BLOG
IP Ratings Explained
If you’ve even wondered what the various IP rating numbers that you see on various electronics mean, here’s a simple breakdown. At the end of this, you still have a good knowledge base of what you’re looking at when you see an IP rating number.
IP Code is a standard created by the International Electrotechnical Commission. IP stands for “ingress protection”, but in years past, it used to stand for “international protection”, but that got phased out. In general, the higher the rating number, the better the protection is, and these numbers are supposed to give you a better idea of “waterproof” when it comes to stating how resistant an electronic device is against solids and liquids that don’t play nice with electronics.
First Digit: Solid Particle Resistance
The first number in the IP rating indicates the level of resistance to solid particle ingress that the electronic device has shown in testing. Here they are laid out in a handy table.
| 1 | Protected against objects 50mm (~1.97in) or larger |
| 2 | Protected against objects 12.5mm (0.49in) or larger |
| 3 | Protected against objects 2.5mm (.1in) or larger |
| 4 | Protected against objects 1mm (.039in) or larger |
| 5 | Protected against dust ingress. Cannot block all dust, but it blocks enough so that dust doesn’t interfere with the operation of the device. |
| 6 | Dust-tight. Tested to resist all dust ingress after at least 8 hours of airflow testing. |
This test is only to protect against ingress, that is to say, very passive entrance into the device. If you’re trying to hammer a nail into something that has an IP6 rating, it’s probably still going to get in.
Second Digit: Liquid Resistance
The second number in the IP code indicates the tested level of resistance to liquid ingress the device has. Once again, we’ve got a handy table to show the different levels.
| 1 | Dripping water equivalent to 1mm of rainfall per minute has no harmful effects on the device. |
| 2 | Dripping water when tilted at 15° equivalent to 3mm of rainfall per minute has no harmful effects on the device. |
| 3 | Sprays of water have no harmful effects on the device. |
| 4 | Splashes of water from a spray nozzle have no harmful effects on the device. |
| 5 | Jets of water that output 12.5 liters of water per minute for every square meter on the device have no harmful effects. |
| 6 | Strong jets of water that output 100 liters of water per minute for every square meter on the device have no harmful effects. |
| 6K | Same as 6, but with 10x the water pressure. |
| 7 | Immersion of the device in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes has no harmful effects. |
| 8 | Device can be used while constantly submerged underwater according to specs provided. |
| 9 | High-pressure, high-temperature, close-range spray downs cause no harmful effects to the device. |
This is a lot more complexity than the solid particle resistance. But, as we said in the beginning of the article, the bigger number is better, once again. One other thing to note is that while the IP Code refers to their rating as “liquid” ingress protection, they’re only testing the devices with water.
Hopefully, this quick explainer article has given you some insight into those mysterious numbers in the IP Code. We’re seeing a lot more IP-rated devices than we used to, which is great. Membrane keyboards like the IP42-rated K55 RGB PRO XT will generally have some spill resistance, but now mechanical keyboards like the IP57-rated CLIPPER PRO MINI 60 are getting in on the fun. That’s great news because who among us hasn’t accidentally spilled some water onto their mechanical keyboard.
IZDELKI V ČLANKU
JOIN OUR OFFICIAL CORSAIR COMMUNITIES
Join our official CORSAIR Communities! Whether you're new or old to PC Building, have questions about our products, or want to chat about the latest PC, tech, and gaming trends, our community is the place for you.