Question Forgot IO shield

[orelabergelveg]

I built my pc for the first time and I got the Asus z390 pro mobo and I forgot to put the IO shield , is it serious or should I keep it like that ? Also I tried to put it without unplugging the mobo and I kind of twisted the IO shield so even If I will put it I’ll have to buy a new one ..
What do you think ?

 

[USAFRet]

You can't weasel it in there without taking the motherboard out.

Is it critical? Dust and airflow might suffer.

 

[COLGeek]

I built my pc for the first time and I got the Asus z390 pro mobo and I forgot to put the IO shield , is it serious or should I keep it like that ? Also I tried to put it without unplugging the mobo and I kind of twisted the IO shield so even If I will put it I’ll have to buy a new one ..
What do you think ?

Do you have cats, kids, or vermin to worry about? If not, then only dust and airflow might be affected.

 

[clutchc]

I'd get a new one and remove the board. The IO shield prevent static discharge when you go to plug/unplug cables by grounding any static you may carry. It also prevents damage to the ports when you pull to remove cables so the taller soldered devices don't break loose.

Having said that, I have to admit that I have built several open-air builds that never use the IO shield. So far there has been no issue, but I am always cautious of ESD when I handle connections to the IO ports. And am careful when plugging/unplugging cables not to push or pull hard on them.

 

[drea.drechsler]

I built my pc for the first time and I got the Asus z390 pro mobo and I forgot to put the IO shield , is it serious or should I keep it like that ? Also I tried to put it without unplugging the mobo and I kind of twisted the IO shield so even If I will put it I’ll have to buy a new one ..
What do you think ?

'Stuff' might get in but many people operate with full open-air cases anyways. Just keep an eye on it.

But also... removing can be a strategy to improve airflow across the VRM and exhaust it out past the I/O connectors. Depends on what kind of CPU heatsink you use though.