Computers in tropical climates

[gary]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

While the majority of the planet enjoys a long winter at the moment, there's
a band of land around the equator where conditions are a lot warmer and more
humid, and consistently so through the whole year.
PC's are installed in these regions, quite a few of them, surprised? No, not
really..
When you have a device that's designed to be enclosed in an air conditioned
environment and dust free, such as a Typical PC, and adapt it to a warm
climate, you end up with a never ending battle with the environment.

Designers of PC's have never considered beyond the "colder" US continental
environment that PC's need special treatment for warmer conditions, this is
25C upwards, 60% humidity +.

For where I live, it's subtropical, summer temperatures are 30-40C, Humidity
can reach 85-90%. This would be also typical in Singapore, Florida to a
degree, many African countries, Mexico, South America and Australia.

What happens to PC's in this environment is:

a) The high humidity mixes with dust and with temperature allows the dirt to
congeal. This cause problems with fans, they collect dust and grime, and
accelerate contaminants into the PC case.

b) This mixture of dust and water settles on motherboard components and
makes new resistors on the motherboard, something the designer didn't build
in. These extra resistors radically change the circuits on the motherboard,
and resets out of the blue, blue screens are very common.

c) The orientation of (especially Athlon) CPU's fan is usually north south,
however on some mobo's the orientation of the heatsinks exhaust is straight
at the RAM which is next door some 30mm away. So after a while, the RAM gets
covered in shite, and once again we have blue screen, mystery reboots and
the like.

d) High humidity and air at speed demolishes the coating of any steel
cabinet. These are a disaster as the coatings are corroded and the steel
forms rust. Rust is conductive and makes really special resistors which draw
high currents and big bangs! Aluminium cases are the way to go here.

If anyone has experience of these problems and a way to cure these problems,
I'm all ears!

Cheers,

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

Gary,

If you're talking about a standard desktop / tower type PC, the fix is
relatively easy and not all that expensive. I worked for a company that
provided "integrated" solutions around the world - meaning we shipped the
software already wrapped in a PC.

Fortunately, being a manufacture of other products, they had the capability
to add conformal coating to the PC motherboard, cards, power supply and to
any bare metal. Now this used to be a toxic process and required special
equipment etc. but that has changed with new formulations. I haven't used
it myself but there are new products out that still are referred to as
conformal coatings that come in a spray can which you can apply yourself and
I believe they are acrylic based coatings. Do a search for conformal
coatings.

If you don't mind disassembling your PC, cleaning it and then spraying the
boards this just may be the easy fix. Just be sure to mask off any
connectors, plugs or jacks - this stuff is an insulator also.

You can easily add some new high-speed fans with bearings in your PC or even
install one of the cooling kits (www.tomshardware.com) to insure everything
runs below max temps.

If you're talking about laptops - the same coatings can be applied. It's
just more difficult to take apart a laptop. The use of bottom mounted
heatsinks with fans helps solves the problems in some cases but requires
additional battery power - or significantly shortens your running time.
Best solution I've seen for a laptop being used in a hot, humid climate (the
beach) is to sit it on top of the plastic sheet you have on top of the
iced-down beer keg....!

Bob S.


"Gary" <rr@dd.com> wrote in message
news:4229803b$0$6161$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> While the majority of the planet enjoys a long winter at the moment,
there's
> a band of land around the equator where conditions are a lot warmer and
more
> humid, and consistently so through the whole year.
> PC's are installed in these regions, quite a few of them, surprised? No,
not
> really..
> When you have a device that's designed to be enclosed in an air
conditioned
> environment and dust free, such as a Typical PC, and adapt it to a warm
> climate, you end up with a never ending battle with the environment.
>
> Designers of PC's have never considered beyond the "colder" US continental
> environment that PC's need special treatment for warmer conditions, this
is
> 25C upwards, 60% humidity +.
>
> For where I live, it's subtropical, summer temperatures are 30-40C,
Humidity
> can reach 85-90%. This would be also typical in Singapore, Florida to a
> degree, many African countries, Mexico, South America and Australia.
>
> What happens to PC's in this environment is:
>
> a) The high humidity mixes with dust and with temperature allows the dirt
to
> congeal. This cause problems with fans, they collect dust and grime, and
> accelerate contaminants into the PC case.
>
> b) This mixture of dust and water settles on motherboard components and
> makes new resistors on the motherboard, something the designer didn't
build
> in. These extra resistors radically change the circuits on the
motherboard,
> and resets out of the blue, blue screens are very common.
>
> c) The orientation of (especially Athlon) CPU's fan is usually north
south,
> however on some mobo's the orientation of the heatsinks exhaust is
straight
> at the RAM which is next door some 30mm away. So after a while, the RAM
gets
> covered in shite, and once again we have blue screen, mystery reboots and
> the like.
>
> d) High humidity and air at speed demolishes the coating of any steel
> cabinet. These are a disaster as the coatings are corroded and the steel
> forms rust. Rust is conductive and makes really special resistors which
draw
> high currents and big bangs! Aluminium cases are the way to go here.
>
> If anyone has experience of these problems and a way to cure these
problems,
> I'm all ears!
>
> Cheers,
>
>

 

[Ryan]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

I have a 478 socket with a retail Intel heatsink .... after about a week
into action, I noticed the fan inside the heatsink collected a good share of
dust.

