Is UV light harmful to computer equipment?

[ghidu]

I know that sun light (UV light) is not electronics components best friend, but how bad could it be? I want to buy this fan card Vantec Spectrum Fan Card SP-FC70-BL Review. Until now I tried to stay away from UV stuff, but I can't find an efective way to cool my GeForce 6600GT without changing its cooler (although it's not the end of the world - 64C idle, 74 working on Battlefield 2). I don't even know if this could do any good. I have an external termal sensor that show 94-96F case temp - I live in a VERY hot country with high umidity Any thoughs?

 

[HaelWho]

This may be what you're looking for: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835186130

 

[ghidu]

No HaelWho, that's the thing I don't want to change the cooler, I just want to impove the air flow. My question is if UV light, UV active leds could damage any components.

 

[HaelWho]

My mistake, thought you said until now you wanted to stick with stock cooling. I'm not quite sure of the effect of UV rays, but here are a couple other solutions that are plain LEDs:

http://www.xoxide.com/fancard1.html
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...tem-details.asp?EdpNo=984046&CatId=804

Don't know why everything has to light up these days , but good luck on your hunt.

 

[zest]

Dunno about UV but these are the opions for LIGHTING

"Please remember that UV is 'black' light - it won't make your case glow unless items are painted with UV reactive paint or they are white - this PIC was taken on a sheet of white paper to show the effect this gives, the result is a neat purple coloured light"

 

[BOLt]

Originally posted by: ghidu
I know that sun light (UV light) is not electronics components best friend, but how bad could it be? I want to buy this fan card Vantec Spectrum Fan Card SP-FC70-BL Review. Until now I tried to stay away from UV stuff, but I can't find an efective way to cool my GeForce 6600GT without changing its cooler (although it's not the end of the world - 64C idle, 74 working on Battlefield 2). I don't even know if this could do any good. I have an external termal sensor that show 94-96F case temp - I live in a VERY hot country with high umidity Any thoughs?

Your temperatures are fine. My BFG GeForce 6800 GT OC PCI-e has gotten to 91C on Warhammer 40000 - Dawn of War after several hours of play. No hiccups and the threshold for overheating is 135C.

Don't be worried. Just turn up your fan speeds and/or airate (sp.?) your room.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: ghidu
No HaelWho, that's the thing I don't want to change the cooler, I just want to impove the air flow. My question is if UV light, UV active leds could damage any components.

I don't believe that the UV light produced by LEDs (for lighting) is enough to harm components. I know that during the process of etching, UV light is used to burn in the processor, but it won't have any effect on a finished processor. I wouldn't worry about your computer hardware, especially since the life of the computer is rated in, at the most, 10 years. Along those same lines, you can't get a tan or burn from the UV lights either. So I'm sure you have nothing to worry about.

And I would change your topic subject to just "Is UV light harmful to computer equipment", and maybe people will leave your cooling alone.
Tas.

 

[ghidu]

Originally posted by: HaelWho
My mistake, thought you said until now you wanted to stick with stock cooling. I'm not quite sure of the effect of UV rays, but here are a couple other solutions that are plain LEDs:

http://www.xoxide.com/fancard1.html
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...tem-details.asp?EdpNo=984046&CatId=804

Don't know why everything has to light up these days , but good luck on your hunt.

Thanks for the links HaelWho and maybe I'll remove the leds if I buy this thing.

Originally posted by: zest
Dunno about UV but these are the opions for LIGHTING

"Please remember that UV is 'black' light - it won't make your case glow unless items are painted with UV reactive paint or they are white - this PIC was taken on a sheet of white paper to show the effect this gives, the result is a neat purple coloured light"

I really don't like the esthetic effect of UV light and although I have a window on my case it wouldn't even be visible because the PCI Express slot is lower than an AGP slot.

Originally posted by: BOLt
Your temperatures are fine. My BFG GeForce 6800 GT OC PCI-e has gotten to 91C on Warhammer 40000 - Dawn of War after several hours of play. No hiccups and the threshold for overheating is 135C.

Don't be worried. Just turn up your fan speeds and/or airate (sp.?) your room.

What software do you use to manage the fan speed? And about airate, I am buying an AC because I have another PC in the same room and it's almost impossible to stay there.
Offtopic - Warhammer 40000 is an awesome game. I hope they make an expansion, because it was too short.

Originally posted by: tasburrfoot78362
I don't believe that the UV light produced by LEDs (for lighting) is enough to harm components. I know that during the process of etching, UV light is used to burn in the processor, but it won't have any effect on a finished processor. I wouldn't worry about your computer hardware, especially since the life of the computer is rated in, at the most, 10 years. Along those same lines, you can't get a tan or burn from the UV lights either. So I'm sure you have nothing to worry about.

And I would change your topic subject to just "Is UV light harmful to computer equipment", and maybe people will leave your cooling alone.
Tas.

Etching is the process of making the PCBs, right? It's also used to erase some old PICS.
"Along those same lines, you can't get a tan or burn from the UV lights either."That's too bad, because I can use some tan right now.

EDIT: I changed the title as you suggested tasburrfoot78362

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

hehehehehehe. No sh!t. A lot of geeks would look like they were getting sun. I could use it too, I'm sure. hehehehe
Tas.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Yes, etching is used when making PCBs and processors. It is used to lay the traces and interconnects if I'm not mistaken. And yes, the older ROMs, you could manually erase them with UV light, but that has been done with since they came out with EEPROMs (flashable ROMs).
Tas.

 

[BOLt]

What software do you use to manage the fan speed? And about airate, I am buying an AC because I have another PC in the same room and it's almost impossible to stay there.

Either use BIOS settings to control the threshold at which fans turn up to their maximum speeds or get a fan controller. There may also be some programs that you can use while the OS is booted to control your fans, but you need to have those 3-pin fan connectors that plug into the motherboard from the fan to actually manipulate the fans' speeds without a fan controller.

Again, your temperatures are more than fine.

 

[coomar]

for some reason i've noticed that mosquito's seem attracted to the UV lights, the irratation of seeing them in the computer and then having to clean them out after they die, i just leave the light off now

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Originally posted by: coomar
for some reason i've noticed that mosquito's seem attracted to the UV lights, the irratation of seeing them in the computer and then having to clean them out after they die, i just leave the light off now

No sh!t? Wow, that's interesting... (considers using UV lighting coupled with WD-40 and a lighter to take revenge against the Texas birds while having to work outside.)
Tas.

 

[w00t]

no but I have heard you dont want the light to hit you.

 

[xsilver]

UV light kills biological materials
you may have seen UV lamps used at hairdressers to sterilize scissors etc..

however the UV lights available for cases probably wont have enough power to do anything unless u put them down your pants for extended periods of time

 

[BionicSniper]

no no and no

the power and wavelength of the uv light that is emmited from uv ccfls that are comsumer cannot dammage anything in a computer or you.

The uv lights that dont shine purple are the ones that can cause dammage becaus they are the ones that emmit UV radiation like the sun and taning beds.

 

[ghidu]

Originally posted by: BionicSniper
no no and no

the power and wavelength of the uv light that is emmited from uv ccfls that are comsumer cannot dammage anything in a computer or you.

The uv lights that dont shine purple are the ones that can cause dammage becaus they are the ones that emmit UV radiation like the sun and taning beds.

Yes, when I read UV active leds I though about UV radiation, I know is silly. Either way I'll buy the fan card and mod it a little, put a switch on the leds, maybe cut them off completely.
@BOLt I meant the video card fan. My CPU temps are OK.