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Remove HSF Before Shipping Computer?

TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEONRegistered User regular
edited August 2008 in Help / Advice Forum
I've got one of these folks on my CPU. I'm going to ship my computer cross-country (Seattle to St. Louis). Should I remove the HSF, leave it on but put some sort of stuff in there to keep it supported, or just leave it on and not worry about it? If I have to remove the HSF, it'll be annoying, because then I have to clean the thermal goop off and reapply new thermal goop, but that's preferable to destroying the motherboard.

BONUS QUESTION
Can you really throw a keyboard into a dishwasher? That doesn't destroy it?

TychoCelchuuu on

Posts

  • rfaliasrfalias Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Just support the case with a lot of packing.

    Don't put your keyboard in the dishwasher. Water + Electrical components = Bad.

    Keyboards operate on mechanical plungers to make a connection between 2 contacts, but honestly if a keyboard is so dirty that it needs to be dishwashed, just buy another one. They are FRU's for a reason :P

    rfalias on
  • taliosfalcontaliosfalcon Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Keyboards that aren't backlit should go through the dishwasher without a problem, just leave them to dry a couple of days.

    taliosfalcon on
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  • rfaliasrfalias Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Keyboards that aren't backlit should go through the dishwasher without a problem, just leave them to dry a couple of days.


    I'm going to disagree again.

    I wouldn't put
    keyboard-controller.jpg

    or

    keyboard-matrix.jpg

    In a dishwasher. There are components inside just like a regular computer has.
    There are keyboards that are dishwasher safe. Otherwise, I wouldn't risk it to be honest.

    rfalias on
  • InfidelInfidel Heretic Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    That's not a large HSF, you are probably ok leaving it on.

    If you had one of the beefier performance/gamer HSFs I'd definitely recommend taking it off first. I've seen one come off during shipping and arrive at a LAN event having destroyed the motherboard and video card from it's bulk thrashing about inside.

    If you want to clean your keyboard just take it apart and clean it, it's not hard. If you don't, assuming it's some cheap keyboard just buy new ones now and again. :)

    Infidel on
    OrokosPA.png
  • DaenrisDaenris Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    rfalias wrote: »
    Don't put your keyboard in the dishwasher. Water + Electrical components = Bad.

    Water + Electrical components = Bad if the electrical components are powered on while in water, or if the device is still damp/wet when you try to use it again. A keyboard that has gotten water on it, and then completely dried out will still work fine.

    Daenris on
  • codetrapcodetrap Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    rfalias wrote: »
    Just support the case with a lot of packing.

    Don't put your keyboard in the dishwasher. Water + Electrical components + Electricity = Bad.

    Keyboards operate on mechanical plungers to make a connection between 2 contacts

    You can run your keyboard through the dishwasher if you want, but you will have to leave it out to dry for at least a week. If you do run it through, you'll probably want to open it up afterward so that it can get air circulation over the internals. Also, make sure you don't put the heated dry on, as you'll likely melt something. Cleaning is definitely a better option than just chucking it and buying a new one, both environmentally and financially.

    Anyone that shows you pictures of a circuit board and tries to tell you that just touching it with water will destroy is demonstrating a fundamental lack of understanding of electronics. (in my opinion)

    Now, on the other hand, putting your whole computer through the wash is a BAD idea, unless you can be completely sure that you've removed all onboard power sources first.

    codetrap on
    < insert witty comment here>
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    rfalias wrote: »
    Just support the case with a lot of packing.

    What kind of packing?

    And this keyboard is a cheap $5 one that I actually got for free. It's a little dirty and instead of giving it the key by key treatment a rinse in the dishwasher would be easier. I know water on its own isn't going to magically damage electronics. What I would really like is someone saying "yeah I've done this," I guess.

    TychoCelchuuu on
  • DaenrisDaenris Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    rfalias wrote: »
    Just support the case with a lot of packing.

    What kind of packing?

    And this keyboard is a cheap $5 one that I actually got for free. It's a little dirty and instead of giving it the key by key treatment a rinse in the dishwasher would be easier. I know water on its own isn't going to magically damage electronics. What I would really like is someone saying "yeah I've done this," I guess.

    I haven't done it, but one of my roommates in college washed his keyboard 2 or 3 times (because he kept spilling things on it), and it worked fine. If your dishwasher has a gentle cycle you may want to try that, as some more powerful cycles on dishwashers could end up knocking keys/pieces off which will end up bouncing around in the dishwasher and possibly causing problems or getting lost.

    Alternatively you could always go out to a Salvation Army/Goodwill and look, because they'll usually have things like cheap keyboards lying around.

    Daenris on
  • AtomBombAtomBomb Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    I've run a keyboard thru the dishwasher without incident. It was a MS ergonomic one. I live in Arizona, so after it was done I set it outside for the rest of the day and it was dry by the next day.

    That HS should be fine, especially if you have it screwed in with the backplate.

    AtomBomb on
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  • MrMonroeMrMonroe passed out on the floor nowRegistered User regular
    edited August 2008
    It's plenty small, just ship it without worrying. It's got a center of mass real close to the mobo, so there shouldn't be much stress.

    MrMonroe on
  • ThomamelasThomamelas Only one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    There is an exception to the keyboard in the dishwasher. Anything based on the IBM Model M keyboards and Unicomp's modern updates of those boards (all the joy of the old school model M, now with native USB) should probably be left out of the dishwasher. Unlike most modern keyboards, the Model M uses a metal spring. Most of the time it survives water just fine, but some batches have springs that will rust.

    The upside is that Model M keyboards are built like tanks in every other respect.

    Thomamelas on
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    MrMonroe wrote: »
    It's plenty small, just ship it without worrying. It's got a center of mass real close to the mobo, so there shouldn't be much stress.

    Isn't the center of mass more accurately located about halfway up the heatsink? Is that far enough from the mobo to be worried?

    TychoCelchuuu on
  • WillethWilleth Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Thomamelas wrote: »
    There is an exception to the keyboard in the dishwasher. Anything based on the IBM Model M keyboards and Unicomp's modern updates of those boards (all the joy of the old school model M, now with native USB) should probably be left out of the dishwasher. Unlike most modern keyboards, the Model M uses a metal spring. Most of the time it survives water just fine, but some batches have springs that will rust.

    The upside is that Model M keyboards are built like tanks in every other respect.

    I have a friend who was cycling home with his Model M in his bag and it fell out and killed a mouse that was on the road. Still works fine.

    Willeth on
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  • codetrapcodetrap Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Willeth wrote: »
    I have a friend who was cycling home with his Model M in his bag and it fell out and killed a mouse that was on the road. Still works fine.

    That's awsome! Too funny.

    codetrap on
    < insert witty comment here>
  • ThomamelasThomamelas Only one man can kill this many Russians. Bring his guitar to me! Registered User regular
    edited August 2008
    Willeth wrote: »
    Thomamelas wrote: »
    There is an exception to the keyboard in the dishwasher. Anything based on the IBM Model M keyboards and Unicomp's modern updates of those boards (all the joy of the old school model M, now with native USB) should probably be left out of the dishwasher. Unlike most modern keyboards, the Model M uses a metal spring. Most of the time it survives water just fine, but some batches have springs that will rust.

    The upside is that Model M keyboards are built like tanks in every other respect.

    I have a friend who was cycling home with his Model M in his bag and it fell out and killed a mouse that was on the road. Still works fine.

    They are amazingly indestructible. I have one of the ones from 87 that still works. I use it on an older server and after 20 years it's still clicky and it has a tactile feel that is amazing. I suspect it would take a nuke to kill it.

    Thomamelas on
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