Scared of build

[Darklink]

Removing the fuse interupts the live conductor so that the psu cannot power up while it is being connected. Furthermore, even if the PSU is powered down, the stand-by rail is still powered up. Plugging it in leaves leaves the earth wire in place so that the chassis is earthed (helping to avoid static build up. Not all PSUs have a switch on the back, and even if it does, it can be accidentally knocked. Removing the fuse is just an additional safety precaution, and as the OP was a little nervous about his first build, anything that makes it safer is a good thing.

Oh I see, I can't thank yet but when I get the button enabled I'll be sure to come back and click it on your post

thanks.

[iranu]

Honestly. Removing fuses? WTF!! Totally un-necessary. I repeat totally un-necessary. It's crap advice like this that makes people nervous of their first build. Hangs head in hands. Electronics are so much more robust that they were 10 or 20 years ago and it's only the most intricate, unshielded devices and fabrication lines that require shielding or the use of anti-static lines.

I speak from clean room experience, because I used to work for a manufacturer of satellites and know of only one case whereby static caused a problem. A set of people were shown around a class 3 clean room and they had not been discharged properly. God knows how. After being told not to touch, one of them got close and pointed (about an inch away) toward a £10,000 chip (1996 prices - only 2 ever made) and killed it, but this was one the most sensitive of devices going at the time. Caused a hell of a storm, but even then an investigation was carried out and only those highly sensitive items would have been affected. Sod's Law. Don't show the good high tech stuff to the client even if they are paying for it!.

I used to work regularly with the type of small capacitors etc and their testing of surface bonding that are now commonly found on all motherboards/graphics/sound cards and they are as robust as can be. They are very hard to casually knock off, even the smallest require considerable force and you'd have to build a hell of a charge up to affect them from static.

I always laugh at anti-static wrist straps, because they often have a button or crocodile clip attached. So wtf are you supposed to attach them too!!

Just hold PCBs from their sides and when installing push down gently. If it seems like it needs too much force then it probably does and ask questions.

[peterb]

Iranu,

I'm sorry you feel that taking precautions for a first build are unnecessary. However if you read through all the posts, you will see that I and others have advocated the same precautions that you have. As you say, the anti-static wrist bands have a crocodile clip attached - you can attach that to the case, but that is only of use if the case is eathed, and the best way is to plug in the mains lead. It takes 20 seconds to remove the fuse ftrom a moulded plug, a small time to remove the (albeit slight) risk of the PSU starting up while it is being connected.

The OP specifically stated that he was nervous about static damage, and while you and I might be confident in building a PC, he is not, so anything to re-assure and make the fisrt build a pleasurable and relaxing experience is a good thing. I'm sorry if you disagree, but I make no apology for offering suggestions to minimise the (small) risk.

As for modern electronics eing more robust, yes to some extent (and a built device like a motherboard where everything is terminated correctly is less prone to damage) but as the fabrication technologies get smaller, the static risk increases as the gap between tracks on the die decreases. (and not just static damage - there is some talk that smaller technologies will lead to lower reliability and premature failure becase of 'atom creep' over the lifetime of the device.)

You mention static and capacitors - capacitors are less of a risk than semiconductors devices (particularly Field Effect devices) because they (FETs) have very thin insulating layers at the control gates, and while discrete devices may have protection zener devices built in to protect them, large scale integration fabrication devices may not. The dielectic in SMT capacitors is relatively thick by comparison. No-one was suggesting that the effect of a static discharge was to dislodge the device.

As you point out in your satellite experience - it was 'sods law' - but I wouldn't want 'sods law' to affect the OP on his first build. As he gains experience and confidence he may choose what precautions he wants to take - this thread has pointed out what he may do to minimise any residual risk.