How Do I Fix the Cooling System on My Laptop?
Your laptop's cooling system consists of a cooling fan and a heat sink, which is a metal plate with a copper pipe extending out of it. When your cooling fan goes bad, it causes your CPU, or processor, to overheat, which can cause irreparable damage to your laptop's motherboard. In most cases, your cooling system can be prepared by simply cleaning out the cooling fan assembly. It's for this reason that regular cleaning and maintenance of your cooling system is instrumental to the life of your laptop.
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Things You'll Need
- Phillips-head screwdriver
- Flat-head screwdriver
- Small paint brush
- 1 can of compressed gas duster
- Cloth or paper towel
Instructions
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1
Turn off your laptop and disconnect the power cable. Disconnect any other cables or external devices and close the LCD panel until it latches shut. Place the laptop face-down and remove the battery pack from its compartment.
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2
Place the laptop face-up, then open the LCD panel. Pry up the keyboard bezel from the laptop with a flat-head screwdriver. The keyboard bezel sits between the keyboard and the LCD assembly. Remove the bezel and set it aside.
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3
Remove the Phillips-head screws securing the keyboard to the laptop base. These screws are usually located beneath the keyboard bezel. Some laptop models secure the keyboard to the laptop casing from the bottom. Those screws are usually located either inside the battery compartment or on either side of the RAM module compartment. Additionally, some laptop keyboards are secured by retaining tabs located behind the top row of keys on the keyboard.
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4
Lift the keyboard out of its compartment and place it face-down over the palm rest. Use a small flat-head screwdriver to disengage the black tabs on either side of the keyboard ribbon cable where it connects to the motherboard. Disconnect the ribbon cable from the motherboard, and then remove the keyboard from the laptop.
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5
Remove the Phillips-head screws from the motherboard/CPU cover or EMI shield. The EMI shield is metal plate covering that protects the motherboard and CPU assembly. Remove the EMI shield from the laptop and set it aside. Some laptop models do not have an EMI shield.
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6
Remove the Phillips-head screws securing the cooling fan to the motherboard. Disconnect the fan cable from the motherboard and lift it out of the laptop assembly.
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7
Wipe dust off of the cooling fan assemblies exterior with a soft cloth or paper towel. Blow the dust out of the fan with a can of compressed gas duster. Use a small paint brush to remove the dust from deep inside the cooling fan. Work under good lighting so you can visibly see the interior of the fan.
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8
Repeat steps one through six in reverse order to re-assemble the laptop.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use extreme caution when disconnecting the keyboard ribbon cable. If you break the motherboard's keyboard connector, you will have to replace your entire motherboard.
References
- Photo Credit cpu cooler image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
