What would happen if i put my computer in the microwave?

Question

What would happen if i put my computer in the microwave?

Answer 1

your computer would die - and from the fumes it emits likley you would within a few short years also

Answer 2

Nothing.  However......  If you put your computer in the microwave and turned the microwave on, you'd destroy your computer and quite possibly damage the magnetron in your microwave.

Doug

Answer 3

I don't know what will happen, but it you do decide to do it, be sure to put it on YouTube....

Answer 4

Typical microwave ovens operate with 500W through 1500W source operating around 2.45GHz and it's very noisy.  Just try using a 2.45 GHz phone system around one and you can see the effect of bad shielding....  Don't worry, it's safe (laugh), it is just that phones work with very low level signals...

The key is that the metal box encapsulates the microwave energy which usually transfer to the food inside the oven.  The food, and water in particular, act as a loading resistive element to absorb the energy.  In older systems, without that loading, you could hurt the microwave source.  Today's ovens should have more protection and not kill themselves if you run them without food (resistive loading in them).

That being said.. LOL...  Your typical electronics have a wires all over the place, thin, thick, vias, crossing lines, parallel lines and others.  Most are NOT designed for high-power operation, but rather low power, and thus do not have separation and good dielectrics to protect them.  So two effects are likely to happen:

Any residual  chemicals, water or trace elements that resonate around 2.45 GHz will quickly absorb the energy and heat (plastics, LCDs are a good candidate) and begin to melt or expand if they have gas pockets.

Any metal will have large/medium/small currents induced.  Many microwave ovens vary the power source (on off on off on.... or varying power levels) and many also rotate the tray or have a "mode circulator" to ensure the energy is evenly distributed throughout the oven box/cavity.  Since most electronics are designed with low power in mind, you will see arcing along the length, side to side, crossing lines... anywhere sharp edges occur as well.    This effect may begin slow (as the oven comes up to power), peak (when the oven hits max power) and slowly die off ( you've arc'ed and broken the traces down into small bumps of metal).

After a bit, you may not even see any arcing as the length of the metal traces has been reduced to small pieces which respond less to the energy in the oven.

It's NOT a safe thing to do...  Especially with the plastics as out gassing can occur which may not be "good" for your health.  I wouldn't cook with the oven after either.

Answer 5

If you try it - Let us know all the pretty colors of the electric arcs that will occur.  Describe to us all the pretty smells of burnt circuits!