Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 20.3. A Torx driver and bit.
Tip
Some system manufacturers now use cases that snap together or use thumb screws. These are
usually advertised as “no-tool” cases because you literally do not need any tools to remove the
cover and access the major assemblies.
To make an existing case “tool free,” you can replace the normal case screws with metal or
plastic thumbscrews. However, you still should use metal screws or thumbscrews to install
internal components, such as adapter cards, disk drives, power supplies, and the motherboard,
because the metal screws provide a ground point for these devices.
Although this basic set is useful, you should supplement it with some other basic tools, including the
following:
•
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection kit
—These kits consist of a wrist strap with a
ground wire and a specially conductive mat with its own ground wire. You also can get just the
wrist strap or the antistatic mat separately. In areas or times of the season when there is low
humidity, static charges are much more likely to build up as you move, increasing the need for
ESD protection. A wrist strap is shown in
Figure 20.4
.
