Dumb Question But.. But those paper Washers...

[QueZart]

I have Built/Upgraded/Disassembled Dozens of Computers

I have had both Formal and informal training read half dozen or so Online Guides

I Have Never Used one of these Or Even seen one in a computer I have disassembled.

They have never been mentioned in any Class or Guide..

Yet They Always Come with Cases, Kits, and Motherboards.. I must have a Fist full of em in my spare Parts Closet..

Anyone Have any clue? More Curious then anything Since I know they are not neccessary for anything.. Perhaps tho They are Recomended for something or another.. hhmm

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

They're meant for creating a non-conductive layer between the motherboard and the standoffs/screws that you use to connect it to the case.

It's not really necessary unless the motherboard manufacturer did a sh!tty job and there are traces right next to the screw holes that could get shorted out from the screws and standoffs.

Also, every motherboard I have used has had small bumps on the boards around the holes that helps keep the board isolated.

 

[imported_Kensai]

See above post.

 

[QueZart]

Interesting No wonder no one ever uses them.. I could see between MB/Screw.. But It'd be a real Pain in the A$$ the put them between Standoffs/MB

 

[Zepper]

In the old days there was occasionally a potential for shorting something nearby to a mounting hole so they gave you enough to stack up and keep the screw away. But back in those days (the days of AT and baby AT mobos) you only used two or three screws per mobo anyway. The rest were plastic standoffs of one type or another.
. I have come up with a reason to use them with modern mobos. Now that all positions are hard mount points with screws, I use them (only one per screw) to ameliorate thermal cycling stresses (expanson/contraction when heating up/cooling down). But I know I'm pretty much alone in recommending them out here...

.bh.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Zepper
In the old days there was occasionally a potential for shorting something nearby to a mounting hole so they gave you enough to stack up and keep the screw away. But back in those days (the days of AT and baby AT mobos) you only used two or three screws per mobo anyway. The rest were plastic standoffs of one type or another.
. I have come up with a reason to use them with modern mobos. Now that all positions are hard mount points with screws, I use them (only one per screw) to ameliorate thermal cycling stresses (expanson/contraction when heating up/cooling down). But I know I'm pretty much alone in recommending them out here...

.bh.

I just don't tighten the screws down all the way.

 

[Bozo Galora]

I have actually seen on the asus website their recommendation for SOME systems that fail to boot after a new build to use the washers to electrically isolate the mobo groundplane from the case. The mobo is also grounded by the PSU thru the wall socket plug thru the unit to the black ATX ground wires, and the 4 screws that hold the PSU on so I guess there can be a groundplane potential prob. However I kinda like the mobo also seperately grounded to the case as a safety feature.

I too have never used the washers and todays mobo have large radius grounding "spots" so that its hard to short to adjacent traces.