Anyone know how to effectively keep dust out and off the motherboard without
damaging the components?

"Gary" <rr@dd.com> wrote in message
news:4229803b$0$6161$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> While the majority of the planet enjoys a long winter at the moment,
> there's a band of land around the equator where conditions are a lot
> warmer and more humid, and consistently so through the whole year.
> PC's are installed in these regions, quite a few of them, surprised? No,
> not really..
> When you have a device that's designed to be enclosed in an air
> conditioned environment and dust free, such as a Typical PC, and adapt it
> to a warm climate, you end up with a never ending battle with the
> environment.
>
> Designers of PC's have never considered beyond the "colder" US continental
> environment that PC's need special treatment for warmer conditions, this
> is 25C upwards, 60% humidity +.
>
> For where I live, it's subtropical, summer temperatures are 30-40C,
> Humidity can reach 85-90%. This would be also typical in Singapore,
> Florida to a degree, many African countries, Mexico, South America and
> Australia.
>
> What happens to PC's in this environment is:
>
> a) The high humidity mixes with dust and with temperature allows the dirt
> to congeal. This cause problems with fans, they collect dust and grime,
> and accelerate contaminants into the PC case.
>
> b) This mixture of dust and water settles on motherboard components and
> makes new resistors on the motherboard, something the designer didn't
> build in. These extra resistors radically change the circuits on the
> motherboard, and resets out of the blue, blue screens are very common.
>
> c) The orientation of (especially Athlon) CPU's fan is usually north
> south, however on some mobo's the orientation of the heatsinks exhaust is
> straight at the RAM which is next door some 30mm away. So after a while,
> the RAM gets covered in shite, and once again we have blue screen, mystery
> reboots and the like.
>
> d) High humidity and air at speed demolishes the coating of any steel
> cabinet. These are a disaster as the coatings are corroded and the steel
> forms rust. Rust is conductive and makes really special resistors which
> draw high currents and big bangs! Aluminium cases are the way to go here.
>
> If anyone has experience of these problems and a way to cure these
> problems, I'm all ears!
>
> Cheers,
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

What you need is an enclosure
http://www.envirosealed.com/

--
Mary Sauer MS MVP
http://office.microsoft.com/
http://msauer.mvps.org/
news://msnews.microsoft.com
"Gary" <rr@dd.com> wrote in message
news:4229803b$0$6161$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> While the majority of the planet enjoys a long winter at the moment, there's a band
> of land around the equator where conditions are a lot warmer and more humid, and
> consistently so through the whole year.
> PC's are installed in these regions, quite a few of them, surprised? No, not
> really..
> When you have a device that's designed to be enclosed in an air conditioned
> environment and dust free, such as a Typical PC, and adapt it to a warm climate,
> you end up with a never ending battle with the environment.
>
> Designers of PC's have never considered beyond the "colder" US continental
> environment that PC's need special treatment for warmer conditions, this is 25C
> upwards, 60% humidity +.
>
> For where I live, it's subtropical, summer temperatures are 30-40C, Humidity can
> reach 85-90%. This would be also typical in Singapore, Florida to a degree, many
> African countries, Mexico, South America and Australia.
>
> What happens to PC's in this environment is:
>
> a) The high humidity mixes with dust and with temperature allows the dirt to
> congeal. This cause problems with fans, they collect dust and grime, and accelerate
> contaminants into the PC case.
>
> b) This mixture of dust and water settles on motherboard components and makes new
> resistors on the motherboard, something the designer didn't build in. These extra
> resistors radically change the circuits on the motherboard, and resets out of the
> blue, blue screens are very common.
>
> c) The orientation of (especially Athlon) CPU's fan is usually north south, however
> on some mobo's the orientation of the heatsinks exhaust is straight at the RAM
> which is next door some 30mm away. So after a while, the RAM gets covered in shite,
> and once again we have blue screen, mystery reboots and the like.
>
> d) High humidity and air at speed demolishes the coating of any steel cabinet.
> These are a disaster as the coatings are corroded and the steel forms rust. Rust is
> conductive and makes really special resistors which draw high currents and big
> bangs! Aluminium cases are the way to go here.
>
> If anyone has experience of these problems and a way to cure these problems, I'm
> all ears!
>
> Cheers,
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

IMHO the key word here is "majority". Mass manufacturers keep to the
needs of majority, this drives price of commodity computers down.
No doubt, somebody makes extra durable equipment designed to
work in tropical climate and dust, but it's price is prohibiting for you and me.

