Not to sure where to ask this but can anyone recommend a decent pc tool kit? something simple i only do pc repairs and building. was looking at http://www.ebuyer.com/product/126722/show_product_overview which seems ideal but screwdriver quality is really important to me and ebuyer tells ya next to nothing about the kit or even whats in it (yes i can guess by looking but that aint the point) also big bonus if the screw drivers were magnetic
You can also source tools separately. Not many tools are required for repairs or initial building. Why do you want a magnetic screwdriver? Mildly magnetic is okay, but if it's strongly magnetic, there may or may not be a risk of damage to sensitive components. I never took it upon myself to see what would happen. You generally don't even need more than one size of screwdriver (#2 philips). Buy a quality 6-in-1 screwdriver and then buy standalone screwdrivers once you determine which size(se) you need. A pair of needlenose pliers/tweezers/hemostats helps as well, and can be crucial for certain tasks such as moving and placing jumpers around. In the kit you linked to, it looks like there's quite a few tools that you don't need. There's more product info here.
ah thanks alot for the link, i do alot on travelling about while on repair jobs so the most common tools in a little case is ideal (im on a motorbike so not alot of room) magnetic screwdrivers dont damage components, i suppose if you want something hard enough you could but would be the same as non magnetic
lol i got that kit with my a+ course, lol, the 3 prong grippy thing is awesome, though magnectic screwedriver be just as good, the ones in the kit arent magnetised but don't u just need an a4 battery and peice of wire to magnetise a screwdriver? but yea, do as Stuey recomends
Tbh you want: Magnetic Philips-head screwdriver (small) Magnetic Philips-head screwdriver (large) Non-magnetic, large-tipped flathead screwdriver (about 4mm across) for prying things, especially awkward heatsinks Precision screwdriver set (laptops) Pliers (nice small snipe-nose) A big baggy full of different screws Spare cables i.e. IDE, SATA, data and power, VGA/DVI->VGA/DVI cable Thermal Compound Air Duster Copy of UBCD Smallish multimeter, nothing fancy Large pendrive (8-16GB, for backups) Copies of XP and Vista for reinstall purposes. That should all fit into a pretty small package, and will cover about every eventuality where you don't need new parts.
To get at the motherboard screws next to tower heatsinks (and to fit some towers) a 150mm/6" driver is very useful. And make sure the tip is magnetic (the only PC thing it can damage is a floppy disk). I'd also add to Krikkit's list a spray can of IPA and a pack of wipes (to remove old thermal paste, etc).
You could try a large(ish) pencilcase or something, otherwise it'll fit quite nicely in the front pocket of a rucksack.
i currently do keep all my tools i use in the front of my rucksack but its a big thing to have constantly around when im fixing/building a pc Will have a look and see for a big pencil case would rather have a soft case thou
Agree with Krikkit's list - Other things I carry or have available in addition: A pendrive with the Service Packs for XP & Vista, IE7, Media Player 11, Drivers for ATI / NVidia graphics, Chipset drivers, AVG, Spybot etc etc. Saves a lot a time when the customer has a slow broadband connection or only dial-up. A set of security / oddball screwdriver bits about to deal with unusual fittings. See http://www.toolspot.co.uk/product/100pc-security-crv-power-bit-set-in-blow-mold-case CR2032 lithium batteries Normal & Mini USB cables A 2.5" USB hard drive A USB to IDE/SATA adapter + psu A small plastic tub / container to put remove screws / fittings into It is also well worth looking at building a BartPE boot CD to access systems that will not boot - http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ When working on laptops, if I am going to have to take them apart then I prefer to take them away from the customer site and work on them somewhere quiet - generally lots of little screws to deal with and without a service manual figuring out how they come apart. Not something to do with the customer looking over your shoulder! Mark
Might be an idea to include an earthing strap, just for peace of mind, and a small torch. I prefer to use one of those LED torches that you wear on your head, you do look a bit daft but at least you will have illumination where ever you look. I would include a stubby screw driver as well as normal size drivers for getting into tight spaces, its easier if you have one with interchangeable bits as it means you carry less drivers and if you damage one of the bits you don't have to bin the driver. Usually you find that if you use pozidriv (the blunt crosshead driver) on a phillips head ( the pointy crosshead driver), or vice versa, you will eventually wear away the tip of the driver/bit. Plus it might be wise to include some small Torx bits, just in case. I've tried using flexi-shaft drivers and skewdrivers but I didn't find them very satisfactory. I'll let you know if I can think of anything else.
There's another crucial component that I'd recommend carrying in your kit at all times... a flashlight!! If you want to get creative, a gooseneck USB light, or a headlamp are also convenient.
