There is a litany of reasons why vaping or smoking e-cigarettes around your PC can be harmful to the components of the device, but these reasons all point back to a residue that can form on the inside of the machine. Vaping produces an aerosol, commonly referred to as vapor, which contains tiny droplets of liquid that can condense and settle as a residue on surfaces, including the internal parts of a PC or gaming console. Over time, this residue can accumulate and interfere with the way the computing components interact with one another, causing a slew of long-term issues.
To make matters worse, the residue that can formulate on PC parts isn’t just water vapor; rather, it is a sticky film that contains chemicals, vape flavors, and nicotine. Over time, this film will build layer-by-layer upon itself, and is especially likely to form on exposed on semi-exposed PC components such as fans, vents, and other openings in your PC or gaming console’s shell.
In a way, the effect vaping can have on your PC or console is not at all unlike the effect it can take on your lungs.