As the global climate changes towards tropical, and more people use
computers outside of air conditioned premises, maybe the common
de-facto standards will change.

--PA



"Gary" <rr@dd.com> wrote in message news:4229803b$0$6161$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> While the majority of the planet enjoys a long winter at the moment, there's
> a band of land around the equator where conditions are a lot warmer and more
> humid, and consistently so through the whole year.
> PC's are installed in these regions, quite a few of them, surprised? No, not
> really..
> When you have a device that's designed to be enclosed in an air conditioned
> environment and dust free, such as a Typical PC, and adapt it to a warm
> climate, you end up with a never ending battle with the environment.
>
> Designers of PC's have never considered beyond the "colder" US continental
> environment that PC's need special treatment for warmer conditions, this is
> 25C upwards, 60% humidity +.
>
> For where I live, it's subtropical, summer temperatures are 30-40C, Humidity
> can reach 85-90%. This would be also typical in Singapore, Florida to a
> degree, many African countries, Mexico, South America and Australia.
>
> What happens to PC's in this environment is:
>
> a) The high humidity mixes with dust and with temperature allows the dirt to
> congeal. This cause problems with fans, they collect dust and grime, and
> accelerate contaminants into the PC case.
>
> b) This mixture of dust and water settles on motherboard components and
> makes new resistors on the motherboard, something the designer didn't build
> in. These extra resistors radically change the circuits on the motherboard,
> and resets out of the blue, blue screens are very common.
>
> c) The orientation of (especially Athlon) CPU's fan is usually north south,
> however on some mobo's the orientation of the heatsinks exhaust is straight
> at the RAM which is next door some 30mm away. So after a while, the RAM gets
> covered in shite, and once again we have blue screen, mystery reboots and
> the like.
>
> d) High humidity and air at speed demolishes the coating of any steel
> cabinet. These are a disaster as the coatings are corroded and the steel
> forms rust. Rust is conductive and makes really special resistors which draw
> high currents and big bangs! Aluminium cases are the way to go here.
>
> If anyone has experience of these problems and a way to cure these problems,
> I'm all ears!
>
> Cheers,
>
>

 

[gary]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

Yes, coating the boards sounds a simpler fix, the coating sprays are non
toxic and look easy enough to apply.
I'd have to clean the boards first, wash them in a solvent I guess, then
apply the coatings. If I select a coating that would allow heat dissipation
of at least 25W, the mobos, PCI cards and RAM should be fine.

