If you have ever wanted to put an action figure inside your PC case but dropped the idea out of fear that something catastrophic might happen to either the figure or the action figure, than hopefully this article will help clear things up for you! This post is all about discussing whether it is safe to put action figures inside PC cases and how to safely display an action figure inside your case should you decide to do it.
Is It Safe to Put an Action Figure Inside Your PC?
First off, let’s get this out of the way: if you ask a computer technician whether it is safe to put an action figure in your PC, they will likely reply with a straightforward “NO”! That said, you can find plenty of pictures on Pinterest and social media of action figures, Funko Pops, and other collectibles on display inside PC cases. Also, there are plenty of PC enthusiasts who are perfectly comfortable putting figures inside their PC case.
Through browsing posts on Reddit and message boards, it would seem that there is no apparent hazard in placing your favorite toys in your PC. Nonetheless, there are those who raise concerns, and there are certainly some things that you should keep in mind to ensure that you are going about all of this in a safe manner.
Let’s discuss some major concerns people have regarding the safety aspect of placing collectibles in PC cases:
Do Action Figures Block the Airflow inside a PC Case?
PC fans are positioned in a manner that provides optimal airflow through the PC case. Hot air is pushed out and cooler air is brought in—that’s the way things are supposed to work. The more stuff there is inside your PC case, the more airflow is disrupted. So, yes, putting action figures or any collectible inside your PC case will cause some disruption of airflow. Increased airflow blockage inside a PC case can be the result of several factors. Large-sized figures are going to have a greater impact than small figures. The less free space there is inside your PC, the hotter the air will get. Also, the closer the figure is to the fans, the more airflow is blocked. Try to keep the figure away from the fans.
Do Action Figures Increase the Temperatures inside a PC Case?
Airflow disrutption will cause things to get hotter inside your PC case.
The question is, how much does the inclusion of an action figure inside your PC case disrupt the flow of air? Well, this depends on the figure and the size of your PC case. The bigger the figure, the more it will impede airflow, and the hotter the overall temperature inside your case will get. If you have a very large PC case and a lot of space to work with, you may be able to get away with putting a larger figure in there (though this could create other hazards other than airflow disruption).
Another aspect is PC usage. If you’re doing heavy gaming, which could be taxing on your GPU and CPU, airflow is crucial to keeping your PC’s components cool and you may want to think twice about putting any unnecessary item(s) inside your case. If you know that your PC often runs hot due to heavy usage, it might not be a good idea to put a figure in there, because any disruption in airflow will probably result in an increase in temperature. In the case of small, unobtrusive figures, this increase will likely be very minimal.
Do Action Figures Put Excess Weight on the Graphics Card?
Many people prefer to put action figures or other collectables on top of their Graphics Card. Most action figures only weigh a maximum of a few ounces, so you probably don’t need to worry about any sagging.
With that said, if you have a very hefty Graphics Card you may want to consider getting a support bracket if you’re going to be adding any extra weight to it.
Note: many people place toys on top of their graphics card; however, this may be dangerous due to the high temperatures the graphics card can reach. It could result in the figure melting—this will be discussed shortly.
Can an Action Figure Damage the PC’s Components?
There are certain circumstances where your PC’s components could be at risk. First off, excess heat caused by too large of a figure or too many figures being displayed inside the case could damage your PC’s components as well as the figure itself.
Furthermore, if the figure is not secure it’s possible that it could tip over and hit the fans, RAM, or some other component. You can, however, apply adhesive to the feet of the action figures to keep them from tipping over and damaging other parts of your computer. Electrical tape seems to be the preferred solution for this problem.
Wapodeai 3PCS Electrical Tape (Amazon)
Can the Heat inside Your PC Damage the Action Figure?
We’ve talked about the potential damage that can come to your computer, but what about the action figure? Won’t the heat cause the figure to melt? Different types of materials melt at different temperatures. Generally, for plastic, the melting point is going to be around 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. This does vary depending on the type of plastic. Regardless, if the air inside the PC case should not be reaching temperatures anywhere near high enough to melt plastic.
It should not feel like an oven inside of your PC case, but, nonetheless, certain components can get pretty hot, especially under heavy usage–graphics card, RAM, heat sink, etc. Many people like to put Funko Pops and other collectibles on their Graphics Card. Graphics Cards get very hot under heavy usage. Hot enough to melt and action figure? Maybe not, but its still something you should possibly be concerned about before standing an action figure on that thing. You should probably consider getting some kind of platform to stand the figure on if you’re going to put it on the graphics card so the figure is not directly on the card—preferably a platform made of material that can withstand the heat.
