Basic laptop maintenance kit for new Mythlogic Nyx 1712 (Clevo P170EM)?

Hello,
I am about to buy a Mythlogic Nyx 1712 computer and I want to know if there is a special maintenance kit I need to do repairs, upgrades and all that good stuff that computer connoisseurs do to theirs. More specifically, I would like to know the basic tools I would need to clean, repair, upgrade and otherwise keep my new gaming laptop in tip-top shape for years. I want to have the extended warranty I plan to purchase there as a fail safe, should my own repairs mess me up. If possible, please tell me the name of a kit and what site has it at the lowest price. Anything else I didn't think of would be helpful, too. Thanks!

 

not sure about a full kit, but usually it's just

1x Philips screwdriver http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-66-344-4-in-1-Pocket-Screwdriver/dp/B0014KMDZ0/ is similar to what I use
1 tube of thermal paste (ICDiamond, Arctic silver, etc...)
ear buds (to clean out dust inside the fans)
1x can of pressurized air (to blow the dust
a few pieces of coffee filter (to remove the old thermal paste)
a bottle of 90%-70% alcohol (again used to remove the paste)
a microfiber cloth to clean the outside and screen of the laptop.
1x anti-static wrist strap/bracelet when working with components.

 

Your local Dollar General should have a set of small screwdrivers. Or whatever cheap set of small-size screwdrivers you can find. Should look similar to this:



You'll also need a ESD band to electrically discharge yourself, if you're not comfortable with the idea of touching a grounded, metal object every so often:



And perhaps a can of air, to clean out vents and whatnot.



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That all I ever use for basic maintenance.

 

Yes, now getting the kit is one thing, but actually USING it is another. The only experience I've had of looking at my computer's internal parts was unscrewing the hard drive and trying to disassemble it to fix a power connection which is not able to be fixed. I tried to reach the motherboard, but I got only as far as the keyboard. Now when I get this computer, I intend not to make that mistake again.

Yes that would help. Now do I need tweezers and/or an electric air duster?

 

Tweezers could be useful, but I don't use them personally.

Air is air is air. The only difference between a generic air can and a "computer" air can is the label. Just make sure you don't get any of the propellent on the laptop parts (basically, follow the directions on the can).

 

Yes I am aware of this. I only asked since I may have to pull aside delicate cables and I don't want to have a harsh tip to work with.

 

Hemostat clamps are a life saver - buy a few: straight, angled, different sizes and buy multiples so you can clip the clamping part and use them like tweezers.

At $2-$3 a piece, honestly 2-3 of them are fine. I sometimes find myself in need of a couple at a time to clamp a few things off.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemostat

Works great for shorting pins on the HTC Vivid to unlock the SIM...

 

i hope you understand that as clevos are user upgradable the extended warranty may still not cover you if you mess up on a repair yourself. the idea is you take out the extended warranty so you can rma it back for repair if something breaks or fails.

everything else thats needed has been mentioned above.
if you need monitoring tools you can find everything in my signature below.

 

An extended warranty won't cover you if you mess something up on your own. For doing things such as changing a hard drive or RAM, Clevo shells (what Mythlogic uses to make its systems) are among the easiest to work with. Unless you are completely ham-handed, those upgrades are pretty hard to screw up. Since you're buying from Mythlogic, you can take advantage of their upgrade program where they will handle the replacement of things such as CPUs and GPUs. You buy the parts from them for cost + 5%, pay the two-way shipping charge, and they take it from there. It's a really nice program and takes all the risk out of performing these slightly more complex upgrades yourself.

MYTHLOGIC :: Phoenix Upgrade

 

Well I thank you all for responding about what I said regarding the extended warranty. It would be from SquareTrade and it would cover accidental damage for 3 years. The value that they would place on it is $349.99, since the computer price is between $1500-1999.99. I do have the money to pay for this when I buy it and it would be, I assume, a backup to the original warranty should things not go right. I am actively seeking as much protection from damage as possible and not wanting to make the same mistake I did with my old ASUS twice where I never got a better warranty.

 

IIRC, SquareTrade only covers repairs that total the amount of the system. For example, say you spent $1000 on the notebook, and ruined the motherboard. If that cost $500 to fix, you would only have $500 of coverage left.

Two thoughts on this: 1) Look into buying such a warranty directly from Mythlogic. They should be able to assist in detailing exactly what is covered and how repairs would work. 2) If you damaged previous computers from taking them apart, perhaps you ought to refrain from doing that in the first place. Buy the best parts you can afford out of the gate. Then when it's time to upgrade, leave that job to a friend or Myth.

 

With that said, how will I know which is the better warranty to deal with? I am considering SquareTrade based on the recommendations of a friend. I would need something that covers accidental damage (i.e. something akin to ASUS ADP warranty, covering fire, drops, spills, power surges, and the like). I know most warranties are 1 year and cover parts and labor (with some offering lifetime labor and the only upgrade being the amount of time they cover the cost for parts), so really to be more specific, is it better to spend on both an upgrade to the standard parts + labor warranty and attach the full ADP warranty on there, or just get the ADP? They offer it on the site, but it is dependent on the price of the system.