Building a PC!

[Pace]

Ok - I've built a few PCs (including my own) and I was just wondering about the little red grounding pads which are put where the screws are for connecting the motherboard to the case. What do these do and what is the correct placement for them? Between screw/motherboard case-side? Between screw-head/motherboard component-side?

Thanks,

Paul.

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[SteveC]

The correct place for them is in the bin! That where I put them any how. Infact, I haven't seen them come with a new case in months...

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Cheers,
Steve

"Life is what we make of it, yet most of us just fake"

[Pace]

Hehe, that's what I was thinking. It was an unusual reading of the motherboard manual that said use as many screws as possible as these ground the system. So I wondered what the point of the pads are!

Thanks, Paul.

[Greebe]

To prevent shorting of adjacient traces on the MB. These were used some years ago as the common myth then was to isolate everything and allow only the PSU connector to conduct the current.
As many would guess, I balked at this way back when (me grey hairs are a showing!) and argued the point everytime with those whom said "well all the major manufactures use them". My normal responce was, if you were lead off a tall bridge, would you jump?

[DentyCracker]

They are important on some motherboards. I know that for a (painful) fact. On a VA503+ mobo put them between screw and component side or else you get the CPU fan flicker of life followed by nada. Baffled me for a couple days, I thought I had murdered the CPU/Mobo.

[ayoub_ibrahim]

as I understand it, they are used between screwhead & motherboard as a washer in order to help alleviate pressure associated with overtightening the screw to motherboard.

[Greebe]

Denty, That may very well be true, but one must ask themself, how good could the overall design be when the engineers messed up a simple ground?!

[Pace]

Yea Greebe! Though what Ibrahim said makes sense.

[DentyCracker]

Just speaking from experience Greebe, I don't own a VA503+ anymore, although there's one in the living room that used to be mine. Using Abit KT7 now and didn't need any o' that shi*. Duron is fine at 800, getting ATTech CM25 NEW
Solid Copper heatsink
and Artic Silver HS compound soon. going for stable 900