti-static bag till im ready to install it

hope it wasnt too expensive


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## nepts2 (Mar 27, 2007)

I layed on blancket for like a min. and for all other time, I layed on the static bag and on the table..


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## microchipper (Mar 27, 2007)

nepts2 said:


> I layed on blancket for like a min. and for all other time, I layed on the static bag and on the table..



lol have you ever touched a car door handle or a tv screen and felt a tingle as the static discharges through you as it's grounded?  i have and it took a hell off a lot less time than a minute !!


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## madtownidiot (Mar 27, 2007)

It doesn't even take enough static to make a spark to fry anything with flash memory in it. Good luck


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## nepts2 (Mar 27, 2007)

So basically my mobo will be fine... right??


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## PohTayToez (Mar 27, 2007)

Uh...


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## nepts2 (Mar 27, 2007)

Bad sign...


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## PohTayToez (Mar 27, 2007)

There is no way to tell until you test it, but here's a tip... whenever I'm messing with a motherboard, I always keep it on top of the static bag it came with at all times... if I move the motherboard, I move the bag too... just a good precaution... and always touch something grounded (I always touch the power supply) before touching a computer part.


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## microchipper (Mar 27, 2007)

Trizoy said:


> NO, a spacer. It holds the board from the case... just a little.



yes a spacer would hold it away from the case "just a little" but you're supposed to use standoffs as well or you wont get the ventilation right for the board.


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## nepts2 (Mar 27, 2007)

Damn, I connected all the parts and when I hit the power button on my computer, nothing works...


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## dragon2309 (Mar 27, 2007)

i think we can all guess what the problem is.... and i have to say, your brother isnt the cause...


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## nepts2 (Mar 27, 2007)

Damn... I have to get a new mobo.....


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## enderwiggin9 (Mar 28, 2007)

yea really what is a spacer?


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## PohTayToez (Mar 28, 2007)

A riser, or standoff... that screw that keeps your motherboard away from your case.

And, not to sound condescending, but seeing from how you take care of computer parts, it may not just be the motherboard.


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## SimpleSimon (Mar 28, 2007)

PohTayToez said:


> And, not to sound condescending, but seeing from how you take care of computer parts, it may not just be the motherboard.


Ouch, burrrrrnnnnn.
It's ok bro, it just one of those things that happen sometimes. Now you know.


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## PabloTeK (Mar 28, 2007)

Who made the power supply? I had this issue with my first PSU (Now on the 2nd with a backup) and it killed the motherboard. I returned them under warranty and got working parts back.


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## microchipper (Mar 28, 2007)

i had a dodgy board once and i don't know where you are but my local pc repair shop tested it for me free of charge.

are you sure all the front panel connections are correct, they can be a bit fiddly on some cases.

especially the power switch ones which have to be correct polarity but the reset switch ones dont matter which way,


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## PohTayToez (Mar 28, 2007)

You gotta start from the beginning, because one faulty part can keep the whole system powering on.  First, I would test the powersupply by itself, shorting the green/black wires.  If that works, then I would disconnect everything from the motherboard except for the PSU, and try that.  If that doesn't power on, then it's probably the motherboard.


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## nepts2 (Mar 29, 2007)

I went to CompUSA today (but have to come back to home to get a ram and cpu because they didn't have spare since the store is going out of business) and tested the mobo. They said all other parts are okay but the mobo is not. They just told me to contact Gigabyte to get another mobo... So I did and I'm waiting for the reply now...

Should I put other parts in the static bag and store it in a box or should I just put them on the mobo until they tell me to send the broken mobo?


Thank you so much for all your support.


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## curtains (Mar 29, 2007)

ur lucky on that one ... but mostly there happy to replace it even if its ur fault mainly due to there lazyness to dealing with the stuff when replacing it to them is nothing much. ... i use to work at a electroic's place and it was the same deal... and hmm im suprised u know how to build a computer with putting ur mobo on ur blanket in mind ... hmmmmm :S well i guess theres always time 2 learn.


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## nepts2 (Mar 29, 2007)

I never knew that unvisible sparks can damage the parts


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## zaroba (Mar 29, 2007)

lol curtains.  building a cmputer isn't hard.  for the most part, you can just plug in the stuff in the only place it fits 


nepts, just because the motherboard doesn't work doesn't actually mean it was your (or your brothers) fault.  it could have just been a defective motherboard.

when i work on my computers, i'm always lying cards, ram, etc on my bed, the rug, a chair, ontop of the pc case, anywhere thats close and without any anti static bags.  my hands usually get sweaty too and i'm often dropping screws on the motherboard.  hell, half the time i don't even unplug the power cord, i just shut down the pc to make minor changes (like cards or drives).  yet after many years, i have had no problems.  the stuff isen't as delicate as many people seem to think.


