A Metal Case, Air Conditioning, and Condensation: Advice Greatly Appreciated!

[RadWalk]

So I am a pretty anxious person. I built a nice PC a few months ago and it's been great. Now summer has come around and I need to use AC again (I live in a pretty cool and dry region). I have become really paranoid about using my wall AC unit with my computer in the same room so if I could have some clarity about this issue it would be amazing.

I live in a relatively small apartment. My wall AC unit is about 10 feet directly across the room from my computer desk, PC, monitor, etc. My AC and PC are on the same circuit so I never use both at the same time (so the normal condition of a computer running hot and a room being cold won't really occur). The AC unit blows directly at the PC and desk.

Is there any concern to running my AC while my PC is powered off, across the room? The case of the PC is metal and may cool faster than other things in the room and perhaps the room temperature itself, which I believe can cause condensation.

Would putting a sheet over my pc/monitor be a good way to protect it from cool air lowering its temperature too quickly. Would it be better to divert the direct air flow coming out of the AC so it's not blowing straight at my PC?

I think I'm probably just overly worried about nothing but I would love to have some confirmation that this shouldn't cause an issue. I greatly appreciate any replies or helpful advice, you guys are always the best!

 

[Gam3r01]

There is nothing to worry about there.
A standard AC wont lower temps fast, or low enough for condensation to occur. Not only that, but the PC would not be more at risk if it could.

EDIT: I should mention, I run (well used to before college) my PC right in front of our swamp cooler during the summer.
Instead of a typical AC unit it runs water over pads to attempt to cool the air coming into the house. Even then, no moisture issues.

 

[InvalidError]

The AC's evaporator is the coldest thing in the room. If any condensation occurs, it will be there.

The PC itself will be much warmer than nearly everything else around here so if there is any condensation outside the AC, it will be on other stuff. Unless your AC's output airstream is well below dew point though, that won't be happening.

 

[InvalidError]

Extra note: if your AC is so cold that it spews fog out, as ancient (30+ years ago) window ACs often did, then there is a possibility that it might cool the PC case enough to cause condensation. Those old ACs had a tendency to ice over, be very inefficient due to the huge temperature difference between the hot and cold side making the compressor work extra hard, tripping breakers or blowing fuses. Modern power-efficient ACs are typically tuned to prevent their evaporator temperature from dropping much below dew point, which eliminates ice-over and fogging while still providing dehumidification once the room has cooled down enough to let the evaporator reach dew point.

 

[skrublord]

Like the man sad above since the PC will generate its own heat from all the gizmos in there it will stay the average temp of the room depending on what you cool it at only on idle but will still have the heat to prevent condensation from forming and even if it did( which would be crazy bad) i don't believe it would be that fast of a process you would most likely notice it before anything or it would evaporate in the case which causes more nothing to happen to the PC. In all reality it is just not possible for this type of event to occur the room wont create condensation and why would you PC. BTW the the AC unit only creats condensation from it self is because i believe and i may be super wrong and sound dumb but it is cooling copper pipes that has water running through them which in turn i don't know the full process give you cold air

 

[InvalidError]

BTW the the AC unit only creats condensation from it self is because i believe and i may be super wrong and sound dumb but it is cooling copper pipes that has water running through them which in turn i don't know the full process give you cold air

Phase-change cooling works by pumping a refrigerant gas (freon in old equipment, R134 or similar ozone-safe replacement in newer systems) in the condenser (hot side) at high pressure to revert the refrigerant to its liquid state, then passes it through an expansion valve or capilary tube into the evaporator where the low pressure causes the refrigerant to boil by absorbing heat from the room before going back through the compressor.

Condensation on the evaporator occurs when air is cooled below dew point, the temperature at which relative humidity exceeds 100% and excess moisture is forced to condensate on the AC's colder evaporator.

With old ACs that belch freezing-cold air out, it would be possible to cause condensation inside a PC: make the AC blow frigid air on one area of the case while the intake fans are drawing moist air from elsewhere. The frigid air will cool some areas of the case below the dew point of the moist air inside the case and cause it to condense inside the case. A simple way to avoid that is to simply not put the PC directly in the cold air stream. (Or upgrade to a more power-efficient AC.)