Reducing outgassing in computer components

[PolymerTim]

Originally posted by: Nathelion
I think the problem with the coating idea is cost, not feasibility.

I would agree. There are a lot of things that can be done, but won't if there is not a financial or legal incentive. For manufacturers to address this issue of outgassing would take one of two scenarios in my mind. First, research begins to show evidence that the levels of chemicals being outgassed can actually be harmful to people using the equipment. Then either that evidence is compelling enough that manufacturers take action for fear of legal action or the evidence is only strong enough to convince a lot of consumers that it is a problem and the manufacturers make the changes as a marketing strategy.

Just look at bisphenol A and phthalates as an example. I won't go into the details here, but I think you can see how these topics have followed a similar path.

 

[beachedas25]

Hi I just purchased my first ever gaming PC a few weeks ago and I can not stand the smell coming from the back of it. In my searches I came across this forum. I never would have suspected out gassing to be an issue but it certainly is with my build. I sent it back to the company that built it for me as they suspected an over heating psu. They replaced this and sent it back and it has been better but when it heats up playing games that smell returns. It is kind of a sweet smell and it leaves a distinctive taste in the mouth. My research would suggest that it is likely chlorinated solvents that are used in degreasing components at the end of the manufacturing process and most likely in my case perchloroethylene as apparently it has a distinctive sweet smell and from working with dicloromethane I know that chlorinated solvents leave a very distinctive taste in your mouth. Anyway knowing the issue doesn't solve it and its difficult for me to isolate the component that is off gassing this. Just wondering if you currently know of a build of components that would not have this problem, for example is intel better than amd in terms of less chemicals used or better procedure of off gassing these solvents at the degreasing stage im not sure where you would find that information. My current bulid uses AMD cpu, Asus AMD graphics card, Asus motherboard coolermaster PSU, coolermaster heatsink cpu cooler. I love the build, only problem is the smell. Any suggestions to help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[oynaz]

Hi I just purchased my first ever gaming PC a few weeks ago and I can not stand the smell coming from the back of it. In my searches I came across this forum. I never would have suspected out gassing to be an issue but it certainly is with my build. I sent it back to the company that built it for me as they suspected an over heating psu. They replaced this and sent it back and it has been better but when it heats up playing games that smell returns. It is kind of a sweet smell and it leaves a distinctive taste in the mouth. My research would suggest that it is likely chlorinated solvents that are used in degreasing components at the end of the manufacturing process and most likely in my case perchloroethylene as apparently it has a distinctive sweet smell and from working with dicloromethane I know that chlorinated solvents leave a very distinctive taste in your mouth. Anyway knowing the issue doesn't solve it and its difficult for me to isolate the component that is off gassing this. Just wondering if you currently know of a build of components that would not have this problem, for example is intel better than amd in terms of less chemicals used or better procedure of off gassing these solvents at the degreasing stage im not sure where you would find that information. My current bulid uses AMD cpu, Asus AMD graphics card, Asus motherboard coolermaster PSU, coolermaster heatsink cpu cooler. I love the build, only problem is the smell. Any suggestions to help would be greatly appreciated.

Thread necromancy, but WTH.
I would do a burn-in of the rig. Place it somewhere well-ventilated, (It is summer still. Play outside?) and place it under load til most of the smell is gone. You can use prime95 or something like it.

 

[Chipfiref]

1. Everything outgasses - wood, plastic, vinyl, electronic components
2. If you are sensitive to a particular compound, you will need to have a venting system
3. There is no third thing

So for example, premanufactured housing leads to housinng modules that fit together very tightly, therefore there is very little ventilation that would normally occur due to loose windows or other air leaks that normally occur in a house. Therefore there is a warning for premanufaturesd housing that you need to have some ventilation, because there is significant outgassing from pressure treated woods, and the plastics they also use, etc.

All electronics will have some kind of outgassing.

You will not be able effectively stop outgassing of electronics, short of the government ordering a change to manufacturing due to some chemicals proven to cause a massive outbreak of cancer, and even then it may never happen.

So you will have to have a venting mechanism to deal with outgassing.

 

[Chipfiref]

I would agree. There are a lot of things that can be done, but won't if there is not a financial or legal incentive. For manufacturers to address this issue of outgassing would take one of two scenarios in my mind. First, research begins to show evidence that the levels of chemicals being outgassed can actually be harmful to people using the equipment. Then either that evidence is compelling enough that manufacturers take action for fear of legal action or the evidence is only strong enough to convince a lot of consumers that it is a problem and the manufacturers make the changes as a marketing strategy.

Just look at bisphenol A and phthalates as an example. I won't go into the details here, but I think you can see how these topics have followed a similar path.

PolymerTim, sorry missed this. Yes this is the idea, something will have to motivate a change, but if it occurs it still may not happen for 20 years. If you have an issue NOW, you will need to have your venting where you use the equipment. It is much more likely that the government will require a "bathroom fan" in your computer room than that the government will somehow put an end to outgassing.

 

[sm625]

I'm sure a tablet with no moving parts outgasses significantly less than a fullblown PC with a 600W PSU. So that's one step you can take. I'm just not sure if there is any real evidence to suggest that spending 2-3X as much money for less outgassing actually amounts to anything quatifiable.

 

[Jaepheth]

Why not just do a full submersion rig?

 

[Revolution 11]

You could put the parts in a vacuum environment. It would not have to be as intense as the vacuum in interstellar space, but that could speed up out-gassing. No guess on how long it would take.

 

[Carson Dyle]

A while back, the idea of a site dedicated to people who want to make quiet computers would have seemed crazily niche. But nowadays silentpcreview.com is well-respected and pretty popular.

By the same token, silentpcreview.com is now hopelessly outdated. Building a silent computer today is trivial, given the ever-smaller, cooler running components that have evolved out of shrinking die sizes. Today, the discussions in the forums of silentpcreview are dominated by nut cases wanting to silence their mice, for crying out loud.

 

[Salvador_83]

Well, I ve been working for some time with eletronics and I kind developed a very sensitivity to eletronics smell. Read most of this forum subject here and I agree that we may be at danger with so many off gassing products.
Recently, after cleaning several imacs and notebooks, things have changed. I cannot bear to be in the same room when each one of them is functioning.
I get metallic taste in my mouth, or burning mouth and tongue. Even heartburn after some minutes of contact. Have searched for every jnow chemical intoxication symptoms I have thought of and my suspects may be formaldehyde, thallium, cadmium or byproducts of plastic like phthalates or teraspict acid (don’t know how to write this one) or Terephthalic acid…or even the conformal coating some industries apply to pcbs (motherboards)….

Well, I don’t know. Thing is, I got very very very sensitive to eletronics smells and fumes. Even blocking me from working with them for long periods.

If anyone has any idea of what it might be, it will be really appreciated!