I had a bit of a mishap while gaming and accidentally spilled some beer on my PC. It got into the system through the top fan, but I quickly turned it off and disconnected everything. I wiped up as much as I could and removed the RAM and GPU to let them dry out. Fortunately, those are the only parts that seem affected, while my CPU, drives, and PSU look fine. I know I need to clean the components with isopropyl alcohol, but I can't get any until tomorrow. In the meantime, I found some 96% ethyl alcohol—can I use that instead? What else should I do to ensure my PC survives this?
5 Answers
Looks like you did the right things, OP! But if beer got into your power supply, you might want to consider getting a new one. Best not to take chances with electricity!
Don't forget to remove the CMOS battery as well. It's a good call to take care of everything while you're at it!
If you didn't hear anything pop, there's a good chance you'll be okay! Just make sure to clean and dry everything thoroughly before powering it back on. Letting it sit unplugged for a bit should help too.
The good news is that alcohol evaporates quickly, which is a plus. But remember, beer is about 3-7% alcohol and can leave a sticky residue, so cleaning is important!
You'll probably be fine—just keep it unplugged and grounded for a while. Since you shut it down properly, it sounds like it didn't short out, which is great!
Yeah, stickiness from the beer can cause issues later, so make sure to clean everything up well!