Question Static Wrist Band While Assembling PC

[AustinMxr1]

I know this has probably been answered in many other places, but I can't seem to find them anywhere. I am building a new PC in a few days and I have one of those wrist bands that connect me to the chassis with a crocodile clip, but for this to be effective in preventing a static discharge does the PC need to be connected to the wall outlet? Some people have said to plug the PSU in and keep it off, and install it into the chassis first. This kind of sketches me out and I'm wondering if I can just clip myself to the chassis while I work on everything (such as assembling the motherboard/ram/cpu). If the case/chassis isn't connected to the wall outlet OR the motherboard, does clipping into it even do anything?
Thank you.

 

[USAFRet]

All you're wanting to do is equalize the electical potential between you and the components.
NOT between you and the wall.

Clip it to the PC case.

 

[AustinMxr1]

All you're wanting to do is equalize the electical potential between you and the components.
NOT between you and the wall.

Clip it to the PC case.

How about when assembling the motherboard components before installing it into the case? Would being clipped onto the case offer any protection while the motherboard is not touching it? I know it's not really a huge concern and I've built 2 PC's in the past without ever worrying about this but I went all out with this one and want to ensure there's no accidents.

 

[USAFRet]

I know it's not really a huge concern and I've built 2 PC's in the past without ever worrying about this but I went all out with this one and want to ensure there's no accidents.

And I've built hundreds.
Used a wrist strap for about 0.5 of those. (I took it off part way through)

Don't build on carpet.
Don't shuffle you feet if you ARE on carpet.
Touch the components every once in a while

 

[AustinMxr1]

And I've built hundreds.
Used a wrist strap for about 0.5 of those. (I took it off part way through)

Don't build on carpet.
Don't shuffle you feet if you ARE on carpet.
Touch the components every once in a while

I'm sure you're great at building computers, not so much at understanding questions.

 

[USAFRet]

Would being clipped onto the case offer any protection while the motherboard is not touching it?

For that, clip to the motherboard or PSU if the cable is already attached to the motherboard.

 

[drea.drechsler]

And I've built hundreds.
Used a wrist strap for about 0.5 of those. (I took it off part way through)

Don't build on carpet.
Don't shuffle you feet if you ARE on carpet.
Touch the components every once in a while

That pretty much describes my practice...

The idea is to bleed off any charge your body builds up before touching an unprotected sensitive component. I keep a hand or wrest my wrist on the metal case while building which does that. I also never carry a component (CPU, GPU, motherboard, whatever) away from the work bench unless it's inside of a Faraday bag...one of those smoke colored plastic bags...or its manufacturer's clamshell package.

It's really quite simple and doesn't require a wrist strap. And as a matter of safety, if using one the wrist strap should never be attached directly to a grounded device. It presents a serious shock hazard.

 

[Zerk2012]

I'm sure you're great at building computers, not so much at understanding questions.

I have built a ton of PC's and never ever used one. Yes I have even built them on carpet. (rubber sole shoes)
Wood or tile floor and you need nothing else.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Never used a strap. Never had any issues. If you watch PC Build videos , 99.9 % don't use them.

 

[Karadjgne]

Static electricity is the ionized charge built up on anything, due to machinery, radio frequency, atmospheric conditions etc.

Static electricity discharge is when 2 items come into close enough proximity to create the discharge, the amount of which is due to the differences in charges. So a motherboard will have a certain charge it gets when pulled from the bag, it's the same amount of charge as you have, since you touched it. You also touched the table or bench and equalized that charge, so putting the motherboard on the bench, everything is equally charged.

That's the sole purpose of the anti-static wrist strap, for you to maintain contact with the bench, so there's no sudden discharge between items that might have built up a charge, like you walking around on carpet, dragging your feet and then picking up the mobo.

The case will also be sitting on the workbench, touching that is same as roughing the bench as you pick up the mobo.

 

[Inthrutheoutdoor]

I have built a ton of PC's and never ever used one. Yes I have even built them on carpet. (rubber sole shoes)

Never used a strap. Never had any issues. If you watch PC Build videos , 99.9 % don't use them.

Same here, I've been building computers since the mid-90's (approx. 1k of them) & have yet to use a strap on any of them, and have yet to encounter a single issue with any of them....

 

[Zerk2012]

Same here, I've been building computers since the mid-90's (approx. 1k of them) & have yet to use a strap on any of them, and have yet to encounter a single issue with any of them....

Ran my own shop out of my house for about 7 years, only shop in town with a very good rep.
Static straps are just useless.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

I work as a tech and do computers as a hobby. As far as the wrist strap don’t worry about it. Try not to build on carpet, don’t shuffle around, touch the case from time to time before touching components. Generally just use common sense, handle parts such as ram by the edges when possible but not by the contacts.

 

[Karadjgne]

I work as a tech and do computers as a hobby. As far as the wrist strap don’t worry about it. Try not to build on carpet, don’t shuffle around, touch the case from time to time before touching components. Generally just use common sense, handle parts such as ram by the edges when possible but not by the contacts.

I've been building, modding, tinkering with pc's for 42 years. Never once used a wrist strap, very often will clean a pc with a vacuum hose etc. One thing I've learned over the years, doing anything, is that there's always a purpose for safety equipment, but that purpose comes about for one simple reason. Somebody's stupidity.

If you build a pc by yourself, the only 'somebody' is you. If you don't take silly risks and don't do stupid stuff, the necessity for safety equipment disappears. In other words, hold the vac 6-12" away from the pc and use a brush or air can to stir up the dust, while being lazy and leaning a forearm on the case. Hold ram by the heatsink, pick up cpus and motherboards by their edges, hold cpu aircoolers gingerly (unless you prefer bleeding on everything). It's not that hard to be intelligent about what you do.

 

[kanewolf]

I know this has probably been answered in many other places, but I can't seem to find them anywhere. I am building a new PC in a few days and I have one of those wrist bands that connect me to the chassis with a crocodile clip, but for this to be effective in preventing a static discharge does the PC need to be connected to the wall outlet? Some people have said to plug the PSU in and keep it off, and install it into the chassis first. This kind of sketches me out and I'm wondering if I can just clip myself to the chassis while I work on everything (such as assembling the motherboard/ram/cpu). If the case/chassis isn't connected to the wall outlet OR the motherboard, does clipping into it even do anything?
Thank you.

I worked for an aerospace / defense contractor. I had to take ESD training every year. A wrist strap is never a bad idea. The biggest thing that you need to prevent static build-up is humidity. Don't build a PC with very dry air. If it is winter in your area, and you have supplemental heating, you may have low humidity in your home. Use a humidifier. We were not allowed to handle ESD sensitive parts, if humidity was below 45% even with supplemental grounding or ion generators.

 

[ronzxcvb]

I worked for an aerospace / defense contractor. I had to take ESD training every year. A wrist strap is never a bad idea. The biggest thing that you need to prevent static build-up is humidity. Don't build a PC with very dry air. If it is winter in your area, and you have supplemental heating, you may have low humidity in your home. Use a humidifier. We were not allowed to handle ESD sensitive parts, if humidity was below 45% even with supplemental grounding or ion generators.

Thank you I knew someone that fried a MB building one in the middle of winter in Wisconsin.