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    Will my RAM get damaged?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by teckid, Sep 11, 2007.

  1. teckid

    teckid Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi! I will be flying back home. I will be carrying sticks of RAM inside of my carry-on luggage. Do you think that the RAM will be affected by the x-ray machines or whatever when going through airport security? The RAM is not in a computer. It will be by itself. Thanks!
     
    teckid, Sep 11, 2007
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  2. Zero

    Zero The Random Guy

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    Its difficult to say if anything will happen. Its likely that nothing will, but there is always a chance. Notebook manufacturers warn against putting notebooks into X-Ray machines, but most people seem to do, and they have no problems with their notebooks.
     
    Zero, Sep 11, 2007
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  3. grateful

    grateful Notebook Evangelist

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    grateful, Sep 11, 2007
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  4. powerpack

    powerpack Notebook Prophet

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    X-rays are used for inspection of circuit boards including RAM so I do not see any risk of damage from going through airport machines. I would however make sure to have it packaged in anti-static packaging as static electricity is the danger not radiation.

    Point #2, I have received RAM in the mail and have never seen any warnings on the package to "no x-ray" so I don't see a danger.
     
    powerpack, Sep 11, 2007
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  5. p00rcoll3geboi

    p00rcoll3geboi Notebook Geek

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    If you bring a notebook as a carry on, you really have no choice but to have it scanned. That means some hundred thousand people get their notebooks x-rays everyday at the airport and I don't think much damage have been reported, otherwise there would be a petition going around about it.
     
    p00rcoll3geboi, Sep 11, 2007
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  6. RasBastard

    RasBastard Notebook Consultant

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    I think you have a far greater risk of physical damages from bumps than from the X-rays. Pack it in an anti-static bag and make sure its properly padded. Oh and don't make it look like an explosive device...lol
     
    RasBastard, Sep 11, 2007
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  7. p00rcoll3geboi

    p00rcoll3geboi Notebook Geek

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    If I recall correctly, airports make you take your laptop out of any kind of carrying devices and scans it separately. I don't know if that rule has been changed or not, but my experience was from last winter. So even if you had an anti-static bag, you'd still have to take it out to get it scanned
     
    p00rcoll3geboi, Sep 11, 2007
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  8. powerpack

    powerpack Notebook Prophet

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    Not in computer.
     
    powerpack, Sep 11, 2007
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  9. bubba_000

    bubba_000 Notebook Evangelist

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    Well, I don't know about RAM, but a few months ago when i visited the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul they had some sort of scanning machine, which i assume it's similar to the airport ones. I got my mobile phone and digital camera(which are basically miniature computers) scanned and nothing happened. So i guess it's safe.

    OFF TOPIC: i'm not exactly sure, but i heard that HDD's don't like metal detectors
     
    bubba_000, Sep 12, 2007
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  10. teckid

    teckid Notebook Enthusiast

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    i know most of you say that it'll be fine in a notebook, but i'll be carrying it in its package
     
    teckid, Sep 12, 2007
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  11. surfasb

    surfasb Titles Shmm-itles

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    Your biggest enemy is physical damage and static electricity. It is true that they use Xrays to inspect the motherboards during Quality Control. The airport screening machines are safe. The HDDs are also safe from metal detectors as the magnetic field needed to punch through the HDD casing requires a very heavy magnet from what I hear.
     
    surfasb, Sep 12, 2007
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  12. Onyx

    Onyx Notebook Guru

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    Hard drives with magnetic media would be more susceptible to damage from xrays than ICs on RAM.
     
    Onyx, Sep 13, 2007
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