It's funny because 15 years ago I would sometimes take out my GPU while the PC was still running to fit it back in properly because it had no screw and sometimes it would come loose, my CPU cooler was held in place with toothpicks and I had no idea what thermal paste was. And nothing bad ever happened through some miracle. But thanks for this guide, I never used one of these and I really don't want to take any risks now.
Thanks. Short video but gets to the point with no fuss. I’m about to install a new M.2 and was paranoid about ruining something lol, been years since I tinkered around with the insides of a PC.
If you don't have an anti static wrist strap you can also just touch the metal of the PC case. All that the strap is doing is making an electrical connection between you and whatever the alligator clip is connected to. The downside of course is it's harder to use both hands
Started using ESD wrist strap for almost 7 years, by the time I started wearing strap, it was not comfortable because reach in and out my arm moves around, the small parts wiped out from the bench with strap cable. So I put ESD strap head to my hip underneath of the belt . Co-worker complaint about my idea and the way of my thinking disagree for them. My understanding is electric discharge anywhere from my body to the ground. After few people of disagree I tried to wear on my arm because the arm has less moment, since then no one talk about it. As long as I use wrist strap anywhere on my body, valuable component will safe and last long life. As your video mentioned not to wear on ankle and it make sense for the safety. I was searching for my question on Google but your video answer it all. Thank you 👍
Don't hook it on the pc metal, if you have a non grounded, no earthing plugs or your pc leaks current. It might be more damaging than not using the strap.
Could you please elaborate on how to see if my plug is grounded? I’m now anxious and frustrated because it’s all so confusing and it just keeps getting more and more confusing nothing is simple 😮💨
@@MrJaywalk If your power supply cord has 3 metal prongs coming out of it that plug into the wall, it is grounded (assuming your cord isn’t malfunctioning). If there are only the 2 parallel metal connectors without the 3rd rounded one, the device on the other end would therefore not be grounded
Yea I was thinking, hooking it directly to the power supply (powered off) might be better so the shock doesn't potentially pass through the motherboard.
I enjoyed the way you worded this question. It’s kind of like does my car need to have the radio on yes or no? I’m assuming it doesn’t because why would I need the heater on
It seems that all black power supplies are covered by some insulating layer, are they not? Also, I wonder, if it is safe to plug directly into the grounding terminal on the outlet (considering a 3-prong outlet in the USA)?
One question that will sound weird. If I wear a anti static strap and connect the alligator clip to coin will this prevent me from getting static shock? Serious question asking for my uncle. He drags his feet when he walks on floorboards as soon as he touches metal he gets a shock
i'm confused, i keep hearing you can ground yourself with the power supply but it needs to be plugged in but that sounds dangerous af to change components with plugged in power supply, be it switched off or not 😳 would it be enough to attach the clip of the wristband to the side of the power supply when it's plugged and the unplug it for the rest of the work? would that keep me grounded? i don't want to die
Thanks, info on how to use them is surprisingly scarce on the internet. Any comments on plugging in a device with a UK plug upside down so it's just the ground prong that's connected (ordinarily requiring an extension lead to enable this)? I always thought this was the safest option but experts might disagree.
I’m very confused. You turned the computer off and then plugged the power cable /in/. What? How was the computer on in the first place? What power cable is it if not for the computer? Very lost here.
Is this needed? I am building mine during this summer and its usually super humid in my area although this year has been very cold and dry for the past half year
that alligator clip will fall off that screw as soon as you start moving your hand around during the job. Also, that screw-head is painted hence not grounding you.
So you can work on a computer that is plugged into the outlet, but turned off and the PSU switched off and have the wristband attached to it at the same time?
See, I have one question When you are attaching an Alligator cord to the case then you are Grounded in respect of the Case but In case you touch PC components then you are not grounded in respect of that component. I don't think this band makes any sense
Can someone here please help me understand why this is necessary? Can't you quite literally unplug everything and just safely remove your SSD or whatever component you need to remove?