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## nepts2 (Mar 30, 2007)

Dang, you are very lucky lol

I know it's my fault that I left my mobo unattended...

I think it's highly unlikely that mobo is defective though (it might, since I heard closing stores tend to sell defective products)

Anyway, thank you for your caring.


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## curtains (Mar 31, 2007)

It's not hard building the computer its just hard knowing what your doing and what you need to buy i think is the hardest part about it, its hard when u dont know about buses and stuff cause u could by the wrong parts but after that yea its pretty stright forward. just fit it where it fits.


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## curtains (Mar 31, 2007)

It's not hard building the computer its just hard knowing what your doing and what you need to buy i think is the hardest part about it, and maybe the other thing is knowing when ur getting riped off for crap like a celeron may look fast to noobs cause of there cheapness, compared to say a athlon, a athlon with the same frequency would out perfrom a celeron with same frequency hardcore, but the real thing is celerons just suck... or say a 7300 compared to a 6800gt for instinct a 6800 is way better but the 7300gt is a higher number that fools alota noobs., its hard when u dont know about buses and stuff cause u could buy the wrong parts but after that yea its pretty stright forward. just fit it where it fits.


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## curtains (Mar 31, 2007)

It's not hard building the computer its just hard knowing what your doing and what you need to buy i think is the hardest part about it, and maybe the other thing is knowing when ur getting riped off for crap like a celeron may look fast to noobs cause of there cheapness, compared to say a athlon, a athlon with the same frequency would out perfrom a celeron with same frequency hardcore, but the real thing is celerons just suck... or say a 7300 compared to a 6800gt for instinct a 6800 is way better but the 7300gt is a higher number that fools alota noobs., its hard when u dont know about buses and stuff cause u could buy the wrong parts but after that yea its pretty stright forward. just fit it where it fits.


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## **matt** (Mar 31, 2007)

PohTayToez said:


> whenever I'm messing with a motherboard, I always keep it on top of the static bag it came with at all times...




I thought it's bad to put the mobo on the anti-static bag because anti-static bags keep static electricity on the outside of the bag.

Matt


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## microchipper (Mar 31, 2007)

zaroba said:


> lol curtains.  building a cmputer isn't hard.  for the most part, you can just plug in the stuff in the only place it fits
> 
> 
> nepts, just because the motherboard doesn't work doesn't actually mean it was your (or your brothers) fault.  it could have just been a defective motherboard.
> ...



remind me NEVER to buy a pc from you ... you haven't got a pet horse by any chance have you ? ...... cos i've found the COWBOY!!


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## nepts2 (Mar 31, 2007)

Well, if i want to prevent static, should I cover up my desk with aluminum foil?>

would that help?


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## bumblebee_tuna (Mar 31, 2007)

No, don't.......  In fact, if your desk is made out of wood, a bare surface is one of the best things to work on; wood doesn't conduct electricity.........

I don't know if this hasn't been mentioned yet but whenever you work on computers without an anti-static strap, it's a good practice to touch something metal, such as the case, to discharge any electricity you have.......

Also, from personal experience, if you ever drop a screw in your case, never use the actual screwdriver to fish it out.  I must of touched something because somehow that fried one of my mobos........


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## dragon2309 (Mar 31, 2007)

curtains said:


> It's not hard building the computer its just hard knowing what your doing and what you need to buy i think is the hardest part about it, its hard when u dont know about buses and stuff cause u could by the wrong parts but after that yea its pretty stright forward. just fit it where it fits.





curtains said:


> It's not hard building the computer its just hard knowing what your doing and what you need to buy i think is the hardest part about it, and maybe the other thing is knowing when ur getting riped off for crap like a celeron may look fast to noobs cause of there cheapness, compared to say a athlon, a athlon with the same frequency would out perfrom a celeron with same frequency hardcore, but the real thing is celerons just suck... or say a 7300 compared to a 6800gt for instinct a 6800 is way better but the 7300gt is a higher number that fools alota noobs., its hard when u dont know about buses and stuff cause u could buy the wrong parts but after that yea its pretty stright forward. just fit it where it fits.





