220-801 · Question #1069
A datacenter server technician notices that several of the last sticks of RAM which were installed as upgrades have been found damaged due to static electricity. This only occurs in a particular…
The correct answer is A. Humidity levels are well below average. Low humidity is the primary environmental cause of static electricity buildup in a datacenter, leading to ESD damage when technicians handle sensitive components like RAM. Dry air allows electric charges to accumulate rather than dissipate.
Question
A datacenter server technician notices that several of the last sticks of RAM which were installed as upgrades have been found damaged due to static electricity. This only occurs in a particular server room within a large datacenter. Which of the following environmental hazards is MOST likely at play here?
Options
- AHumidity levels are well below average
- BTemperature levels are too high
- CTemperature levels are well below average
- DThe room does not have enough ventilation
How the community answered
(26 responses)- A81% (21)
- B4% (1)
- C12% (3)
- D4% (1)
Why each option
Low humidity is the primary environmental cause of static electricity buildup in a datacenter, leading to ESD damage when technicians handle sensitive components like RAM. Dry air allows electric charges to accumulate rather than dissipate.
Static electricity is more likely to build up and discharge in low-humidity environments because moisture in the air acts as a natural conductor that helps dissipate electrostatic charges. When relative humidity drops well below normal levels (typically below 40-50%), charge accumulation on technicians and surfaces increases significantly, raising the risk of ESD events that can damage RAM and other semiconductors. Datacenter best practices recommend maintaining humidity levels between 40-60% to mitigate this risk.
High temperatures cause thermal throttling and component heat damage, not electrostatic discharge events that damage RAM during installation.
Very low temperatures can cause condensation which introduces moisture-related issues, but low temperature itself does not increase static discharge risk as directly as low humidity does.
Insufficient ventilation causes heat buildup and thermal damage but does not create the dry conditions that lead to static electricity accumulation.
Concept tested: Environmental humidity and ESD risk in datacenters
Source: https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/bookstore/datacom-series
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