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Will snipping off LEDs ruin PCI cards?

exodous

Nov 30, 2012
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Nov 30, 2012
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I have a few PCI cards that have really annoying LEDs that fill the whole room red and green light and it drives me nuts. My wireless card that is PCI has a flashing red LED and my USB 3 card has two extremely bright green LEDs. I sharpied them, didn't work too well, and then I use silly putty to cover them but in all three cases the LEDs are pointing down and eventually the silly putty slides off due to heat.

So, if I clip them off will that break the boards? I have no idea why the companies put such bright LED lights on, the LEDs on my power, activity, and the one on my bluray are normal and don't bug me at all.
 

CocaCola

Apr 7, 2012
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Chances are good you can snip them without issue, but not always it fully depends upon the design some designs might detect a fault or actually use the signal for something else... Try some flat black enamel paint, you can get a small jar of Testors in the model section for cheap, or even a rattle can at Wal-Mart for a buck or two... If you get the rattle can spray some on a sheet of paper and then brush the leds, don't just go willing nilly and spray the entire board...
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Jan 21, 2010
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I had a piece of equipment with the worlds brightest blue LED that projected a circle of light on the wall opposite. I feel your pain.

Do you have a woman in your life? (or are you a goth?) Dark nail polish over the LED.

If you go too far you can remove it with nail polish remover (careful, it eats some plastics too)

If you can get to the LED, roughing up the front with fine emery paper will diffuse the light.
 

CocaCola

Apr 7, 2012
3,635
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Do you have a woman in your life? (or are you a goth?) Dark nail polish over the LED.

Doh, brain fart there... When I did home remodeling I kept a jar of white, black, brown and cream/almond colored nail polish in my work bag... They came in handy many times, especially on switch and outlet cover screws when the paint chipped off... That should have clicked in my mind...
 
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