Basic Magnetic Question

b3nbranch · Post by **b3nbranch** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:12 pm

Hi,

I'm planning on building a system next month with the steel-sided Silverstone TJ08 mATX case. It just occurred to me that one cool way
to "decorate" the machine would be with "refrigerator magnets" -- quotes, images, etc. on magnetic backing.

My gut says that there isn't enough magnetism involved in fridge magnets to affect the operation of the computer ... but I thought I'd check
with the forum just to be safe! (No floppy drive planned.)

Thanks in advance.

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 1:45 pm

Magnets on the exterior of the case shouldn't harm your computer at all.

b3nbranch · Post by **b3nbranch** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 2:37 pm

Thanks!

stromgald · Post by **stromgald** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:04 am

jaganath wrote:Magnets on the exterior of the case shouldn't harm your computer at all.

You know, thats what I would initially say since those magnets have a small and weak field, but I have had one experience to the contrary. Several years ago, when I was still in high school, I went to visit relatives in San Francisco. One of my younger cousins had a faulty computer. There were refridgerator magnets plastered all over the sides of the Compaq mini-tower.

My brother and I cracked it open and checked it out. It would power up, and the hard drive spun up, but nothing came on the screen. We figured that the BIOS chip was corrupted somehow. Basically she got a new Hewlett-Packard, and the RAM from the screwed up Compaq computer is in my old IBM now.

Then again, it could've been the onboard video or just a bad motherboard, we didn't have any way to check. Personally, I'd keep the magnets on the side of the computer away from the bottom of the motherboard, just as a precaution.

b3nbranch · Post by **b3nbranch** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 11:05 am

I think I'll use just one or two very tasteful magnets

theyangster · Post by **theyangster** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 3:40 pm

hmmmm, I've got magnets plastered all over my panel OPPOSITE of the MB.

nothing has happened so far (mind you I have a stack of 10 small neo-magnets stuck together in the bottom corner)