I'm building a new PC with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D and an ASUS TUF Gaming B650M-Plus motherboard. PCPartPicker says I need to update the BIOS for CPU compatibility. I'm planning to use BIOS Flashback, and I know I just need to connect the PSU and motherboard for this. My main concern is about static electricity—should I be careful about it since I'll be doing this before installing the CPU and RAM?
3 Answers
You don’t really need to overthink static. Just make sure you're not rubbing your feet on carpet while petting your cat before you start! Touching the metal case to ground yourself is a good idea if you're worried, but no need for an ESD strap or anything; you should be good to go!
Honestly, static electricity isn't a big concern for updating the BIOS. It's really rare for it to damage modern components. Just avoid building on carpet, and you should be fine!
When updating the BIOS, just start the process and leave it alone until it’s finished; don't touch anything or disconnect devices. Modern hardware is quite resilient, so as long as you're careful, static should not be an issue at all. Just touch your PSU first if you're really worried about it.
Right? Just don’t do anything silly like trying to shock your parts on purpose.