how bad is it to leave the case sides off?

[kilabeez0]

I know it's bad for dust and stuff, I've had mine off for like 2 weeks while I've been working on it in my bedroom. I started having weird issues like my keyboard stopped working, and the motherboard would continually beep if it was plugged in. Do you think it has anything to do with the sides being off?

 

[4W4K3]

Well unless it is very dusty I can't think of a problem it would cause. Having the case open will not directly harm anything. It's usually that people drop things in the PC, or something is thrown and hits the insides...simply having outside air come in more won't harm anything.

Check for dust though, as that CAN ruin a PC if there is alot on the hardware.

 

[ChrisDVD]

i know though that having your case side off will raise the temparature to about 1-2 degrees Celecius. Not a big thing.
Also, if you have it open, i would suggest that you take a big house fan, and every 4 days blow the dust oout of it.....it will help.

 

[4W4K3]

Raises the temperature? More than often it is the exact opposite, people take the side panel off to lower temperatures. The air outside the case SHOULD be cooler than what is inside, opening up the case gives it more room to "breathe" and vent the hot air.

If however your ambient temp is hotter than your system temp...well you have a messed up environment IMHO lmao.

 

[ChrisDVD]

i know it sounds ironic....but today i was experiencing wih my fans...when i open the case, it went up a bit, and when i shut it, it went back down a bit... strange.

 

[MyCattMaxx]

I am always playing around. I haven't had my sides on in several years. I don't have all the extra fans like most do so mine runs cooler open.

 

[ChrisDVD]

perhaps it wa sonly a shft in temparature then, sorry for the misleading

 

[oinkypig]

i keep my side doors off and my temps on my GPU go down by 4 degrees Celcius. it actually help s a bit

 

[Motoxrdude]

i know it sounds ironic....but today i was experiencing wih my fans...when i open the case, it went up a bit, and when i shut it, it went back down a bit... strange.

It could be that you have really good fans that work well when the side panel is on so that air travels where it is needed then vented, but by taking the panel off, you disupt this flow and so you get a higher temp.

 

[fade2green514]

the only disadvantage of taking the side of the case off is static electricity doesn't get dispelled as well. the case is made for that, and if the entire computer isn't encased in metal (which it is, just less so with the side off) then it could have a static buildup. even then, the amount is probably tiny and not harmful.

 

[Ku-sama]

my temps go up 5-10C without the case side on.... but thats just cause i have uber good airflow...