Water coolers or liquid coolers don't have water in them it's a non conductive fluid so that if it leaks it wont damage any of the parts it leaks onto. Pretty sure they don't evaporate like water and cause condensation
Strange one for me
Water inside PC
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Strange one for me
RichLan564
Bright Spark
As i say, anybody in the house that might have "spilled" something? toddlers, brothers, sisters, vindictive spouses etc etc
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
AIO don't have water in them, it's a glucose gel essentially and there's literally microscopic quantities, certainly wouldn't have had anything like that kind of effect, no way near, it would be more like a slug trail on the bottom of the case in a thick sticky goo.
Na definitely not, only adults in this house that I trust. Also where the computer sits it would be extremely hard to spill anything in there.
RichLan564
Bright Spark
Well it looks like somebody has, trustworthy or not!
I can guarantee nobody has put water in it haha.
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
Either it's near a tumble dryer, or it's had some kind of refrigeration unit in, there's no way that's just normal atmospheric stuff, I would also include the dust build up in that, there's no way that could have happened in a normal environment within 3 months, just not possible.
It's been in this particular bedroom for 2 months. No tumble dryer, fridge unit, etc, just a TV. The room has had damp problems in the past around the window area, but I ran my old PC in here for 15 years with no issues of this kind. You think there's no way it's the AIO if the condensation theory doesn't make sense ? I am as baffled by this as everyone else.
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
As we've said AIO don't contain water. And the gel type liquid they do contain is probably enough to fill a couple of thimbles, no way near enough quantity to do that. Like not even the same kind of ballpark, totally impossible.
What I'm saying is it's not a natural environment that's caused that, both the dust and moisture are too high quantities to have been natural causes.
What else could have caused the moisture?
I can’t believe nobody has suggested this as a probable cause so far and I have to be the one to say it…
But in all seriousness, what was the weather like in your neck of the woods the other night? It was so foggy in Cambridge last night that it was literally hanging in the air in my bathroom (I left the window open).
But even then, I’d have only in my wildest dreams thought that the moisture could get that deep into the case if the fans were running. And I definitely can’t imagine it making it all the way through that layer of dust on the mesh filter.
I’m stumped ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
But in all seriousness, what was the weather like in your neck of the woods the other night? It was so foggy in Cambridge last night that it was literally hanging in the air in my bathroom (I left the window open).
But even then, I’d have only in my wildest dreams thought that the moisture could get that deep into the case if the fans were running. And I definitely can’t imagine it making it all the way through that layer of dust on the mesh filter.
I’m stumped ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
I don't know, either there's been a huge contrast in internal PC temperature to external and so condensation has formed, or it's been near some kind of vent that's exhausted moisture laden (probably warm) air into the case vents and then it's condensed inside the case.
The dust as well though, there's absolutely no way that amount of natural dust within a room could have caused that much deposit on the grills in a case without some kind of influx from externally.
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
Oh..... hang on hang on, I've got my wires muddled up as per usual.
I totally got the wrong image of the picture of the water, ignore me.
That's no way near as much as I was picturing at all. So sorry about that, that dust picture, I was thinking that was condensation
Nah, those droplets could have been condensation, but if you say the PC was off overnight, that lowers that chance as the case would have been around the same as the air temp.
But which fan is that on the case, or is it the cooler fan? I'm trying to work out the gravitational direction if the cooler has leaked?
I totally got the wrong image of the picture of the water, ignore me.
That's no way near as much as I was picturing at all. So sorry about that, that dust picture, I was thinking that was condensation
Nah, those droplets could have been condensation, but if you say the PC was off overnight, that lowers that chance as the case would have been around the same as the air temp.
But which fan is that on the case, or is it the cooler fan? I'm trying to work out the gravitational direction if the cooler has leaked?
The picture of the dust build up is the fans at the front of the PC. All the fans inside had little droplets on (top fans and the side ones).
Something I forgot to consider is that I vape in this room - but googling it I get mixed responses. Some people saying they've vaped next to their PCs for years with no issues, others saying it caused moisture build up. Could this be the cause?