So, if the screws or fan grills are black (like in this video), how do I know if it's painted or bare metal? Is there such thing as black metal that's not painted? I'm confused.
I think it’s more of a paint thing. So paint can be isolating or not. But idk. And considering you wrote this 3 months ago I don’t think it’s that important anymore xD
@@timbonator1 Okay then. Now it is me who is interested to know. Important is not the right word. Relevant is the right word like static electricity which won't go away in near future.
I have a question i just orded a pre-built pc.. and after doing some research I found that my home was built in 1943 and doesn't have ground in the plug outlets. Is this something I should worry about? Or can I just plug my pc into an adapter that goes from 3 prong to a two prong 🔌 outlet? And Will not having ground affect my pc? I'm am in the USA 🇺🇸
do you psu to be plugged in then turned off? if you need it to be plugged in, what if it doesn't have a switch to turn it off? can you using anti static wrist strap?
I'm going to be putting in an m.2 nvme card then returning the gpu above it (the fans block the installation so I need to take it out temporarily to install it) so I was wondering are nvme's or rx580 gpus' sensitive to static discharges? (with in mind I got 5x surge protection on the mb)
How do you know if it is working? I purchased one recently and checked it with my multi meter for continuity and got nothing which suggested to me that it wasn't working???
I want to make sure. So when I plug in my new PC case (starting a PC build from scratch), can I just latch the anti-static wrist strap to the metal on the PC case? Or do I need to install the PSU first?
I am in the same situation. I think we need to first install the PSU before any component. Then, as they say, plug the PSU into a grounded outlet, have the PSU switched off, and then start installing the motherboard, CPU, etc. The point is having a connection to ground, which the case alone won't provide. Hopefully everything worked out since you posted this two weeks ago. I've never used an anti-static before and I never had a problem but I want to take better care in the future.
Once I've connected the pliers-looking end to the screw, do I keep it connected there all the time I am doing work inside my pc, or can I remove it before doing work inside my pc?
It is only useful when connected, so this way electricity safely gets grounded via the plug, and not when you touch something in your pc. A simple rub can cause you to get static.
Hi Philip, this video refers to using an anti static wrist band while building your PC. Please don't have your PC plugged into a power outlet while you're building it. In terms of using an EU to UK adapter I'm not sure if it will be grounded, my advice would be to ask a qualified electrician. - Paul
Nope sorry for the late reply but unless your opening up the ps5 screws then anything outside that will not damage the ps5. I have installed an m.2 ssd with my bare hands
Do I have to use a anti strap if I’m installing a hard drive or a fan? I am sorry for a ridiculous question I just got my first PC desktop just want to be sure
Question: I use my PC (& audacity) to record and digitise my vinyl records. i have an external Pro-ject turntable for the vinyl which is connected via USB to my pc. Now, Vinyl is notoriously bad for static and has a disasterous effect on the recorded music, often the static is transferred from me to the vinyl, however, could I wear an ESD Wristband during this whole process (both the PC and Turntable are switched on and connected) to eliminate the static on my vinyl for a clean recording? Cheers
The strap bonds you to the device and reduces the electrical potential between yourself and the device, so that's your first clue as to what's going on. Electrons always move from a high power state to a lower one - i.e. the charge always finds the shortest path to ground, or to a lower-power state. In the same way, static electricity moves from you - in a high-powered state - to something you're touching, like a RAM module, in a slightly lower-power state. The charge gets transferred and now the RAM has a bunch of stored electrons that it shouldn't have. Either the module dies when it's plugged into something, or whatever you plug it into will die because there are no static electricity protections. If you find that you're shocking yourself when you reach around to unclip the connector, that tells you that the difference in electrical potential between you and the PC is not equal. Instead, it's the strap which now has a higher electrical potential than you. Now you get zapped in the process of those electrons being transferred to you. You can test this by swapping the screw you're attaching to for one that isn't coated in the same alloy. You can also try connecting the strap to bare metal inside the case. Swap to a different strap to see if yours isn't faulty. Make sure that the PSU is off, but still connected to a wall socket. Try not to use extension cords because many of the cheaper ones do not contain a ground wire. If none of that changes anything, look deeper. Maybe the PSU cable you're using doesn't have a ground wire and there's damage inside the cables. Maybe the multi-plug adapter or the wall socket you're using has a bad neutral wire. Maybe all your wiring in the building is sub-standard and potentially dangerous.
