nick705 wrote:Edward Ng wrote:Can we not forget that it's still sitting inside an isolated compartment within a closed case? It's not sitting outside on the picnic table at your cousin's BBQ.
-Ed
With respect Ed, that's not the point. When you're working inside a PC, your hands are inevitably going to be quite close to the exposed guts of the PSU (just how close obviously depends on the design of the case). In all likelihood, your attention will be focused on the particular task you're doing, not on how close the back of your wrist or whatever is to the nasty stuff. It only takes a slip, a twitch, a moment's carelessness or inattention..
As I said, I appreciate the risk is probably very small. It's just that the whole object of the exercise is far too trivial to be worth even that small risk IMO, given the potential consequences. I'm sure other people are braver than me, and I certainly wouldn't automatically classify them as "dumb" for taking a different view.
OK, that's probably enough of my off-topic doom-mongering...
I don't think it's off topic, and I don't think it's doom mongering either. We're not expecting anyone else to do it, are we? The fact that we're doing it just means we're willing to try it; doesn't in any way mean expect anyone else to. Just has been stated by yourself; if you do it, it's at your own risk. How is this any different from making a fan swap? Don't tell me you're going to work on your machine with the PSU cover off
and live! I'm certainly not going to be doing that! Any time I plan to work on this machine, the power will definitely be disconnected--this is a mandatory precaution to me if you will be working on a machine with an open power supply; it better not be live! I would treat a machine with an open supply just like a procedure for PSU fan swap.
Heck, even if the PSU were shut, you
still shouldn't be tinkering on the machine. I will admit to messing with case/CPU fans while live though, but the power supply was definitely shut! There's no way I'd ever go near a live, open PSU, whether it's on a countertop or inside a case. If it's open, I'm not touching it 'til it's shut down and disconnected. Otherwise is too much a risk.
-Ed