Is electrostatic discharge as much of a threat as they act like

I'm pretty sure I'm still using ram sticks that went through the washer and dryer, they work fine. I usually build PC's on the carpet and they seem to be fine.

>>57050375
I always touch something grounded before messing around inside a PC.

Still, I've walked around carpeted areas in fuzzy socks in the winter while carrying computer parts and loose ESD-sensitive components. Nothing bad has happened yet.

Yes and no. Older electronics? Fuck yes, it's like a ticking time bomb. Newer electronics? Not really, you don't wanna be shuffling your feet on a carpet then touch a PCB. As long as you are not retarded about you'll be fine. Always ground yourself out to the same potential as whatever you are working on.

>>57050375
Touch a piece of metal before touching your shit. It's not a big deal.

>>57050375
depends on where you live, humidity is a concern

there's been a fair few cases where people working on machines have repeatedly had dead parts and it turns out they zapped them dead on accident because of ESD
I live in humid Florida, and it's been forever since I've built up a noticeable static charge. Back when I lived up in PA, it was much more of a concern, it was way easier to get a noticeable (or even visible) bit of static going

in my experience down here, I haven't had any issues touching bare boards or chips or traces or anything while unprotected, but I'd expect to have had issues back up north if I did that
like, I've almost forgotten that static was a thing here

>>57050375
Walking around with socks on shag rug. Have put a few computers together and done many upgrades and cleaning on the parts, never fried anything nor have I had anyone I know fry anything from esd. It seems to be a marketing scam mostly, but there are some valid concerns.

I have heard humidity plays something with it, I live in a very humid place so there's that.

Depends on the type of electronics, if you're a compeng/electrical engineering student, ALWAYS use the ESD armbands to ground yourself.

If you're at home building your own rig, it won't fry anything.

t. CompEng major graduate

It's not always catastrophic failure after one round of ESD.

Often the components will just become weakened/damaged to the point where they can no longer safely transmit their own current, and after awhile end up burning themselves out.

Often this is the reason for why stuff seems break a few weeks after you put new components in, rather than breaking right after you boot up for the first time.

In the end, it's better to just be safe. Unless you have enough money that frying components isn't something that worries you; you really don't have anything to lose by protecting yourself from additional risk.

>>57050375
It used to be true, now it's a myth.

Old electronics were sensitive, there was a lot of finely calibrated analog stuff, and chips had zero protection. This isn't the case now, analog electronics are mostly gone from mainstream stuff, and what remains is embedded in a chip precisely so they can't be damaged, and both the case and entry pins are protected. Actually during production, the fine copper/gold wires soldered between the silicium chip and the steel pins cause ESDs far beyond what you could create yourself, with each solder point on the chip having ESD protection pads: if they survived production, they'll survive you.

>>57050375
Its a meme but it does happen