Professional, simple, and above all, not obnoxious or snarky, glad to have creators like you on the platform, especially when people like Linus exist.
exactly
What about Linus? He the goat
@@mike_nba he’s an Amazon shill. One of the worst!
@@bobtheboneboy6531how
It's funny because 15 years ago I would sometimes take out my GPU while the PC was still running to fit it back in properly because it had no screw and sometimes it would come loose, my CPU cooler was held in place with toothpicks and I had no idea what thermal paste was. And nothing bad ever happened through some miracle.
But thanks for this guide, I never used one of these and I really don't want to take any risks now.
You took out your GPU while it was running? Dumb!!!
@@portman8909 Yeah, I was a kid. I'm fully aware of that now.
Thanks. Short video but gets to the point with no fuss. I’m about to install a new M.2 and was paranoid about ruining something lol, been years since I tinkered around with the insides of a PC.
If you don't have an anti static wrist strap you can also just touch the metal of the PC case. All that the strap is doing is making an electrical connection between you and whatever the alligator clip is connected to. The downside of course is it's harder to use both hands
Use it on your ankle
Started using ESD wrist strap for almost 7 years, by the time I started wearing strap, it was not comfortable because reach in and out my arm moves around, the small parts wiped out from the bench with strap cable. So I put ESD strap head to my hip underneath of the belt . Co-worker complaint about my idea and the way of my thinking disagree for them. My understanding is electric discharge anywhere from my body to the ground. After few people of disagree I tried to wear on my arm because the arm has less moment, since then no one talk about it. As long as I use wrist strap anywhere on my body, valuable component will safe and last long life. As your video mentioned not to wear on ankle and it make sense for the safety. I was searching for my question on Google but your video answer it all. Thank you 👍
quick, easy, simple and fast. nice vid
Glad you liked it!
I fried a motherboard thinking I could chance it. That was a two-hundred dollar lesson.
What about for laptops?
how are you supposed to do that in laptops? can you do a video for that?
Yea I've seen almost nothing on the topic of how to get grounded if your working on anything that's not a PC
My KD went up by two points when I started wearing this! 😎
Don't hook it on the pc metal, if you have a non grounded, no earthing plugs or your pc leaks current. It might be more damaging than not using the strap.
Could you please elaborate on how to see if my plug is grounded? I’m now anxious and frustrated because it’s all so confusing and it just keeps getting more and more confusing nothing is simple 😮💨
@@MrJaywalk If your power supply cord has 3 metal prongs coming out of it that plug into the wall, it is grounded (assuming your cord isn’t malfunctioning). If there are only the 2 parallel metal connectors without the 3rd rounded one, the device on the other end would therefore not be grounded
Yea I was thinking, hooking it directly to the power supply (powered off) might be better so the shock doesn't potentially pass through the motherboard.
Does my power supply need to have all the components connected to it or no? I'm assuming it doesnt because why would I need the wrist band.
My question is if you have a pc with pre installed fans do you need to connect it?
To your psu/power supply
Umesh Limbu zoxppp hdfd
I enjoyed the way you worded this question. It’s kind of like does my car need to have the radio on yes or no? I’m assuming it doesn’t because why would I need the heater on
Did they not just connect it onto painted metal though?
was wondering the same
Quick, informative, no time wasted. Would that every RUclips video was a straightforward as this one
It seems that all black power supplies are covered by some insulating layer, are they not? Also, I wonder, if it is safe to plug directly into the grounding terminal on the outlet (considering a 3-prong outlet in the USA)?
