Hey /g//uys
Is it worth to buy grounding/ antistatic wrist straps?
I will be building a new pc so...
Do i need one?
>>51738247
Yes, absolutely. You really don't want to try >$400 worth of components because you didn't want to spend an extra five.
>>51738247
I've built millions of computers, never used one, never fried shit.
>>51738317
Even if these were a meme this guys has a valid point. $5 is cheaper than any of your components.
>>51738247
I do embedded systems for a living, and so I'm working with exposed hardware a lot. The problem with electrostatic damage is that its effects can be subtle and cumulative. If you fuck up your hardware, you probably won't notice until it's too late. Even then, you won't realize why your hardware is suddenly fucking up.
That being said, I never use one of those at work and I've never seen anyone else on my team use one either. If you know how to handle the hardware safely, I say fuck it, but if you're worried at all, it's better safe than sorry.
That being said, you might be able to get something usable with shit lying around at home. All you need is a finger ring a wire and some alligator clips, and you're good to go. Clip one end of the wire to the ring and the other to a ground, and you just saved some money.
>>51738317
Tiny electronic components by themselves could be killed without one sure, but building a PC is pretty much 99.9999% safe without, because you'll most likely just charge a capacitor with your static than anything else. Computer PCBs are whole circuits, not just little components that would fry.
>>51738341
/thread
>>51738247
Touch regularly a heating radiator, which is generally grounded.
Touch the case, don't build in winter on a carpet with slippers on, should be fine OP.
Well if you buy your components from a reputable seller you can always RMA it if it's dead. If you want to be on the safe side and don't want to hassle with the RMA process then it may be worth your while throwing $5 at an anti-static wrist strap.
So cheap there's no point in not doing it. Just don't fall for the strapless ones, they don't work at all. Need to be wired to a ground. If there's even a .01 chance you could ruin a component then its worth having imo.
>>51738341
>I've built millions of computers
You've maybe built 3. Don't be fucking retarded.
When the temps dip and the static picks up blowing a component is a real possibility and this is a fucking $2 tool. If you are in a real shop or a real facility then this chance goes way down. If you are at home, like most of you 22 year old faggots are, working on your knees on carpet (you are all so good at that), then you will undoubtedly shock your shit. Then you can read this guy >>51738436 to explain why that's bad. Or your can be tough and fuck up your gaming motherboard, I could give a fuck.
>>51738343
This
Honestly OP, I don't think you need one, but I already have one since I swap a lot of components in and out all the time [work at a company that develops and tests PCIe adapter cards] (and I have fried stuff with static electricity before).
It's better to have one, but 99.9% of the time you'll get away with just touching something grounded a lot, especially whenever you move over a carpet so much as a centimeter
Nah.
I've always build my machines naked sat on my bed and never had issues.
It's snake oil. Might as well get a hologram wristband, to balance your bodys natural energy
>>51738436
>I never use one of those at work and I've never seen anyone else on my team use one either
At my company, the hw guys will yell at you if you are seen carrying components without anti-static bags or if you try to put in devices/take out devices anywhere but the lab
>>51738436
>That being said, I never use one of those at work and I've never seen anyone else on my team use one either.
Where I work, if you don't wear an ESD coat and walk on to the production line, you're going to get one hell of a bollocking.
when i built my pc newegg had one on sale for like 2.50 and it shipped free with my other shit.
was it worth it?
i have no clue. i can tell you when i clamped it to my case it made a little static shock, so it definitely did something.
but it was 2.50. i spend more than that on snacks from the vending machine at work. even for 5 dollars or whatever, at least it gives you peace of mind.
>>51739553
>ESD damage is a meme
Those useless straps are just snake oil.
If you're really worried about frying anything, just ground yourself by touching both hands on metal (which you can usually use your case for anyway).
>>51739553
>this is what /v/ actually believes
>>51739626
>>51739553
This kills the hardware
>>51739477
>strapless ones
These exist? WTF?