How to Put Action Figures in Your PC Case?
Standing action figures on top of the Graphics Card seems to be trendy. As I said earlier, the Graphics Card can get hot, and you absolutely do not want any type of action figure or collectible touching the PCB. Your Graphics Card will need to have a backplate before you stand you action figure on it. Luckily, most Graphics Cards will come with a backplate. If yours does not have one, you can likely find a backplate for your GPU model on Amazon.
The backplate just protects the PCB though, it won’t protect your figure from the heat. The backplate gets very hot. Like I said earlier, if you want to stand figures on your graphics card, you can have them standing directly on the backplate. You want to find something to put in between the backplate and the figure.
Another place inside the PC case that people like to stand action figures on is the PSU cover. It’s generally a little safer to place something on top of the PSU cover than it is placing something on top of the Graphics Card since the PSU doesn’t get as hot.
Another thing to consider is how stable the action figure is. Will it fall over? As I mentioned earlier, you can’t have the figure falling over and bumping into any of the components. Again, I recommend electrical tape for keeping in the figure in place. Put the tape over the figure’s feet to hold it down. Even though this will work, it probably is best to just stick with a figure that is unlikely to fall over, so you don’t have to use any kind of adhesive.
Also, avoid placing your figure in direct contact with any wiring. Lastly, ensure your case has plenty of air circulation and the figure is not standing too close to any fans. This will minimize the disruption of air flow.
Lastly, keep the figure away from cables.
What Type of Action Figures Can You Place inside your PC Case?
Most action figures are made of plastic. Not all plastic is created equal. Cheaper plastics can melt at lower temperatures. Hasbro figures are going to be of much higher quality than some cheap knock-off figure you would find at the dollar store. Nonetheless, its impossible to determine the melting point for any given action figure due the plastic mixtures being inconsistent from figure to figure.
The action figures you probably have in mind for your PC case are likely made of plastic—that is just the nature of most action figures. There are non-plastic options though. Toys made of die-cast metal can be ideal for decorating your PC case since the metal manages the heat much better.
Here are a few characteristics that some action figures have that could be dangerous to your PC. Don’t put the figure in your PC it if has these characteristics:
- Fur fabric
- Clothing items made of cloth
- Hair
- Batteries/Electronics
- Paint that peals easily
- Easily detachable parts
- Large figures that take up a lot of space
Is the Risk Worth Taking?
Action figures are not made to be displayed inside a PC case, and PCs are not made to hold action figures. This does not mean that its unsafe to put any action figure inside your PC case. There are certainly things you need to avoid if you would like put an action figure in your PC case—red flags if you will; but, if you know what figures to avoid, and you take the right precautions, you can safely put an action figure inside your PC case.
How to Fix Loose Action Figure Joints
Whether you like to play with your action figures or display them loose joints are a problem. No action figures are immune whether it’s Transformers, Wrestlers, Star Wars, etc. Lack of friction causes looseness. For example, if the ball in a ball-and-socket joint is...
Is There a Difference Between Action Figures and Dolls?
Are action figures dolls? Are dolls action figures? Is there really a difference between the two? Most people would probably tell you that there is a difference between; however, it’s unlikely they would be able to tell you what the difference is. The truth is that...
How to Display LEGO Star Wars Ship Sets
Star Destroyers, Tie Fighters, X-Wings, LAATs—there are so many different types of ships in the Star Wars Universe. If you’re a Star Wars fan and also enjoy building LEGO sets, you may have a number of LEGO Star Wars ships assembled and sitting on the shelves in your...
7 Different Types of LED Lights for Action Figure Displays
Displaying your action figures is an inherently satisfying activity, because it allows you to showcase all the figures you’ve acquired through your collecting journey. How will you jazz up your collection display though? Some people use epic backdrops, multi-tier...
6 Ways to Avoid Dust While Displaying LEGO Sets
When displaying your epic LEGO set collection, there are many hazards you must consider. One of those hazards is dust. While dust will not damage your LEGO sets, it certainly doesn’t look nice at all; and once the dust has settled, it can be pretty hard to clean. So,...
8 Ways to Display Stuffed Animals on Your Walls
Is your stuffed animal collection taking up too much space on your bed? Have you lost a significant amount of floor space to accommodate for them? Well, there are ways to you can have your plushy friends on display without having them take up a large amount of space...