I’ve done it after checking to make sure there is no voltage on the ground coming from a loop. Still feels kinda sketchy though
One question that will sound weird. If I wear a anti static strap and connect the alligator clip to coin will this prevent me from getting static shock? Serious question asking for my uncle. He drags his feet when he walks on floorboards as soon as he touches metal he gets a shock
i'm confused, i keep hearing you can ground yourself with the power supply but it needs to be plugged in but that sounds dangerous af to change components with plugged in power supply, be it switched off or not 😳 would it be enough to attach the clip of the wristband to the side of the power supply when it's plugged and the unplug it for the rest of the work? would that keep me grounded? i don't want to die
This is great but I am not installing my PSU until towards the end of my build sooo... what then?
👍
@@ChoppyQ1 Exactlsy, as for most of us, so in all due respect, this want a very complete tutorial.
So basically, the wrist strap is to be worn once the pc is built, mainly before the chord to the power supply is plugged in and switched on?
Yes, exactly
Thanks, info on how to use them is surprisingly scarce on the internet. Any comments on plugging in a device with a UK plug upside down so it's just the ground prong that's connected (ordinarily requiring an extension lead to enable this)? I always thought this was the safest option but experts might disagree.
How tight should the wrist band be please and thank you …answer soon pleeeeease😁👍🏻‼️
How to use one when working on a laptop?
question, can you ground yourself by connecting to the case?
I’m very confused. You turned the computer off and then plugged the power cable /in/. What? How was the computer on in the first place? What power cable is it if not for the computer? Very lost here.
Tanks for this video @WePC. I'm very happy when i see your videos because i learned so much with your tips! Hey From Brazil ✌🏽🇧🇷🙏🏽
Happy to hear that!
From your explanation when you turn off the power supply when then do you have to plug the power cord in an outlet? @0:51
Is this needed? I am building mine during this summer and its usually super humid in my area although this year has been very cold and dry for the past half year
Thanks bro! I'm gonna go fix my teachers broken phone!
What if you have an old psu you that doesn't have a power switch? Can you still use that? Or does it absolutely need to be switched off?
that alligator clip will fall off that screw as soon as you start moving your hand around during the job. Also, that screw-head is painted hence not grounding you.
Very underrated channel
Glad you think so!
Do I need to turn the plug on or off? I can’t find this info anywhere pls help
Off
So you can work on a computer that is plugged into the outlet, but turned off and the PSU switched off and have the wristband attached to it at the same time?
i think so
do not work on a pc with the power cable still inserted, even with the kill switch on. its just silly dangerous.
How would i connect it to a datavac vacuum???
See, I have one question When you are attaching an Alligator cord to the case then you are Grounded in respect of the Case but In case you touch PC components then you are not grounded in respect of that component. I don't think this band makes any sense
But what do you do when you replace your psu
thank you
what if your outlet is not grounded?
Then find something that is grounded to attach yourself too, the idea is that most modern outlets are grounded so it's the easiest.
Can someone here please help me understand why this is necessary? Can't you quite literally unplug everything and just safely remove your SSD or whatever component you need to remove?
Do we have to turn the switch on of power outlet if there is a switch on it please tell me I'm a little bit confused over that
So, if the screws or fan grills are black (like in this video), how do I know if it's painted or bare metal? Is there such thing as black metal that's not painted? I'm confused.
I think it’s more of a paint thing. So paint can be isolating or not. But idk. And considering you wrote this 3 months ago I don’t think it’s that important anymore xD
@@timbonator1 Okay then. Now it is me who is interested to know. Important is not the right word. Relevant is the right word like static electricity which won't go away in near future.
@@_thechosen yeah it's still important and just as relevant that commenter is a goober did you figure it out?
@@eviljohnnybravo7575bro you’re a goober
What if someone doesn't have 3 wires in a socket in the wall only 2 ?
Without grounding ? Then this will also work ?
Simple and effective explanation 👍🏻
So how are you supposed to use this if you're building a pc from scratch, instead of repairing one?
Do i need this if im just putting in more ram ??????
