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I know that sweat has minerals similar to those of water and I know that those minerals can cause corrosion to components/circuits regardless of whether they are on/off. Is there a real danger when touching the motherboard/CPU/graphics cards with sweaty hands or the sweat can't be as much to cause corrosion or any other hardware damage?

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  • It depends mostly where the components are being touched. PCBs have masks that protects the metals below but contacts are bare.
    – ChanganAuto
    Commented May 18, 2021 at 17:19
  • I understand that, the question though is, is the amount of sweat during a limited timeframe enough to cause damage? (after it dries out)
    – mangotango
    Commented May 18, 2021 at 17:22
  • Always assume it does (as well as static) and always avoid touching the bare metal unless properly insulated/grounded.
    – ChanganAuto
    Commented May 18, 2021 at 17:23
  • Skin oils (i.e. fingerprints) on electrical contacts can cause poor connections.
    – sawdust
    Commented May 19, 2021 at 1:18

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Unless you're holding the components in your hand for an extended period, every day for a month or more; no.

I suffer from hyperhidrosis which manifests itself as sweaty/clammy hands. The effects are a residue left on my mouse and keyboard keys, but only after a long period of daily use. If you're really worried, use some latex gloves when handling the components, to mitigate any damage being caused to the components.

You will also notice a lot of PCB's have a gloss coating. This is because they're coated with a lacquer to give protection against the elements.

Components are more susceptible to electrostatic discharge than sweat, so that should be your primary concern.

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  • That makes sense, thanks a lot! Just to also clarify what was mentioned above, is this also valid for bare contacts?
    – mangotango
    Commented May 18, 2021 at 17:28
  • If you're talking about PCB headers, they're often plated in nickel or tin. Worst case, the plating is damaged and the conductivity reduces, but only by a negligible amount. Certainly, nothing to be worried about.
    – spikey_richie
    Commented May 18, 2021 at 17:29
  • Ok, I was mostly talking about areas like that of the cpu slot etc. Same case?
    – mangotango
    Commented May 18, 2021 at 17:31
  • Same case. You're much more likely to damage CPU pins with excessive pressure or electrostatic discharge than you are holding them in your hands. Again; you'd need to hold them for a very long time for any real damage to be caused. Besides, you should always hold a CPU by the sides, either by the lid or the sides of the PCB. There should be no need to touch the pins.
    – spikey_richie
    Commented May 18, 2021 at 17:33

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