Shrink wrapped motherboards

[wiretap]

Correct, some conformal coatings are easier to deal with than others. The epoxy based ones I mostly work with are no fun.

 

[Phryq]

I wonder how much weight a coating adds. For my purposes it's just dust protection, but most likely I'll either go fanless or put a dust filter over the fan, so it's not really needed. Still, I'd like to understand all possibilities.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004SPJOKK/?tag=theminutiae-20

 

[iFreilicht]

General question: Aren't you just moving the dust problem one layer up? If you put conformal coating on the mainboard, then the board won't get dusty, but the coating will. You gained absolutely naught by doing that.

 

[jeshikat]

An air-tight industrial case seems the only way around that. Then you can just dust it off.

 

[iFreilicht]

Air-tight case for components and separate, heavily filtered compartment for radiators would also work.

 

[Phryq]

Well, a coating is easier to clean; you can wipe it with a cloth. Even a damp cloth.

Also, the dust won't harm the motherboard sitting on the coating.

 

[jØrd]

Also, the dust won't harm the motherboard sitting on the coating.

Chances are, unless your dust is metal shavings or the like, that it wont harm the motherboard regardless

 

[EdZ]

Well, a coating is easier to clean; you can wipe it with a cloth. Even a damp cloth.

Also, the dust won't harm the motherboard sitting on the coating.

If the whole thing is coated, you can set up a WC system with a sprayer head that continuously sprays the entire board, washing off any dust that is able to settle. Bonus distributed evaporative cooling!

 

[Phryq]

Ok, the real reason.

I simply hate the idea of dust touching my computer parts. My computer is always getting dusty, and it drives me nuts.

 

[jØrd]

Have you considered dust filters? Whilst you do have to clean your filters from time to time they will stop the vast majority of dust from entering your chassis and will cost a metric fuckton less money than confomally coating your board, PCIe cards, etc. Even w/ everything possible conformally coated you still dont solve the problem of dust accumulating in I/O ports and such (for example, the front USB ports one of my servers are beyond filthy)

 

[EdZ]

There are also a handful of PC case fans available now that mimic industrial dust extraction systems, and run briefly at full-speed reverse on startup to clear the filter.

 

[iFreilicht]

There are also a handful of PC case fans available now that mimic industrial dust extraction systems, and run briefly at full-speed reverse on startup to clear the filter.

I would not want to sit in front of that thing.

Ok, the real reason.

I simply hate the idea of dust touching my computer parts. My computer is always getting dusty, and it drives me nuts.

This would solve your issue, right?

Air-tight case for components and separate, heavily filtered compartment for radiators would also work.

 

[Phryq]

Yes, I've thought of having the main section air-tight and having the cooling exterior to the air-tight case...

Most likely I'll just go with the air-filter in the air-intake hole (cut a hole in the case where the CPU-fan is and put a big dust filter there).

 

[wiretap]

Covering entire motherboard with plastic, I think it wont work. Shrink wrapping can be quite good when compared to plastic packing.

Nice try spam bot. Shrink wrap generates a high amount of static (which it uses to 'cling' to itself), and isn't something you want to wrap around ESD sensitive electronics.

MOD EDIT: Removed spamlink