Something I forgot to consider is that I vape in this room - but googling it I get mixed responses. Some people saying they've vaped next to their PCs for years with no issues, others saying it caused moisture build up. Could this be the cause?
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
I wouldn't have thought so personally, the liquid would condense in your lungs if that was the case and you'd be drowning pretty quick.
I would say it's just normal condensation through the case getting warmer than surrounding air temp.
If as you say, the room has had damp problems in the past, perhaps that's impacting it. In theory, that could also contribute to the heavier dust if say you factor in mould spores in the brickwork or fabrics.
I lived with a girlfriend in a very old house with really solid thick brick walls, the rear wall in our bedroom used to literally start dripping over winter months if we had a heater on in there, and then black mould would travel up the wall. It was orrible. My girlfriend at the time had asthma and the doctors told us about the impact of spores on air quality.
The is the first time I've lived here in a while, but yes that's exactly how this room used to get in the winter. Literally dripping from the ceiling near the window, mold, etc.
SpyderTracks
We love you Ukraine
Yeah, totally know what that's like.
It could well explain both the moisture and the excessive dust.
Obviously this is from a complete layman who knows very little about most things he talks about (me). But makes sense to my little nuggin
The fact that there are droplets around the case and on various fans suggests condensation to me as the likely culprit. If it was the AIO, it would likely pool in one location, the only way it would make its way around the case would be by hitting the fan and being splatted around. If that was the case it's very likely the side panel would have liquid dripping down it and, not to mention the motherboard etc. If it was hitting the fan and being projected I think everything would be coated in one way or another.
If it's localised droplets and they are localised around the fans & radiators then this suggests condensation through temperature change. For this to be possible, though, I think the humidity would need to be insane to get such a reaction within the case.
My assumption is that there was extremely high humidity air flowing through the case. The poor circulation from the build up of dust on the front of the case has meant an increased temperature within the case itself while under use. Upon switching off, the extreme temperature and extreme humidity air within the case has stopped circulating and started to cool down. As it's cooled down, the water in the humid air has condensed on some of the surfaces and left you with the situation you are experiencing.
Unfortunately it sounds like some of these surfaces have been the PSU unit (highly likely as it gets warm in there too). They have a number of fail safes so if properly dried out you may be OK. Don't just look at the surfaces inside the case though. Thoroughly dry out the PC as best you can in a warm room for a number of hours to ensure the areas you can't see are dry as well.
If it's localised droplets and they are localised around the fans & radiators then this suggests condensation through temperature change. For this to be possible, though, I think the humidity would need to be insane to get such a reaction within the case.
My assumption is that there was extremely high humidity air flowing through the case. The poor circulation from the build up of dust on the front of the case has meant an increased temperature within the case itself while under use. Upon switching off, the extreme temperature and extreme humidity air within the case has stopped circulating and started to cool down. As it's cooled down, the water in the humid air has condensed on some of the surfaces and left you with the situation you are experiencing.
Unfortunately it sounds like some of these surfaces have been the PSU unit (highly likely as it gets warm in there too). They have a number of fail safes so if properly dried out you may be OK. Don't just look at the surfaces inside the case though. Thoroughly dry out the PC as best you can in a warm room for a number of hours to ensure the areas you can't see are dry as well.
That sounds like my previous car, it had an unknown water seepage problem for a good while somewhere and omg you shoulda seen the amount of condensation I got, enough that when it was cold the inside of the windscreen would have ice on it as well as the outside (and no it was definitely not funny trying to clear it!!!)
ubuysa
The BSOD Doctor
Condensation happens when the temperature of the air is lowered to its dew point - the temperature at which the air is saturated. To do that we would need humid air and a falling temperature, and that's quite easy to do in the UK in early winter in the early morning - it's why we see dew on the ground in the morning.
No PC should be in an environment where it's both humid and likely to become cold. If there is no alternative location available then leaving the PC running 24x7 would prevent the temperature inside the case falling to the dew point.
No PC should be in an environment where it's both humid and likely to become cold. If there is no alternative location available then leaving the PC running 24x7 would prevent the temperature inside the case falling to the dew point.