"Bob S." <junk@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:O4QZ4baIFHA.3472@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Gary,
>
> If you're talking about a standard desktop / tower type PC, the fix is
> relatively easy and not all that expensive. I worked for a company that
> provided "integrated" solutions around the world - meaning we shipped the
> software already wrapped in a PC.
>
> Fortunately, being a manufacture of other products, they had the
> capability
> to add conformal coating to the PC motherboard, cards, power supply and to
> any bare metal. Now this used to be a toxic process and required special
> equipment etc. but that has changed with new formulations. I haven't used
> it myself but there are new products out that still are referred to as
> conformal coatings that come in a spray can which you can apply yourself
> and
> I believe they are acrylic based coatings. Do a search for conformal
> coatings.
>
> If you don't mind disassembling your PC, cleaning it and then spraying the
> boards this just may be the easy fix. Just be sure to mask off any
> connectors, plugs or jacks - this stuff is an insulator also.
>
> You can easily add some new high-speed fans with bearings in your PC or
> even
> install one of the cooling kits (www.tomshardware.com) to insure
> everything
> runs below max temps.
>
> If you're talking about laptops - the same coatings can be applied. It's
> just more difficult to take apart a laptop. The use of bottom mounted
> heatsinks with fans helps solves the problems in some cases but requires
> additional battery power - or significantly shortens your running time.
> Best solution I've seen for a laptop being used in a hot, humid climate
> (the
> beach) is to sit it on top of the plastic sheet you have on top of the
> iced-down beer keg....!
>
> Bob S.
>
>
> "Gary" <rr@dd.com> wrote in message
> news:4229803b$0$6161$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
>> While the majority of the planet enjoys a long winter at the moment,
> there's
>> a band of land around the equator where conditions are a lot warmer and
> more
>> humid, and consistently so through the whole year.
>> PC's are installed in these regions, quite a few of them, surprised? No,
> not
>> really..
>> When you have a device that's designed to be enclosed in an air
> conditioned
>> environment and dust free, such as a Typical PC, and adapt it to a warm
>> climate, you end up with a never ending battle with the environment.
>>
>> Designers of PC's have never considered beyond the "colder" US
>> continental
>> environment that PC's need special treatment for warmer conditions, this
> is
>> 25C upwards, 60% humidity +.
>>
>> For where I live, it's subtropical, summer temperatures are 30-40C,
> Humidity
>> can reach 85-90%. This would be also typical in Singapore, Florida to a
>> degree, many African countries, Mexico, South America and Australia.
>>
>> What happens to PC's in this environment is:
>>
>> a) The high humidity mixes with dust and with temperature allows the dirt
> to
>> congeal. This cause problems with fans, they collect dust and grime, and
>> accelerate contaminants into the PC case.
>>
>> b) This mixture of dust and water settles on motherboard components and
>> makes new resistors on the motherboard, something the designer didn't
> build
>> in. These extra resistors radically change the circuits on the
> motherboard,
>> and resets out of the blue, blue screens are very common.
>>
>> c) The orientation of (especially Athlon) CPU's fan is usually north
> south,
>> however on some mobo's the orientation of the heatsinks exhaust is
> straight
>> at the RAM which is next door some 30mm away. So after a while, the RAM
> gets
>> covered in shite, and once again we have blue screen, mystery reboots and
>> the like.
>>
>> d) High humidity and air at speed demolishes the coating of any steel
>> cabinet. These are a disaster as the coatings are corroded and the steel
>> forms rust. Rust is conductive and makes really special resistors which
> draw
>> high currents and big bangs! Aluminium cases are the way to go here.
>>
>> If anyone has experience of these problems and a way to cure these
> problems,
>> I'm all ears!
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>>
>
>

 

[gary]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

I be getting a divorce, Mary if I fitted that in the lounge!
But I see your point, ty for the reply.

"Mary Sauer" <gsauer@mycolumbus.rr.com> wrote in message
news:%234PSkSXIFHA.2700@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> What you need is an enclosure
> http://www.envirosealed.com/
>
> --
> Mary Sauer MS MVP
> http://office.microsoft.com/
> http://msauer.mvps.org/
> news://msnews.microsoft.com
> "Gary" <rr@dd.com> wrote in message
> news:4229803b$0$6161$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
>> While the majority of the planet enjoys a long winter at the moment,
>> there's a band of land around the equator where conditions are a lot
>> warmer and more humid, and consistently so through the whole year.
>> PC's are installed in these regions, quite a few of them, surprised? No,
>> not really..
>> When you have a device that's designed to be enclosed in an air
>> conditioned environment and dust free, such as a Typical PC, and adapt it
>> to a warm climate, you end up with a never ending battle with the
>> environment.
>>
>> Designers of PC's have never considered beyond the "colder" US
>> continental environment that PC's need special treatment for warmer
>> conditions, this is 25C upwards, 60% humidity +.
>>
>> For where I live, it's subtropical, summer temperatures are 30-40C,
>> Humidity can reach 85-90%. This would be also typical in Singapore,
>> Florida to a degree, many African countries, Mexico, South America and
>> Australia.
>>
>> What happens to PC's in this environment is:
>>
>> a) The high humidity mixes with dust and with temperature allows the dirt
>> to congeal. This cause problems with fans, they collect dust and grime,
>> and accelerate contaminants into the PC case.
>>
>> b) This mixture of dust and water settles on motherboard components and
>> makes new resistors on the motherboard, something the designer didn't
>> build in. These extra resistors radically change the circuits on the
>> motherboard, and resets out of the blue, blue screens are very common.
>>
>> c) The orientation of (especially Athlon) CPU's fan is usually north
>> south, however on some mobo's the orientation of the heatsinks exhaust is
>> straight at the RAM which is next door some 30mm away. So after a while,
>> the RAM gets covered in shite, and once again we have blue screen,
>> mystery reboots and the like.
>>
>> d) High humidity and air at speed demolishes the coating of any steel
>> cabinet. These are a disaster as the coatings are corroded and the steel
>> forms rust. Rust is conductive and makes really special resistors which
>> draw high currents and big bangs! Aluminium cases are the way to go here.
>>
>> If anyone has experience of these problems and a way to cure these
>> problems, I'm all ears!
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>
>

 

[gary]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

I don't work or live in a jungle, but PC's can and do

> JEM says >
>
> Never had that happen. Do you work in the Jungle? 🙂
>>
>> If anyone has experience of these problems and a way to cure these
>> problems, I'm all ears!
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>
>