I have a new motherboard which needs a BIOS update to support a new CPU.
Thankfully I have an old (compatible) CPU handy. My plan is to install the old CPU, update the BIOS, then install the new CPU.
I'd prefer not to have to mount the motherboard in a case just to do the BIOS update bit.
Is it safe to power up the motherboard outside of its case? My understanding is that the case provides grounding for the motherboard – could the lack of grounding be an issue?
Yes, it should be safe. Just be sure to put your motherboard on something not conductive, like cardboard box, and it should not touch anything that conducts electricity, including your main computer case. I did this few times. If you stop by in almost any computer shop, technicians do this sort of thing routinely.
Yes, you can power on the motherboard outside of its case. Just keep some precautions, like laying a piece of cardboard underneath the board, and you're good to go.
Also, human body contains static charge, so ground the static by touching a grounded appliance or wiring a ground circuit. Static charge in the human body might damage sensitive electronic components of the motherboard.
One thing to watch out for is add-in cards coming loose. On some cards, the rear connector bracket is long enough that it hangs below the bottom of the motherboard when the card is plugged in to the motherboard. This isn't a problem in a case when the motherboard is mounted on standoffs, but it can be a problem if you sit the motherboard directly on a hard flat surface - the weight of the motherboard can pull it away from the card, like so:
You may need to elevate the motherboard half an inch or so to prevent this.
The other answers you got are correct: it's definitely doable and something that is done all the time by professional/power/enthusiast users for all sorts of purposes.
What I would like to add is that, if you search online, you'll see that a lot of people will turn the motherboard ON using a screwdriver: they simply close the circuit between the 2 power pins using the metal part of the screwdriver. This is done because you no longer have a power button (since there is no case). The electrical current in there is extremely small, so there's zero chance of harm.
However, be very very careful if you use this technique. Touching the wrong pins can damage the motherboard. They usually have some protections in there for situations where people don't connect the cables properly, but you shouldn't rely on this.
To mitigate these risks, there are 3 possible solutions:
you waste your electrical shielding and get maybe some weird effect in nearby radios, or whatever transmitter - or in case you have strong senders nearby (maybe lay your nice smartphone on the motherboard) you induct some current somewhere on the motherboard, and if its an good one (means on the technological edge) there will be less room for errorcorrection of these ... also every wifi- bluetooth connection will be disturbed (at least a little) with this extra RF noise around. or in other words, you have to pay extra attention to the said shortcutting, dirt and dust probllem, maybe to water (in the air or simply your coke bruzzling around) AND the over the air electrical (non)shielding
The case provides a number of benefits:
Generally, some electronic devices on PCBs operated outside the designed casing can end up running hotter.
This probably isn't an issue for short periods of use.
Example of desktop PC with fan in case (at top of photo)
Keep in mind that many of the locations for screws on a motherboard are ground points. The screw grounds to the case and the power supply to the walls ground.
I'm sure it will run without them grounded to the case but I'm also sure your board is safer well grounded.
Ever wonder why there is copper/gold around the screw locations on the motherboard?
Inside a lab probably yes even if is a custom lab.
IF you make a safe place to work without any cable or power interrumption . you are talking about a BIOS upgrade, not a common software fail safe after format.
you can't say something is 100% safe for it, when was not been builded for it.
where will you place it?
on a carpet? you can burn it
on the floor? you can crash it
People may transit around and think is a shiny toy
Its case will provide many things
And yes. you can't mount it outside it case. not a good practice.. more like a gamer practice.
Strictly no, in practice definitely yes: yes you can power up the motherboard outside of its case, or just forget the case altogether and harvest the power supply. You can happily run such a system with all of your components on the desk/shelf/whatever, great way to have an "extra" PC around in plain site that doesn't look like your typical PC.
But to explain the strictly no, having exposed components around makes it easier to short some circuits, or just get dirty faster, or collect spilled coffee etc... You probably don't want to drill some holes in metal over the motherboard, little metal filings going everywhere won't be good for that. Once you get used to having the mobo in the open, you tend to not notice these little mistakes until its too late.
The power supply connection(s) provide the ground to the mobo, not the case. The case just happens to physically touch the power supply's case, which is grounded, and thus the case gets ground as well.
Something that has not been answered in previous answers:
The power supply will provide grounding for your motherboard. This means that, if you plug your power supply in a grounded wall socket, then automatically the components attached to the power supply are more or less grounded.
However, your computer case is not automatically grounded; the screws on your motherboard may not necessarily be connected to your motherboard's ground. Most commonly, the computer case is grounded by simply screwing in the power supply, since the case of your power supply is grounded.
So, yes, it is 'safe' to run your motherboard outside of a computer case (if you do not own a cat), but it is not 'safe' (from a grounding perspective) to run your power supply outside of the computer case.
In the above image there are 3 different types of "grounds" (3 different symbols) and they are not connected to each other:
So, motherboard is NOT "grounded" by power supply: it is NOT connected to the "Ground" wire (NOT connected to the "ground" on the wall outlet). It is connected to it's own "low-DC-side" ground which is isolated from the outside world.
Yes, but less.
(Prevent shorts, prevent electromagnetic discharge, prevent strong magnetic fields, try not to get it dirty, that's all)
As long you don't do it on a metal surface or put some material at the bottom which can cause short circuit its not a problem.I remember setting up my computer when I was 9 years old all of the computer parts were out of the case.They were all over the bed.Use bed if you are doing it on your bedroom.Its soft and there is no way for it pass the electricity but be aware it can get really dirty :D
Also remember in order to start the computer you need to short circuit the pins on the motherboard by yourself cause probably the switch cable of the case will come to short to attach on it.Be careful while doing that a wrong short-circuit can cause you trouble.
But of course its still best to put in into case.Dont use your pc like that just test whatever you want and put it back in.
Yes the gold/copper screw rings on your mobo is ground but its all interconnected through the motherboard these ground screws are only built in to prevent mobo fires in a specific component. Sometimes grounding fails along the way through the mobo these ground screws are a failsafe but the mobo gets ground from the psu mobo plug. Ground screws are not needed unless you are overclocking (produces alot of heat) which can make the mobo's grounding path fail.this is the only reason these screws are in place a just in case something goes wrong
