Static Electricity Transporting PC

[ChiefTarkus]

When packing up my PC I put it in the original box the case came in. When I slide the machine out of the box (with the styrofoam inserts on) the metal case seems to build up some serious static electricity (when I touch it, it shocks me pretty hard.)

My question is, could this eventually damage the components inside the case, or are they protected by I/O shields and mobo standoffs?

Thanks.

 

[Lutfij]

It is not entirely protected since a large build of static can and will jump across a gap much like how lightning tends to jump along the ions in the air until the shortest travelling distance is found by said lightning bolt. It's always advised to not work with socks or on a carpet and if you are working with both while transporting a pc, then you should make sure you're properly grounded by continually making sure to touch a metal surface that is known to be grounded, for example, a faucet or bath tub.

Yes the stand offs, I/O shield and chassis protects it to some degree though you should always keep them as last resort barriers against static electricity. I've worked on systems where the household they were in had no proper grounding so the components had a build of static and eventually killed the system although said systems were running without complication until one day the system's decided not to power up.

When transporting your pc, make sure large heavy components like your GPU and after market air cooler are unplugged and taken off the system since they can add undue stress of motherboard and quite possibly damage the PCI-E slots on your motherboard.