When would an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) strike potentially harm a PC?

An Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) strike can potentially harm a PC during sensitive operations involving the handling of internal components. When replacing a mechanical hard drive with an M.2 SSD, the user typically needs to open the computer case and directly interact with the motherboard and components that are sensitive to static electricity. Any ESD occurring during this process can discharge into these sensitive parts, leading to potential damage or malfunction.

The risk is especially pronounced when handling components such as the M.2 SSD, since they are often small and delicate, and can be easily affected by electrostatic charges. Proper grounding techniques should be employed, such as using an anti-static wrist strap, to mitigate this risk when performing such upgrades.

In other scenarios like installing a new graphics card, upgrading the power supply, or connecting external devices, while ESD still poses a risk, the level of sensitivity to static discharge may vary based on the design of those components and the overall contact made during installation. However, the replacement of internal storage like an M.2 SSD is particularly critical due to the direct manipulation of the motherboard and storage interfaces.