>>51739669
Take a Physics class. Ground yourself and you're done, no more excess electrons. And if you're really, REALLY worried, just ground yourself every time before you touch a component.
>this is what uneducated retards buy
I work in manufacturing in the silicon valley. Absolutely buy one...absolutely absolutely. This is pounded into every employee we hire. ESD is a real thing. And ESD damage might not even rear its ugly head right away, the component might fail in 3 months. Just because you don't have problems right away doesn't mean that youre good.
ESD can be in upwards of 20k volts. inb4 ohms law.
Just do some quick googling OP. There is no tinfoil hat/snopes conspiracy.
>>51739701
>Ground yourself and you're done
Are you seriously implying that you don't build up a new charge? Many places has carpet floors, you know. You could easily build up a new charge walking from the ground to the cabinet.
>uneducated retards buy
Anon, I have a MSc in electrical engineering and I work at a hw company. I have fried circuitry many, many, many times because I wasn't careful.
Sure, you build a new computer once every other year or so. But when you handle electronics multiple times a day, the odds of you fucking up increase quite a lot.
>>51739701
The wristbands ground you, retard.
>>51739760
You can ground yourself, retard. And it costs $0.
>>51738341
Yup. I'm up to possibly 300+ builds now. No dead parts, ever.
>this whole thread
Is this really the state of neo-/g/?
>people who are young enough not to remember the era when PC components were much more sensitive to ESD damage
>people who don't understand grounding
>>51739789
>recommending not to buy a $2 dollar thing when you buy computer components for $400+
It's something every self respecting nerd should have anyway.
>>51739626
But a powder coated or painted case might not give a proper discharge.
>>51739759
A person sitting in one spot grounding themselves before touching every part is far different than the actual employee that has to move around the factory floor touching electronics all day fast enough to meet a quota.
OP is just a nerd building one computer, not some asian slave in a dirty rural Powercolor factory in China.
>>51739848
Yes there is a difference, and yes you are most likely not going to fuck anything up. I just don't see te point in recommending OP actually *not* to get one.
The response should clearly unanimously be: "Yes, OP you *should* get one if you can, but you will most likely do fine without"
If you don't have an ESD band and strap you are ignorant.
If you are trying to justify not having one and pretending its not a problem, you are a full blown fucking retard.
OP spend the fucking 5 dollars, it doesn't even hamper your dexterity or movement.
Can you discharge by touching your case? Sure, until your elbow rubs your chair again, until you scratch your head, until you shift your legs. Are you going to know when you have a charge or not? Spend the 5 and get the goddamn strap. It's the cost of 2 red bulls.
My humidity is enough to drink the air. It is currently 73% humid outside. Static electricity doesn't really happen.
I don't have a strap due to being lazy, but I always rest my arm on the case metal when touching components inside the case, to ensure I remain grounded while removing and replacing parts. Tile and metal desk, so it's solidly grounded.
Then again, you can do the same thing with a piece of wire, which I've done in the past before when working on a server. Meh.
You can just not buy into the fear marketing behind ESD Wristbands, and touch your PSU while its plugged in + turned off.
>>51740107
Same type of faggot who uses mayonnaise instead of thermal paste.
Pic related, its you last week
Pro tip for poorfags that can afford a gayman rig but no grounding wristband:
Grab a copper wire, peel I, tie it around your wrist, plug it in the grounded pin of the nearest electric socket.
Too poor for grounding the sockets? Tie it around your door knob, your window or some shit. Done.
>>51738247
Only if you're superstitious
>>51739509
>>>51738341 (You)
>>I've built millions of computers
>You've maybe built 3. Don't be fucking retarded.
Millions m8 I worked in foxconn for the summer, wanted to meet a qt Chinese girl but got tricked into working 20 hour shifts
>>51738247
we had like one thing of them hanging on every fuckin rack we had at work and no-one ever used em.
worthless piece of shit
>>51738247
No its a stupid meme unless ur floor is carpet