curtains said:


> It's not hard building the computer its just hard knowing what your doing and what you need to buy i think is the hardest part about it, and maybe the other thing is knowing when ur getting riped off for crap like a celeron may look fast to noobs cause of there cheapness, compared to say a athlon, a athlon with the same frequency would out perfrom a celeron with same frequency hardcore, but the real thing is celerons just suck... or say a 7300 compared to a 6800gt for instinct a 6800 is way better but the 7300gt is a higher number that fools alota noobs., its hard when u dont know about buses and stuff cause u could buy the wrong parts but after that yea its pretty stright forward. just fit it where it fits.


I think he heard you the first time.... click happy were we??


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## nepts2 (Mar 31, 2007)

Thanks for the carings. Should I wear vinyl gloves then?


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## microchipper (Apr 1, 2007)

nepts2 said:


> Thanks for the carings. Should I wear vinyl gloves then?



whatever floats yer boat !!

     No seriously, you can go a bit over the top with anti static protection sometimes.
     All the pc's i've worked on i do three things EVERYTIME....
1.  obviously turn off the power and take out power lead from pc

2.  press the power button on front of pc to discharge any residual power

3.  touch the side of the PSU(NOT CPU !!) to discarge any static from myself

    then just as a precaution, if i leave the room for any reason i will touch the PSU again on returning.

    I have never had a fried componant due to static in the 4 years i've been fixing pc's.


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## PohTayToez (Apr 1, 2007)

**matt** said:


> I thought it's bad to put the mobo on the anti-static bag because anti-static bags keep static electricity on the outside of the bag.
> 
> Matt[/q]
> 
> Antistatic bags don't 'keep' the electricity anywhere.  I'm pretty sure they work by being slightly conductive themselves, and absorbing and dispersing any electricity.


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## PabloTeK (Apr 1, 2007)

I use an anti-static wristband because our carpet has polyester in it and it creates a massive amount of static if I'm in trackies. I hook myself up to the radiators because they're earthed. I also built this rig on the dining table because it has wooden legs. I use the anti-static mat that came with my DS4 just-in-case and because it'll damage the table mat. 

In the 10 or 15 years that my family has been using and playing with PC's we've never fried anything.

EDIT: Anti-static bags are made of a plastic that's very hard to pass electricity through. Static is always high-voltage, low current. That's why it arcs but doesn't kill you.


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## curtains (Apr 1, 2007)

Just some facts.

Ok, from what i leant at school, electricity arching is around 10,000 volts per CM. so if ur mobo only uses a 5v, 3.3, 12v rails + ur cpu that uses like 1.3v - 1.5v, and ram thats like 2.2v. So say u put 10 volts through it through static, that'll only have to be .001mm of a arch would be 10 volts now do u think u can see that? and thats already enough to fry ur CPU and RAM.


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## Styrak (Apr 2, 2007)

> Originally Posted by curtains
> It's not hard building the computer its just hard knowing what your doing and what you need to buy i think is the hardest part about it, its hard when u dont know about buses and stuff cause u could by the wrong parts but after that yea its pretty stright forward. just fit it where it fits.
> 
> Quote:
> ...



You, sir, are an idiot.


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## raoul_1101 (Apr 2, 2007)

> I must of touched something because somehow that fried one of my mobos........


Probably just a magnetic screwdriver, which, if so, you shouldn't have been using.


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## PabloTeK (Apr 2, 2007)

It's probably likely that something went pop in production or along the line. A magnetic screwdriver isn't going to have much of an effect if the system is powered down because there aren't any EM waves floating around.


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## Froboy7391_99 (Apr 2, 2007)

Ya I use magnetic screwdrivers inside my computer, it doesn't do anything.


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## bumblebee_tuna (Apr 2, 2007)

I'm guessing I touched something like those half-circle thingy's with the wires wrapped around it or something......  Another thing is that I probably didn't turn the power off so it probably shorted something........  All I know is that I smelled something that was burnt and didn't really think about it until I found that my computer wouldn't start.

I'm also getting a conflict of different safety procedures as I have read that you should leave the power cord in the wall as then it would be grounded but also taking it out then pressing the power button makes sense too..........


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## curtains (Apr 3, 2007)

sry bout my tri post lol .. i forgot what happened .. i think i ediited it then pressed post or somehting ..


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