Question Static discharge problem on new PC build ?

[webdev94]

Howdy! In short my problem is whenever I get up from my desk, there's a good chance my PC shuts down as well.

Around the end of November I've built a new PC, and shortly afterwards I've been experiencing random shutdowns on it (Event viewer: Kernel-Power 41 error) which I've traced to static electricity discharges. My room setup is literally the same, (desk, chair etc.) the only thing that's new is the PC itself which is considerably larger than my previous machine since it barely even fits under my desk now.

Any help is appreciated, thank you in advance!

My specs
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 Aero G
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900
CPU cooler: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
RAM: 2 x 16gb 6000MHz DDR5 RAM Corsair VENGEANCE CL38
SSD/HDD: 2 x 1TB Kingston SSD M.2 Fury Renegade (SFYRS/1000G)
PSU: be quiet! Straight Power 12 - 850W
Case: NZXT H7 Flow
Monitor: LG 24GN60R-B LCD
OS: Win 11 Home

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

When you state static discharge, do you feel a mild tingling sensation when you touch the metal part of your case while your bare feet is making contact with a tiled(non-wooden, non-carpeted) floor? You might want to relocate to another wall outlet and see if the issue persists.

the only thing that's new is the PC itself which is considerably larger than my previous machine since it barely even fits under my desk now.
You might want to state the make and model of the case as well as the PSU used in the prior build.

 

[dwd999]

Have you had your power outlet tested to see if its properly grounded and if your new PC is properly grounded? As a last resort you could buy an antistatic mat to place under your keyboard and/or mouse so that any time you touch that the charge will be dissipated.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=antistat...refix=antistatic+mat,aps,137&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

 

[DaleH]

Have you had your power outlet tested to see if its properly grounded and if your new PC is properly grounded? As a last resort you could buy an antistatic mat to place under your keyboard and/or mouse so that any time you touch that the charge will be dissipated.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=antistatic+mat&crid=9TRGKYSNKRJ4&sprefix=antistatic+mat,aps,137&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

This might be a good suggestion, but I'm thinkin the antistatic mat would be more useful it placed on the floor so that static is not generated when walking toward the PC.

 

[dwd999]

This might be a good suggestion, but I'm thinkin the antistatic mat would be more useful it placed on the floor so that static is not generated when walking toward the PC.

You can place the mat wherever you're comfortable as long a the mat is attached to a ground in an outlet to discharge the static.

 

[webdev94]

Thank you so much for the replies!

When you state static discharge, do you feel a mild tingling sensation when you touch the metal part of your case while your bare feet is making contact with a tiled(non-wooden, non-carpeted) floor? You might want to relocate to another wall outlet and see if the issue persists.

No, I do not. My setup is on a wooden floor without carpets and I never experienced that. I'll try plugging it in another outlet once I get home.
My previous machine was a X2 Spitzer 20 case with a Corsair RM650 PSU

Have you had your power outlet tested to see if its properly grounded and if your new PC is properly grounded? As a last resort you could buy an antistatic mat to place under your keyboard and/or mouse so that any time you touch that the charge will be dissipated.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=antistatic+mat&crid=9TRGKYSNKRJ4&sprefix=antistatic+mat,aps,137&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

I haven't tested it, but I doubt it since my previous machine worked fine for almost 5 years with the same outlet, but I'm unsure if it's properly grounded at this point. It's sitting on a wooden floor under a wooden desk. What is the proper way to test this? Thank you for the mat suggestion!

This might be a good suggestion, but I'm thinkin the antistatic mat would be more useful it placed on the floor so that static is not generated when walking toward the PC.

Can I place the mat under the PC itself or is it better if it's under my chair? I currently have a mouse pad on my desk. Not sure if this affects anything.

 

[dwd999]

The main goal is to have the mat discharge the static before you touch the PC. So any place that is easy for you to touch before you touch the computer will achieve the discharge you want.

 

[Misgar]

I suspect (as do others) you may have a problem with the grounding of your computer case and your so-called "static discharges" are in fact leakage currents from the Y-Class capcitors in the ATX PSU.
https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/technical-articles/safety-capacitor-class-x-and-class-y-capacitors/

Static discharges tend to be in the range of 100V to tens of thousands of Volts. It's more common to generate static electricity if the room is dry and you walk across a carpet. If the humidity is normal to high, the risk of static build up is reduced. ATX PSUs are not designed or intended to generate static. Use a Van der Graaf generator instead.

Many ATX PSUs incorporate a couple of Class-Y capacitors, from Line to chassis and Neutral to chassis. If the computer PSU is not earthed (grounded), you may see an AC voltage roughly half that of the AC supply (60V for a 120V 60Hz AC supply, or 120V for a 240V 50Hz AC supply) at a very high impedance on exposed metalwork.

This "half supply" voltage is due to the Class-Y capacitor divider network in the PSU across Line and Neutral wth the mid point of the network connected to chassis. If the earth is missing, an AC voltage will be induced on the chassis.

The actual leakage current that flows when you touch the computer when it's not correctly earthed is measured in hundreds of microAmps, or thereabouts. It takes roughly 20mA+ through the heart to kill a human, hence the 20mA (or 30mA) rating of RCBs, ELCBs, or whatever you like to call them.

An anti static mat won't cure anything if the fault is not static related. Only earthing the PSU will fix the problem if my theory is correct.

If you have a multimeter, set it to the 200V or 600V AC range. Connect one probe to exposed metal work on the PC. Connect the other probe to a known good earth, e.g. central heating radiator, metal water pipe, etc., (we're not 100% sure your mains outlet is correctly earthed). If you measure a few tens of volts AC (not DC), you've got a safety problem.

ATX PSUs need to be earthed, so fault currents can be safely directed down to ground. Remove the mains safety earth and fault currents could flow through your body resulting in death.

I haven't tested it, but I doubt it since my previous machine worked fine for almost 5 years with the same outlet,

This doesn't mean the outlet is safely earthed. It just seems your two PSUs behave differently when connected to the outlet.

 

[webdev94]

The main goal is to have the mat discharge the static before you touch the PC. So any place that is easy for you to touch before you touch the computer will achieve the discharge you want.

I see, thank you!

I suspect (as do others) you may have a problem with the grounding of your computer case and your so-called "static discharges" are in fact leakage currents from the Y-Class capcitors in the ATX PSU.
https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/technical-articles/safety-capacitor-class-x-and-class-y-capacitors/

I appreciate the detailed description, but I must apologize because it's beyond my skills to understand it. I'll certainly make a call for a professional to inspect my apartment for this flaw, thank you! I'll get a humidifier since the room being dry has been a problem for some time now, especially with this cold weather.

 

[DaleH]

I see, thank you!



I appreciate the detailed description, but I must apologize because it's beyond my skills to understand it. I'll certainly make a call for a professional to inspect my apartment for this flaw, thank you! I'll get a humidifier since the room being dry has been a problem for some time now, especially with this cold weather.

Before spending money on an electrician, do some work on your own. You can get a digital multimeter fairly cheap. Use it to measure the resistance from the chassis to a nearby cold water pipe - should read 0 ohms resistance. Or maybe just get a wire long enough to reach a cold water pipe and temporarily attach it to the case and the water pipe. Then see if it alleviates the problem. You could likely get some alligator clip leads at a local hardware store to facilitate the connection. From my own experience, I know that static electricity can be a problem even for multi-million dollar equipment.