High or Low air humidity: which is better ?

gregzeng · Post by **gregzeng** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 8:36 pm

Air humidity can be controlled - up or down. Which is better?

Dry air might increase electrostatic dangers and remove the danger of moisture condensation if the electricity stops.

Moist air might increase fungus/ mold growth, decrease electrostatic danger, increase the heat removal.

But is the increase in heat removal significant?

(Increased humidity: fishtanks, plants, water-based air coolers; decreased by electric heaters, refrigerant air conditioners, de-electric-humidifiers).

crisspy · Post by **crisspy** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 10:39 pm

Technically I'm not 100% sure if high humidity increases heat removal, although subjectively it feels like it on damp days. It reduces air density, an important factor when flying, and I would expect an important factor in heat removal. Otherwise, it sure does give a major reduction in static, and also grows insidious mold. That's what I've seen on the coast of BC here anyways, where it seems like the humidity is 101% most of the time.

SungHyun7 · Post by **SungHyun7** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 10:48 pm

firstly, let me clear it out and say, it does NOT matter.

now having said that, in a high humidity environment you have air that has higher specific heat meaning when everything's static, air will take more heat from the source (ie. cpu). however, when you got the fan on, specific heat doesn't really matter because time it takes for the air to pass by your heatsink will not be enough time to completely equilibrate the temperature between the air and the computer. also in higher humidity, you can have condensation & evaporation at a microscopic level which to me will just cancel each other out because we know our cpu doesn't sweat.

in a dry environment, your skin and nasal cavity dry up, which isn't good.

so i recommend putting the computer in an environment whose moise level is to YOUR liking... not its.