Last week my workstation broke down. Since I was not capable of diagnose the problem myself I sent it off to diagnostics. After a while they finally found the problem: Water damage! CPU, GPU and Motherboard were all corroded by saltwater intrusion - a high-end build that was only 14 months old (running 24/7 most of the time).
Now first off let me assure you that I have never spilled or had any kind of liquid close to the computer, so it has to be condensation forming within the computer despite the quite expensive Antec P183 casing.
I live in the sub-tropics with a relative humidity that's normally around 70-85%, average temperatures around summers are 25-29 degrees (Celcius). I also live within 2 minutes walking distance of the Pacific ocean, and keep my window open basically all day long, so I'm guessing there's a lot of salt in the air as well which would add to the corrosive properties of the condensation. I run the computer 24/7, and the window is almost always open.
So naturally I am now wondering how I can avoid similar damage in the future. Closing the window will most likely raise the room temperature to uncomfortable levels, and while it might decrease the salt in the air I don't think the humidity will be decreased.
I guess my question is: Is a dehumidifier/Aircon the way to go while keeping the windows shut as much as possible, or has anyone a better solution or idea? Any ideas or suggestions are most welcome... Especially if any of you have ever had a similar experience.
Cheers