Why keep the power supply plugged in? You can’t unplug it when moving stuff around? 🤔 newbie here
I have a question i just orded a pre-built pc.. and after doing some research I found that my home was built in 1943 and doesn't have ground in the plug outlets. Is this something I should worry about? Or can I just plug my pc into an adapter that goes from 3 prong to a two prong 🔌 outlet? And Will not having ground affect my pc? I'm am in the USA 🇺🇸
What do you do when you need to take it off? What’s the order?
Once finished. Turn the power supply off, then take the alligator clip off the PC.
@@WePC Bro do we need to turn the switch on of the power supply if there is any or do we need to keep it off
@@shadowryugamer7349 Just keep it off throughout the entire process. You don't need the power, you only need the grounding of the socket.
@@jamiedavinci1328 thanks man it helps a lot
Could I plug it into the grounding portion of a three prong US outlet?
0:50 That's exactly how I restart my computer
Can I ground myself with the psu on?
Thanks for the info
Will it work even if the outlets are not grounded?
Is it ok to clip the strap onto something like an external VGA port on the motherboard that I will not use
Does the plug in the wall need to be turned on for this to work? Thanks. (uk by the way)
Also, all metal in my case and my power supply is black, is this a problem and paint?
@@merrychristmas6224 racist
@@josephwalsha3344 lmao
@@josephwalsha3344 bruh wtf
This is exactly my case, UK socket and does that need to be turned on or off and the whole case is black
do you psu to be plugged in then turned off? if you need it to be plugged in, what if it doesn't have a switch to turn it off? can you using anti static wrist strap?
Going to put an expansion SSD in a PS5. Is there anywhere on the PS5 I can safely put the clip?
If you don’t already have a pc where do you put the alligator clip
But... my PSU won't be in the case yet...
Does the power switch need to be on or off?
It should be Off
Certain times when you shouldn't wear it??? I'm so confused...do you not need it or is it bad to wear it -_-
Should I clip this to my plastic Raspberry Pi case? 🤔
When I replace my graphics card can
I leave the psu plugged in and switched off like you said ?
Yep you can
Thanks bro.
No problem, glad we could help!
My powersupply doesnt have a switch..
Just buy a ground wire mat. They are cheap and worry free.
can you attach it to a wood cabinet, will it still work
So on a laptop ?? To remove NMVe SSD - where to I attach to?
I'm going to be putting in an m.2 nvme card then returning the gpu above it (the fans block the installation so I need to take it out temporarily to install it)
so I was wondering are nvme's or rx580 gpus' sensitive to static discharges? (with in mind I got 5x surge protection on the mb)
Do you need 1 of them in each wrist or just 1 should be fine?
Just one is fine.
Im doing a project for physics, thank you lmaoo
glad I could help!
How do you know if it is working? I purchased one recently and checked it with my multi meter for continuity and got nothing which suggested to me that it wasn't working???
as long as you're grounded it should be working.
Did you plug that psu in when the lead was turned on ye?
What about plastic laptop?
0:33 video starts here
I want to make sure. So when I plug in my new PC case (starting a PC build from scratch), can I just latch the anti-static wrist strap to the metal on the PC case? Or do I need to install the PSU first?
I am in the same situation. I think we need to first install the PSU before any component. Then, as they say, plug the PSU into a grounded outlet, have the PSU switched off, and then start installing the motherboard, CPU, etc. The point is having a connection to ground, which the case alone won't provide. Hopefully everything worked out since you posted this two weeks ago. I've never used an anti-static before and I never had a problem but I want to take better care in the future.
And what about laptops?
KNOWLEDGE
Thanks!
Dose the power point need to be on
No should be off
@@WePC thx
Once I've connected the pliers-looking end to the screw, do I keep it connected there all the time I am doing work inside my pc, or can I remove it before doing work inside my pc?
It is only useful when connected, so this way electricity safely gets grounded via the plug, and not when you touch something in your pc. A simple rub can cause you to get static.
My power supply has an EU (roundedd 2 pronged pin). Would I still be grounded if I plugged that into an EU to UK adapter,, thenn that into the outlet?
