Friend's PC Motherboard life expectancy. Your Opinions Please?

If you have seen a test bench you know that operating a computer in the open is not a foreign concept. In fact the reason cases need fans is because the case prevents the generated heat from escaping to the ambient environment. Exposing the whole PC to the ambient environment removes the need for case fans. CPUs and dedicated GPUs still need some cooling system (heat sink and fan) but the board will have no problem dissipating heat.

As for electro-static problems. I have a friend who built his desktop in a wooden suitcase. Never had an issue. It is true that high powered systems (home audio, home theatre) and magnets can affect the board but they would have to be in very close proximity for damage to occur.

Computer cases are not Faraday cages. They do not prevent signals from entering the case. It is fair to say that a motherboard sees its share of electromagnetic radiation.

In short don't worry too much about it.

Motherboard wont last as long as it would if it was in a case.

this is for a few reasons.

in a case, there is airflow due to the PSU extracting air, even with a poorly ventilated case there will be some airflow around all the components on the motherboard.

out in the open there wouldnt be much airflow unless the CPU fan is blowing on it or from another source, this can cause the RAM and other components on the motherboard to heat up.

although this might not be an issue, i'm not sure, but signal interference, if you have a metal case it will block outside signals from getting in, so radio, TV, Sky, WiFi, Phone/3G/4G and any other interference, will all be hitting the board.

i know when i switch off the light or something electrical there is a lot of interference with my 5.1 speakers, which must also do something to a motherboard out in the open.

I'd prefer the motherboard to be on metal, but it's no big deal really. The biggest risk of an open air case is that the components get touched or have something dropped or spilled on them.

Well at least the mobo would be cool not being in a enclose case, i have to agee in the long run electro-static discharge since the mobo is not properly grounded and also have to worry about dust build up

How can that be any worse than stuffing the thing in a small box with nowhere for the heat to go and difficult to dust out?

your mam is a motherboard