Building a Gaming Computer: Safety Precautions

When building a gaming computer, there are certain precautions you should take to ensure the safety of you and your hardware.

Issues such as electricity, static electricity, and using the right tools are all important things you should consider before you begin construction.

No matter what PC you are building, the information provided in this article will provide essential.

Be Safe With Electricity

An important thing to consider when building your custom computer is electricity. Whilst working on your computer, make sure all power cords are disconnected. Never work on your computer with the power supply plugged in. This is particularly important if you have one of the latest ATX-based cases where power is constantly flowing to devices in the system, even when you think they are switched off. This power supports the case on-off switches that are connected to the motherboard, as well as features that include network based startup support.
In addition, ensure that network and telephone lines are not connected to your PC. Peripheral devices such as the keyboard and mouse should also be disconnected when you are working on the system, just to be extra safe.
Another electricity precaution to take is to have the case cover on when you plug in the power to your computer. Do not at any stage work on the inside of your PC with the power plugged in and the PC on.

Stay Static Free

Static electricity can easily cause damage to sensitive components, especially RAM, CPUs and motherboards. To prevent damage to your components whilst building a gaming computer, wear an antistatic wrist strap. In addition, regularly ground yourself by touching the metal case when all power cords are disconnected. Sensitive components usually come in antistatic bags. Don’t throw these bags away, they come in handy. Keep your components inside these bags until you are ready to install each one. If you need to put the parts aside momentarily during installation, sit them on top of the antistatic bags.
Always handle components by their edges. On Printed Circuit Board (PCB) mounted devices such as RAM, graphics cards and motherboards, try to touch only the PCB edges. Do not touch the PCI connecting pins, CPU pins or RAM pins. Also, steer clear of touching components on the actual PCBs.
Avoid working in areas of high static, such as carpeted areas, particular nylon or other synthetic carpets. And if you can, avoid wearing static-creating clothing such as those made of synthetics.

Use the Right Tools

Building a gaming computer today can almost be done with just your bare hands. Some computer cases are designed so that you can install everything without needing many tools. If you do need tools for installation though, these are common tools for the job:

• Phillips screwdriver
• Flat nose screwdriver
• Long-nose pliers
• Antistatic wrist strap
• Nut driver

Conclusion

This article has covered the important safety precautions you should take when building a gaming computer. By following this advice you will greatly reduce the risk of damaging your hardware, or yourself.