Gamers report aptly named fire ants are causing their PCs to overheat

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(Image credit: Australian Department of Primary Industries / AAP)

a single fire ant

All PC gamers come across a bug or two every now and then, but rarely like this. I’m talking about the real variety. That’s right, some PC gamers have reported ant infestations in their PCs. That’s bad enough in isolation, but these little blighters have been reported to damage thermal pads and thermal paste, leading to a rise in temperatures.

Users on Reddit (via PCGamesN) have reported aptly named fire ants infesting PCs. The most recent example comes fromThejus_Parolon Reddit. Just like anyone that’s experienced an ant invasion, Parol’s eyes were drawn to a line of ants disappearing inside their PC case. An inspection revealed the buggers were swarming all over the GTX 1060 graphics card.

(Image credit: Thejus_Parol / Reddit)

A GPU cooler showing possible Fir ant damage

Parol reported an increase in temperatures, and though the thermal paste on the GTX 1060 GPU looks intact, there does appear to be some damage to the memory thermal pads. What’s worse is that after a cleanup and the application of repellant over the desk and surrounding area, the pesky invaders returned.

There are other reports of ant infestations includingthis Crazy Ant infestationfrom a few years ago. This user filmed dozens of ants swarming all around an AIO cooler and graphics card.

Now, I’m no expert on Formicidae but according to the all-knowing Wikipedia,Red Imported Fire Antsare attracted to electrical fields and are known to damage a wide range of electrical devices—including computers. The are particularly invasive in the US and my home country of Australia.

I know I hate ants running around in my house. They come inside looking for sources of water during summer, but if they were inside my PC I would be really pissed. Still, I’d rather that than something with eight legs or something bigger and hairier.

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