Safe to put mITX in a rubber sports bag when travelling?

[Antisthenes]

Will the components inside a Cooler Master 110 be damaged by static if I put it in a sports bag made of relatively thick waterproof rubber, during travelling on airplanes, trains or a bus? And if it is safe, will it generate damaging static if the bag is slided 10-50 cm, into an airplane overhead locker for example?

Should also mention that I had to cut a small hole in the roof of the CM 110 to make room for one of the two water cooling cables of the H81i, so will static travel through this cable into the components, the CPU for instance?

 

[Gam3r01]

You should not be worrying about static, but physical damage.
If you have the original box for the case (with the foam packing around it) that is the best way to transport a PC.
Graphics cards should be removed as well, to help prevent damage. Same goes for air coolers, however AIOs generally handle travel better. Since yours is mounted externally, that may be an issue.

 

[Antisthenes]

Thanks for reply! Appreciate it.

Are you absolutely certain that static will not be a problem? Have read that the metal case will protect the components inside, but does that also apply when the rubber sports bag touches the plastic of the water cooling cable leading more or less directly to the cpu?

 

[Gam3r01]

Static is nowhere near as much as an issue as people worry about. Not to mention rubber is an insulator anyway.

 

[Antisthenes]

Have heard different opinions about whether static is a serious issue or not, but I like scientific evidence, if someone got it please.

 

[13thmonkey]

the question is, does rubber hold charge, polythene does, I don't think that rubber does though.

 

[Gam3r01]

Thats the issue, its nearly impossible to get sound evidence for that.
Its all going to be what someone else says. If you ask most people on this site (many of whom have built systems for years) most will say its overblown.

 

[13thmonkey]

http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/static_materials.htm#.V-2EsvArJjE

Rubber doesn't hold a charge well, you'll be fine, or get a giant antistatic bag and slip it inside of it.

 

[USAFRet]

If ESD were as much of an issue that people (here and elsewhere) seem to think, we would not have an electronics industry.

Scientific proof? The evidence of hundreds of thousands of parts shipped all over the world, every day. With or without antistatic bags.

 

[Dragos Manea]

Static is nowhere near as much as an issue as people worry about. Not to mention rubber is an insulator anyway.

LOL so much missinformation here, i fried a ram stick and a videocard because of static, electronic components are very sensible to electric charges and must handled with a lot of care.
Ruber is a insulator so no it cannot build up static charge but how it was sugested be careful with physical damage.

 

[Dragos Manea]

If ESD were as much of an issue that people (here and elsewhere) seem to think, we would not have an electronics industry.

Scientific proof? The evidence of hundreds of thousands of parts shipped all over the world, every day. With or without antistatic bags.

Honestly every component i bought it came in antistatic bag and that is fro a serious reason, evend 2nd hand motherboards and hdd are delivered in anti static bags so i dont know from where you got to the conclusion that is not an issue especially when friction of materials is involved in traveling in backpack.

EDIT: IN principle that is how static charge acumulates by friction between different materials.

 

[13thmonkey]

Static is nowhere near as much as an issue as people worry about. Not to mention rubber is an insulator anyway.

LOL so much missinformation here, i fried a ram stick and a videocard because of static, electronic components are very sensible to electric charges and must handled with a lot of care.
Ruber is a insulator so no it cannot build up static charge but how it was sugested be careful with physical damage.

By putting it in the polystyrene box that it came in, polystyrene does hold a charge, very well indeed.

 

[USAFRet]

If ESD were as much of an issue that people (here and elsewhere) seem to think, we would not have an electronics industry.

Scientific proof? The evidence of hundreds of thousands of parts shipped all over the world, every day. With or without antistatic bags.

Honestly every component i bought it came in antistatic bag and that is fro a serious reason, evend 2nd hand motherboards and hdd are delivered in anti static bags so i dont know from where you got to the conclusion that is not an issue.

Buy new, yes, they come in an antistatic bag.
Used parts, or just moving house across country...is everything in a antiseptic antistatic bag, handled with cotton gloves in a clean room?
Ha.

 

[Dragos Manea]

If ESD were as much of an issue that people (here and elsewhere) seem to think, we would not have an electronics industry.

Scientific proof? The evidence of hundreds of thousands of parts shipped all over the world, every day. With or without antistatic bags.

Honestly every component i bought it came in antistatic bag and that is fro a serious reason, evend 2nd hand motherboards and hdd are delivered in anti static bags so i dont know from where you got to the conclusion that is not an issue.

Buy new, yes, they come in an antistatic bag.
Used parts, or just moving house across country...is everything in a antiseptic antistatic bag, handled with cotton gloves in a clean room?
Ha.

Lol dont go that far but everytime i handle electronic components i make sure i discharge anything i acumulated by touching a grounded metal or like the water pipes from the radiator (house heating not aio pipes 😀) because how i said is present and real danger. When i m moving them in another part of teh country yes i put them in their anti static bags for safety.

In OP case there is already an antistatic bag, the ruber backpack, ruber is a very good insulator.

 

[Antisthenes]

Don't know what the waterproof "rubber"-like material is made of. It looks similar to typical waterproof duffel bags, but they are often made of nylon, pvc, polyester. If so, how damaging is it when 5 mm of the water cooling cable sticks out of the case roof, getting touched by the bag?

 

[USAFRet]

When moving house, if I had to take everything apart and put every part in its own antistatic bag...I'd go broke buying antistatic bags.

 

[Antisthenes]

I'm using the mITX as an alternative to a laptop when travelling, staying at rented apartments 2-4 weeks in between train or plane travel. And it's a $3000 mITX, so need to reduce the risks as much as possible.

 

[Gam3r01]

In my experience the best way to move is the system is how its intended to be shipped.
The box the case came in is a great option. How do you think prebuilt systems are shipped and moved?

 

[Antisthenes]

The case cardboard box is too big.

 

[USAFRet]

I'm using the mITX as an alternative to a laptop when travelling, staying at rented apartments 2-4 weeks in between train or plane travel. And it's a $3000 mITX, so need to reduce the risks as much as possible.

From your description, static is a non issue.
"will it generate damaging static if the bag is slided 10-50 cm"
Would you be worried about static if sliding it 10-50cm across your desk? No, you wouldn't.

I'd be more worried about the liquid cooling situation, being moved all the time.

 

[Antisthenes]

I will take out the water cooler and replace it with an air cooler when using airplanes, obviously. But not worried too much about external physical damage, because I will guard it like a baby. The mobo is on the floor of the case, so both the cooler and the rest is pretty stable.

Don't worry about sliding the case across a table, but not sure how much static will build up when the case is tightly surrounded by "rubber" material like nylon, vinyl and polyester.