safe to run motherboard on paper?

[dud2k]

hey
i was just curious, is it safe to place the motherboard on a piece of paper, or those electric static bags...and power it up, just to test that everything works?

 

[cbuchach]

Just make sure you have it on a nonconducting surface. It should work without any problems.

 

[dkozloski]

I have used cardboard, an old magazine, newspaper, foam rubber, plastic sheet, and plywood. I do this everytime I assemble a new unit. I use the motherboard, a CPU with HS/F, some RAM, and an old PCI video card to power it up enough to check jumper settings and such.

 

[nicowju]

I ran a mobo on newspaper once. Worked great 🙂

 

[rbaibich]

It works on paper, but remember that paper can have eletrostatic energy, and in some cases, this CAN damage your equipment. I suggest you use the antistatic plastic that comes with the motherboard, or any other eletrostatic sensible equipment.

 

[Zach]

<< It works on paper, but remember that paper can have eletrostatic energy, and in some cases, this CAN damage your equipment. I suggest you use the antistatic plastic that comes with the motherboard, or any other eletrostatic sensible equipment. >>


And keep it in the isolation chamber. Don't turn down the dampening fields until the testing is done, and never ever release an ion burst to recharge your shields. And, whatever you do, never forget that this doesn't matter on equipment that doesn't find electrostatic energy to be sensible.

 

[hanginon]

Just be careful because some of the antistatic bags ARE conductive, it would be like setting your motherboard on a sheet of metal. I worked for the government when they started to get serious about protecting electronics from static damage and some of the early bags were conductive and I have personally seen a board fried because someone powered it up while it was laying on one of the bags. Makes a pretty show but it's not to healthy for the board

 

[urameatball]

I treat my mobos like crap.
run them on carpet and they still work fine... just gotta remember not to step on them (too hard)

 

[jamarno]

Dull paper, like newsprint and brown cardboard, are generally fine, but avoid shiney paper (notice how magazine pages often stick together from static).

 

[dud2k]

what about those metal screws that you put into your case to mount the motherboard..arent those metal, and wouldnt they conduct ? or..were u not supposed to use those (oops), and use plastic ones

 

[Joony]

Zach: hmm, time to run out to my local compusa and grab an isolation chamber 🙂

 

[Zach]

<< what about those metal screws that you put into your case to mount the motherboard..arent those metal, and wouldnt they conduct ? or..were u not supposed to use those (oops), and use plastic ones >>



Grounding, they are either used for grounding or the mobo takes are of things by not running wires to them. No biggie, notice that the boards have pds for screws anyway. If you happen to have a board in sideways or a really cheap baord they can make contact though, that's a good use for those little red cardboard rings that come with cases.

 

[Zach]

<< Zach: hmm, time to run out to my local compusa and grab an isolation chamber 🙂 >>



Make sure there's enough crystal, cap'n!

 

[smp]

I set the anti-static bag down on the foam that came in the mobo box and do it up like that....My server is running just sitting in a shelf though.. and that hasn't crashed once in... hmm.. longer than I remember.

 

[TruculentTucan]

god people are so worried about shorting out stuff. I never ground myself ( I always forget ), I have run my motherboards on carpet before, i have run HDDs on carpets, i have done almost every bad thing involving electrostatic energy I can think of. yet my system works fine!