Electro static bands for building PCs

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poetic332

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Jan 6, 2013
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Haven't built a PC in a while (say 10+ years) but my parts are all ordered and on their way.

I remember always being told by my geek uncle to use an electro-static discharge band attached between my wrist and the metal on the case... I never used one but I never had a problem either.

What are you guys' thoughts on those?

I post this more as a chuckle and to reminisce.
 
I still use one when I work on others PC's just for the sake of not having a headache IF something happened. Mind you I've ripped apart my systems about 100 times and have never had an issue, it's just a peace of mind thing. But in all honesty, don't be foolish, and practice the normal routine of grounding yourself and not wearing static creating clothing and you're golden. But yeah, I'll still use them if I work on something that isn't mind, laugh if you will, but the one time I don't I'm convinced I'll have a headache on my hands lol.
 
Depends on the humidity of your environment. If you're in a soggy area with humidity usually near 100%, it's difficult to build up a static charge that's dangerous to your electronics. If you're in an arid area where humidity drops down to 30%, you MUST use the ESD band. If walking across a room with socks on gives you a shock on the doorknob or the screws near a light switch, wear the band.
 
Ive never used one in 15+ years of building. I am just careful about static discharge precautions.
 
Yea. I live in Arizona. I accidentally torment my cat every time I try to pet her. Maybe that's why she's so chill. Electro-shock therapy administered in small doses. lol.
 
I used to services pc's in a shop and we used to have a ton of people come in with issues after the tried upgrading ram or a graphics card on their own and the only reason I figure they had so many issued was the fast that we always worked on anti-static mats and used the discharge wrist bands connected to the same bench and normal customers probably just shuffled along their carpet and just slammed the ram into the slot.

Granted some of them just outright fried their slots because they forced the ram in backwards or used the wrong type, but a lot of the sticks just died a early death at a higher rate.

If you aren't doing tons of work inside of PCs using a strap probably isn't going to help if you discharge any possible charge and do so each time you shuffle your feet.

Using the wrist strap just makes it easier to be safe , chips mounted on a circuit board are hard to actually damage from static discharge but as the others said it really depends on the humidity.

If your are in a really dry environment and can see the static arc in daylight, it might be a good idea to use the strap and they are cheap insurance.
 
I never used one.

I'm sure if various places its mandatory for the same of it
But if you probably ground on the case before working, its never
been an issue for me
 
never used one, but tap the chassis every now and then when installing. more ritual for good luck than anything else. for bonus protection, i take off my socks.
 
I've only used an anti-static wrist band once, many years ago. I found that it tends to get in the way while assembling/working on components. So I don't use one anymore.

If not already installed, a PSU is installed within the case and plugged into a power outlet socket. Power outlet switch is off while working on the components. I then frequently touch the case with both hands to ground myself via the power earthing system.

Works fine!
 
Like others have said I'd use one if I was in a dry climate with a high static buildup. But here is NY we're pretty damp and I don't use one, I am usually careful and ground myself to the case first just as a precaution.
 
I use antistic gloves like the ones workers use in electonic factorys that make the parts anyway.

it also keeps the parts clean from finger prints so I would use them anyway even if there was no static I like them to stay clean. the most common are these stripe ones they make them in bulk for the tons of workers at foxcon, TMSC and the nvida plants in asia


image.



on ebay they are cheep but who knows if they are the real thing. I might spend more and get some good ones in a package from a place that don't sell fake stuff.

they aslo have ones you can throw away those are used for the clean room workers at intel and others made off cloth with carbon and can be washed and used over and over again like 20 times for washing then the start to break down the protection and you need to get another set

the other dude in the pic is using antistatic finger caps and the other 2 in the pic are not doing anything right and braking factory rules.
 
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