ESD on heatsink cause damage?

[Twinkielol]

I was double checking my hyper 212x's mounting to make sure it was still on good when I opened my case to install a new noctua fan, I wasn't thinking and pulled my ground hand off the chassis and moved around to the other side of the case with my hand still on the heatsink, needless to say I got a tiny bit of a shock.

Computer seems to be running fine, do you think I caused any damage? Not sure if a heatsink can go down into the cpu or mobo or anything like that and injure it.

 

[weberdarren97]

It can, but it takes a fair amount of voltage to pass through the thermal compound, it would be a rather noticeable shock to be enough to get to the CPU and damage it

It's probably fine... Hopefully

 

[Archaic59]

Never underestimate ESD. It can be damaging. I think if you caused a problem it would have been immediate. If you're up and running ok now then it should be fine. A little luck never hurts. Lesson learned...moving on.

 

[weberdarren97]

Now if you had touched the CPU directly, I would say you most likely damaged it, but fortunately that's not the case here

 

[Twinkielol]

Now if you had touched the CPU directly, I would say you most likely damaged it, but fortunately that's not the case here

Okay good to know! I was just reading too on here that someone was saying that the top of the cpu works as a ground itself and unless you touch the pins or some sensitive component actually on the mobo then it typically won't damage it.

 

[weberdarren97]

Now if you had touched the CPU directly, I would say you most likely damaged it, but fortunately that's not the case here

Okay good to know! I was just reading too on here that someone was saying that the top of the cpu works as a ground itself and unless you touch the pins or some sensitive component actually on the mobo then it typically won't damage it.

Unless your CPU is onboard (soldered to the MOBO from factory) then that is true unless you discharge above 10,000 volts which would be a rather noticeable shock for you, you might even twitch involuntarily

 

[Twinkielol]

Now if you had touched the CPU directly, I would say you most likely damaged it, but fortunately that's not the case here

Okay good to know! I was just reading too on here that someone was saying that the top of the cpu works as a ground itself and unless you touch the pins or some sensitive component actually on the mobo then it typically won't damage it.

Unless your CPU is onboard (soldered to the MOBO from factory) then that is true unless you discharge above 10,000 volts which would be a rather noticeable shock for you, you might even twitch involuntarily

Thanks for that laugh 😛 yea no it was just like a tiny baby shock but I was still like oh crap... and it's not an integrated one, it's the i5-4460.

So since it was through the heatsink, the top of the CPU should have worked as ground correct? So I should be alright? On top of that there was the thermal paste and it was only a small shock.

 

[weberdarren97]

Now if you had touched the CPU directly, I would say you most likely damaged it, but fortunately that's not the case here

Okay good to know! I was just reading too on here that someone was saying that the top of the cpu works as a ground itself and unless you touch the pins or some sensitive component actually on the mobo then it typically won't damage it.

Unless your CPU is onboard (soldered to the MOBO from factory) then that is true unless you discharge above 10,000 volts which would be a rather noticeable shock for you, you might even twitch involuntarily

Thanks for that laugh 😛 yea no it was just like a tiny baby shock but I was still like oh crap... and it's not an integrated one, it's the i5-4460.

So since it was through the heatsink the top of the CPU should have worked as ground so I should be alright? On top of that the thermal paste and it was only a small shock.

Yep you should be fine

 

[xXCrossfireXx]

Remember to wear your protection!

Excuse me if that sounded sexual, anti static protection* :3

Nah you're good though, a small shock across a heat sink shouldn't do any damage