On this information, we’ll present you find out how to paint a motherboard in your individual alternative of shade. Your motherboard would possibly sport RGB lighting, however that’s normally the one means you’ll be able to customise it so as to add a splash of shade. Nonetheless, it’s simple to boost your board additional utilizing spray paints.
Conventional spray paints are simple to make use of and, as we’re solely speaking about small areas, you don’t must be an professional to get an excellent end, nor do you want an enormous quantity of house. So long as you’ve a well-ventilated space, you’ll be able to spray the varied detachable elements of your motherboard in a number of various colours, and even spray the PCB itself.
Right here’s find out how to spray paint your PC motherboard in 21 simple steps.
1. Establish paintable areas
Most massive gadgets in your motherboard might be painted, however you’ll must examine whether or not there are followers lodged inside heatsinks, or if there are shows on I/O shrouds, which you’ll must masks later.
2. Use spray sales space and protecting gear
Put on a face masks and goggles in a ventilated space whereas spraying, and it’s additionally value donning some gloves. We advocate making a sales space to include fumes, and in addition to guard your objects whereas they dry. A mini plastic greenhouse is right and in addition comparatively low-cost.
3. Take away heatsinks
Take away your heatsink screws, taking care to assist the heatsinks from the highest aspect. Generally the heatsinks might be tough to take away, because the thermal paste acts like glue. Use a hairdryer on full energy from shut vary in 15-second bursts till the heatsink warms sufficient to dislodge the paste.
4. Take away I/O shroud
The I/O shroud is one other simple merchandise to color, however some premium motherboards have followers and OLED shows lodged inside them, so take care when eradicating it, disconnecting any cables beneath it.
5. Take away thermal pads
Heatsinks, particularly these on VRMs, usually use thermal pads moderately than paste for warmth switch. Maintain these pads in good situation, so you’ll be able to substitute them later. In the event you’re simply spraying the heatsinks, place the pads of their corresponding positions on the motherboard.
6. Clear thermal paste
Any thermal paste must be cleaned off the chips or VRMs, in addition to the heatsinks, utilizing a microfibre fabric and both TIM cleaner or isopropyl alcohol. This protects you getting coated in paste whilst you deal with the elements, and changing the inventory paste with high-performing paste can enhance warmth switch too.
7. Clear heatsinks and IO shroud
When you’ve eliminated the parts, clear them up. They may look fantastic, however they’ll possible be coated in mud and every other small particles which have been blown via your PC. You need to use diluted washing-up liquid and heat water, rinsed totally with a fabric, or isopropyl alcohol.
8. Masks heatsinks and IO shroud
You may not wish to paint all of the heatsinks and parts. For instance, there could also be producers’ logos or LED shows you wish to keep away from spraying, in addition to thermal contact areas. Lower frog tape to measurement, so you’ll be able to masks these elements and, if obligatory, use edging tape for big curved areas.
9. Use plastic primer
Some plastics don’t supply an ideal floor for spray paint to stick to, however there’s a means round this downside by utilizing plastic primer. This primer bonds to the plastic and offers the spray paint a textured matt floor to which the paint can stick.
10. Spray undercoat
Use a standard primer or undercoat on metallic objects. This creates a good floor and uniform shade earlier than you add the colour coat. Apply it in skinny coats, spraying two or 3 times throughout the thing from 8in away, and making use of as many coats as essential to cowl it, turning the thing to get into crevices.
11. Use moist and dry sandpaper
Permit the primer to dry for an hour. Then, so you’ll be able to obtain the smoothest floor as doable in your shade coat, tear off small sections of 1,000-grit moist and dry sandpaper and use water to lubricate them. Rub them frivolously for simply ten seconds or so on every space of the thing.
12. Spray shade coat
Colour coat tends to run, which might be made worse on angled heatsinks, so apply it in a number of gentle layers, spraying from totally different angles and permitting every one to dry totally. When you’re carried out, take away the masking, as doing this job later can tear the paint. If obligatory, reapply the masking previous to including a transparent coat.
13. Think about clear coat
Most gloss coats supply sufficient shine themselves and, as you gained’t be banging into the motherboard frequently, clear coat or lacquer isn’t strictly obligatory. Nonetheless, for extra safety and the last word shine, it’s value including, and also you solely want two or three gentle coats.
14. Permit to dry
When you’ve utilized all of your paint, permit the objects to dry naturally in a well-ventilated space for 48 hours earlier than you deal with them and reinstall them in your motherboard.
15. Masks energy sockets
To spray your motherboard, you’ll must masks all of the essential bits. Begin by masking the port openings, though you’ll be able to go away the covers of things resembling SATA and USB 3 ports, in order for you them to obtain a coat of paint too.
16. Masks slots
You’ll want to color M.2 heatsinks individually, and also you’ll additionally want to dam off the M.2 ports themselves. To do that, wrap your entire connector in frog tape from the bottom up. Don’t threat paint operating into the port itself. Equally, additionally, you will must cowl any PCIe slots.
17. Masks heatsink contacts
Simply as with the heatsinks themselves, cowl any VRMs, chipsets or different hotspots that want good thermal contact with the heatsinks, so that they don’t get paint on them.
18. Use sealant
You additionally must keep away from portray pins and open ports. You possibly can both wrap them up in frog tape or, if that proves haphazard, use silicon sealant or liquid electrical tape. This may be peeled off afterward.
19. Spray motherboard
Lay your motherboard flat, and comply with steps 10,11 and 12, to use each the primer and shade coat. You’ll additionally must comply with step 13 to apply the clear coat, because it’s simple to chip the paint when putting in your {hardware}.
20. Take away masking
With the paints utilized, take away the masking as quickly as you end spraying the final coat of lacquer. This may make sure you don’t tear it as soon as it’s dry.
21. Reassemble motherboard
Go away the motherboard for 48 hours to dry, then reassemble the heatsinks and every other elements you eliminated, remembering to reinstall any thermal pads or reapply thermal paste to the heatsinks. You’ll additionally must reconnect any followers and LED cables.
And that’s a wrap for our motherboard portray information – we hope you get pleasure from your newly brightened up PC inside. For extra PC customization and portray concepts, try our full information on find out how to etch glass in your PC and find out how to paint your PC case – it’ll make your gaming room really feel extra such as you.
