Laptop Motherboard Replacement

Laptop motherboard replacement isn’t as difficult as it seems. However, you should choose to change your laptop’s motherboard only when all other methods of repair you try out don’t meet with desired results. The process itself is quite simple—you completely disassemble your laptop and assemble it again with the right component. But it could take you a few hours to do so.

First of all, you would need a proper screwdriver kit. It is a good idea to buy a whole kit of screwdrivers in which various small screwdrivers suitable for laptops would be included.

Usually, the disassembling process begins by unscrewing the screws that are beneath the laptop. There could be about 10 screws there depending on the model of your laptop. Don’t forget to unscrew the laptop casing sides as well. The next step will be to remove the battery. You won’t find many screws holding the battery down.

Then, depending on your laptop model, you will need to remove the entire upper casing of your laptop or just a part of it. The laptop keyboard will also be fixed with three screws. Removing this is your next step. When you remove the keyboard, you will see a few screws holding the upper casing. Unscrew them carefully and remove the keyboard. To remove the upper casing, you will need to carefully place a small screwdriver between the upper and lower casings and try to separate them.

Very often the upper casing will be glued and you would need an additional force to separate it. This glued part will usually be near the DVD drive.

To identify the type of your motherboard, just take a look at the laptop model which is sometimes printed near the touchpad or somewhere beneath the laptop. You will typically find a label here with a lot of information on your laptop model.

Now, here you can find a few examples for disassembling your laptop. These are all real example of me disassembling laptops at home! I enjoy disassembling and assembling laptops at home and even rebuilding my PCs.

You have to be very cautious about the positions of the wires in your laptop. Be very sure about which wire goes where. If you don’t be careful about that, you might end up with a device that just refuses to work! Or you may even burn something on your motherboard. But that shouldn’t worry you much—it is very unlikely that you will make a mistake with the wires.

Another thing you need to be sure about is the RAM. It should be in working condition. A malfunctioning RAM means your laptop won’t start at all. The RAM should properly fit into its slot.

Also, check out the processor and the heat sinks. After the replacement, you might need to apply new thermal paste. This would actually be necessary because the thermal paste dries up quickly.

There are small shops where you can give your laptop for its motherboard replacement. These small repair shops charge less than repair companies that have big chains all over. However, the cost of the motherboard itself will set you back some, but if your laptop is old, there is no option but to replace its motherboard.

You will also find various books and electronic guides online that teach you about laptop repair and include the topic of laptop motherboard replacement. However, they just cover 1 or 2 general examples. The actual process of laptop motherboard replacement is always somewhat different.

If you want to replace your laptop’s motherboard and it is your first time, then it is good to have someone guide you through the process. It is also good to have someone to double check the connections of wires and the screws. Sometimes even a screw in the wrong place may prevent your laptop from starting up.

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