Do motherboards die if you haven't used them for awhile?

The title says it all. And i do keep it safely.

 

nope. there is no known expiry date for the electronic equipments like RAMs, CPUs, etc. if you don't use them...


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They don't have any expiration date.However, over time dust buildup, sunlight. and heat can damage it.

 

Of course they can. While the non use isn't the reason they die, they can still do so. Normally it's due to corrosion from moisture or from capacitors failing (drying out, leaking, bulging, etc.). Even though you can control the moisture/corrosion, there is nothing you can do to prevent capacitors failing. But the capacitors would have died anyway if you continued to use the mobo. It's just that unlike the other components they would deteriorate either way.

 

I have only had one out of MANY motherboards fail while sitting on shelves or in cases or anti-static bags, etc... Even while just sitting flat on a wooden shelf. So generally, no. In fact I would say they are actually kind of hard to kill actually. Sunlight though could pose an issue or a high static environment.

Video cards on the other hand, I have had 2 ATI's die sitting on shelves in anti-static bags. One was rather expensive. Nvidias cards seem to be able to sit forever (so long as it's not an Nvidia mobo with a 6100 or 6150).

 

True for silicon, but as mentioned below...

...electrolytic capacitors age, and eventually reach the point of no longer being able to function within design spec. This can cause a motherboard to fail - and is true of most other electronics.

 

Electrolytic capacitors are the easiest components on a board to replace, but they can go bad due to use more than just age. Also most experience no issues almost indefinitely while others seem to fail more readily.

 

My point wasn't how likely the capacitors are to fail, only that they are the main component most likely to deteriorate and fail while the motherboard was not in use.

 

That is the problem but if u keep it safetly it shouldn't fail...