[SOLVED] Are modern cases high humidity/corrosion resistant?

[JonatasA]

My case is starting to rust and was full of mold (yes, actual mold) on the outside, with signs of either rust or corrosion on the inside due to the high humidity in the room.
Unfortunately a dehumidifier is not an option.


Would a new case be condemned to the same fate and is there anything I'd be able to do to protect it?

The case sits 2 medicine books above the floor on those time forgotten computer furniture. However, even at chair level high items get covered in mold.

 

[falcon291]

It is not just your computer, your health also at risk, you must be aware of that if these 2 medicine books are yours.

And no modern cases are not high humidity/corrosion resistant.

 

[JonatasA]

Thanks for the reply.
Yes, I was afraid that would be the case. I'm not left with any options now.

Wish I knew someone that could paint the whole thing with anti rust paint, but I don't know if that would affect the resistance to static lf the system.



Yes, I am very aware of the risks and were it on me to decide I would long have solved or at the very least halted it.
Friend of mine for example lived near a industrial slaughterhouse and I don't know how on Earth he manages to stand it. I myself can't even go near it.

 

[Karadjgne]

The inside of many cheaper cases is bare metal, because it's cheaper to manufacture and being inside, isn't usually an issue. That said, the SEE/SEC steel used is naturally corrosion/rust resistant, but not anywhere near the level of stainless steel.

Painting the case to halt corrosion/rust does nothing worth the effort. There are other components inside the case that cannot be so protected, such as anything with an open pcb such as the gpu, motherboard, psu etc.

Best thing to do is leave the pc on, always, never sleeping. Just allow the monitors to go dark after a certain period. This maintains an enclosed area with higher than ambient temps. It's when the pc shuts down, and cools off, you get condensation formed inside by the cooling affect and that's much worse.

If mold is forming on the pc, it means a high spore count in the air, which is also in your lungs. I'd be investing in a dehumidifier as a better option, some jars of 'Damp-Rid' as a minimum. A window unit air conditioner/heater will also work.

Mold is highly dangerous. There are certain strains that have major impacts on your central nervous system, causing permanent brain damage, even to the point of being fatal. If you have mold, there's no excuse you can name for not dealing with it.

 

[lvt]

Computer cases are made with the same materials since decades, only their design changed.

You problem could have been the environment, not your computer case.

 

[JonatasA]

Thank you all for the input.

Best thing to do is leave the pc on

Yes, I tried to keep the computer on during the really cold nights in the hopes it would keep the inside warm enough to keep the humidity away. It is also one of the reasons I like the old design of having the PSU at the top.
Expanding any further would go off the scope of the thread.

some jars of 'Damp-Rid' as a minimum.

Oh, I have those! though I only use 2 in the room and they fill quite fast.

Best thing to do is leave the pc on, always, never sleeping. Just allow the monitors to go dark after a certain period.

I was thinking about exactly that, keeping the whole system working. Doesn't windows shut off the graphics card when it cuts the feed to the monitor though?

The other problem is that the electricity here is dirty, so I'd need to think a workaround to keep the computer safe if I were to keep it going 24/7

 

[rakibfahadgts]

Not sure about humidity but I've had great luck with cooler master casings that came after 2017. They've a coating which protects against earthing and corrosion (as it seems, can't guarantee)

 

[Karadjgne]

I was thinking about exactly that, keeping the whole system working. Doesn't windows shut off the graphics card when it cuts the feed to the monitor though?

Depends on the level of low power you allow. You can set the pc to stay fully 100% active, even if in a low power state, or set to 100% active in a full power state. Setting monitors to turn off after a few minutes is a windows signal, not an actual power state, so the two aren't related.

 

[JonatasA]

Setting monitors to turn off after a few minutes is a windows signal, not an actual power state, so the two aren't related.

Oh good to know thanks.

I've had great luck with cooler master casings that came after 2017.

I'll take a look.
May also be helpful in an environment with less humidity.

 

[bgunner]

Sun light helps keep mold down so open up the shades / curtains. They also sell UV lights meant to kill mold but on the expensive side. Air flow helps tremendously with keeping mold down.

 

[JonatasA]

Sun light helps keep mold down so open up the shades / curtains. They also sell UV lights meant to kill mold but on the expensive side. Air flow helps tremendously with keeping mold down.

The window view leads to a wall, so the sun can't get in.

I was interested in UV lights and hoping they'd not be expensive.

The problem with the airflow is that big spiders use any openings to get inside.
They're the only thing worse than the humidity.