Hi Philip, this video refers to using an anti static wrist band while building your PC. Please don't have your PC plugged into a power outlet while you're building it. In terms of using an EU to UK adapter I'm not sure if it will be grounded, my advice would be to ask a qualified electrician.
- Paul
Hi ! Do you really need this to upgrade ram ? And can latex gloves do the job ( or any gloves ) ? Thank you !
I have the same question! Came here after installing a PSU using latex gloves and hoping I did okay.
NO gloves build up static
Big mistake bcz latex glove can cause static electricity
Do I need one for putting in an mv ssd into a Playstation 5?
Nope sorry for the late reply but unless your opening up the ps5 screws then anything outside that will not damage the ps5. I have installed an m.2 ssd with my bare hands
Wait do I need it even though I’m installing new ram
You don't necessarily need it, it's usually just used for precaution and for safety
Do I have to use a anti strap if I’m installing a hard drive or a fan? I am sorry for a ridiculous question I just got my first PC desktop just want to be sure
@Pete Smart On my computer I don’t have a power switch
Your power supply should do.
should i put the psu in the case and plug in wall first then build my pc?
Don't plug in the PSU when you're building the pc.
@@samamahm6123 ok and I ordered a anti static wrist wrap. Do I not need it?
can you use both hands still ?
Yes you're now grounded
@@WePC okay thank you
Short nd sweet
thanks for watching
If the pc is on then where should I put the clip? On psu screw or case?
what if you're working on a laptop?
This anti static wrist band is used when building a PC. You probably won't need one on your laptop. Are you getting shocks from your laptop?
@@WePC No, I'm definitely the worry wart type though.
@@WePC Load of rubbish, of course you need one when working on a laptop.
I guess 9/10 pc channels have shelves of product packages as a backdrop.
Question: I use my PC (& audacity) to record and digitise my vinyl records. i have an external Pro-ject turntable for the vinyl which is connected via USB to my pc. Now, Vinyl is notoriously bad for static and has a disasterous effect on the recorded music, often the static is transferred from me to the vinyl, however, could I wear an ESD Wristband during this whole process (both the PC and Turntable are switched on and connected) to eliminate the static on my vinyl for a clean recording?
Cheers
find a neutral ground point so you don't get shocked. This vid is horrible
شرح جميل
My power supply does not have a switch...
What🤣
lol
is that even possible?
@@cinemamovies1916 yes. My old psu doesn't have it as well.
That screw look painted xD
Why can't videos show us what we need THEN give us a history lesson? So annoying!
we are here to learn not to dance so kindly please remove the background music
Is it normal to feel a little shock when i touch the alligator clip after it is connect to the power supply for a while?
The strap bonds you to the device and reduces the electrical potential between yourself and the device, so that's your first clue as to what's going on. Electrons always move from a high power state to a lower one - i.e. the charge always finds the shortest path to ground, or to a lower-power state. In the same way, static electricity moves from you - in a high-powered state - to something you're touching, like a RAM module, in a slightly lower-power state. The charge gets transferred and now the RAM has a bunch of stored electrons that it shouldn't have. Either the module dies when it's plugged into something, or whatever you plug it into will die because there are no static electricity protections.
If you find that you're shocking yourself when you reach around to unclip the connector, that tells you that the difference in electrical potential between you and the PC is not equal. Instead, it's the strap which now has a higher electrical potential than you. Now you get zapped in the process of those electrons being transferred to you.
You can test this by swapping the screw you're attaching to for one that isn't coated in the same alloy. You can also try connecting the strap to bare metal inside the case. Swap to a different strap to see if yours isn't faulty. Make sure that the PSU is off, but still connected to a wall socket. Try not to use extension cords because many of the cheaper ones do not contain a ground wire.
If none of that changes anything, look deeper. Maybe the PSU cable you're using doesn't have a ground wire and there's damage inside the cables. Maybe the multi-plug adapter or the wall socket you're using has a bad neutral wire. Maybe all your wiring in the building is sub-standard and potentially dangerous.