Replace a Motherboard on a Dell Laptop
The motherboard on your Dell laptop is the part that every other hardware component connects to. If the motherboard is going bad, you may notice that some components randomly stop working for short periods of time or that all the components cease to function at the same time. Replacing a defective motherboard is a time-consuming and complex process, as it requires that you manually remove every other part first.
Instructions
1. Shut down your Dell laptop and disconnect its power cable. Flip the laptop over, then push down on the battery release button. Pull the battery out and set it aside in a safe location.
2. Remove all the screws along the sides and at the middle of the laptop case. Remove the plastic covers that hide the hard drive and RAM. Pull the hard drive and RAM modules off of their ports and set them aside. Slide out the CD or DVD drive at the left side of the case and set it aside.
3. Turn the laptop back over and open the top lid again. Insert a thin object, such as a screwdriver, underneath the plastic strip located between the keyboard and the LCD screen. Pop the strip off and set it aside.
4. Find the two screws located just above the keyboard and remove them. Unplug the cable running from the keyboard to the motherboard. Lift the keyboard up and remove it from the laptop case.
5. Remove the screws holding the LCD screen hinges in place. Pull off the hinges, then disconnect the cables running from the screen to the motherboard. Pull the LCD screen off carefully, then set it aside.
6. Take out the screws holding the touch pad to the case. Remove the touch pad and set it aside. Locate the two screws near the top of the motherboard underneath the spot where the keyboard was located. Remove the screws, then pull the entire metal motherboard assembly out of the case.
7. Find the large black fan and attached heat sink that are connected to the processor at the lower-right end of the motherboard assembly. Set the heat sink and fan aside, then pull the processor off the socket on the motherboard.
8. Take out the screws holding the hard drive bracket, CD or DVD drive carriage, and network card carriage. Remove the bracket and the carriages and set them aside. Lift the entire motherboard out of the metal assembly.
9. Line up the USB and Ethernet ports on the new motherboard with the open port holes on the metal assembly. Set the new motherboard into the assembly. Reconnect the hard drive bracket, CD or DVD drive carriage, and network card carriage.
10. Reconnect the processor and attach the fan and heat sink back on top. Set the motherboard assembly back into the case. Reconnect the LCD screen, hinges, touch pad, keyboard, and plastic strip. Reattach the hard drive, CD or DVD drive, and RAM. Put the battery back into the laptop, then power the computer on to make sure the new motherboard is installed correctly.
Tags: hard drive, case Remove, heat sink, motherboard assembly, Remove screws, screws holding, your Dell laptop