How to Remove the Motherboard on a Dell Latitude D620
Replacing your motherboard is a task that should never be approached hastily. Wrongly diagnosing a bad motherboard can be a costly mistake. All of your computer's hardware devices are connected and interfaced through your motherboard. The Dell Latitude D620 computer requires a complete disassembly of your computer and the complete removal of all devices attached to your motherboard. Removing hardware incorrectly can result in permanently damaging the hardware and/or the motherboard itself. Consult a laptop repair technician before attempting motherboard removal.
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Things You'll Need
- Phillips screwdriver
- Small, flat head screwdriver
- Small wrench
- ESD wrist wrap
Instructions
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1
Power down your computer and disconnect all cables and devices from your laptop. Close the LCD screen and place the laptop face down. Locate the battery compartment and remove the battery.
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2
Locate the hard drive compartment in the upper right-hand corner of the bottom casing of the laptop. Using the Phillips screwdriver, remove the two screws securing the drive inside its compartment and then slide it out of the compartment and set it aside.
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3
Flip the laptop over and open the LCD screen all the way. Use a small, flat head screwdriver to pry off the keyboard bezel, or switch cover. The keyboard bezel is a thin strip of plastic spanning the width of the laptop, adjacent to the keyboard and LCD screen.
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4
Unscrew the three screws located behind the top row of keys on the keyboard. Grasp the top edge of the keyboard, lift the keyboard out of its compartment and place it facing downward over the trackpad and palm rest area.
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5
Disconnect the keyboard's ribbon connector from the connector on the motherboard by pulling on the black lever locking the cable in place. Remove the keyboard from the laptop.
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6
Locate the RAM compartment in the upper left-hand corner above the CPU fan and heatsink. Push on the retaining tabs on each side of the RAM module until the module is released from its compartment. Lift it out of the computer and store it in a static-free plastic bag. Close the LCD screen and flip over the laptop.
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Remove the single screw from the RAM compartment cover on the bottom casing of the laptop. Remove the cover and set it aside. Push on the locking tabs on each side of the RAM module. Lift the RAM module out of its compartment and store it in a static-free plastic bag.
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8
Locate the single screw securing the CD/DVD drive to the bottom casing of the laptop. The screw has a "P" symbol right next to it. Grasp the DVD drive from the side of the casing and slide it out of its compartment.
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9
Flip the laptop over again and open the LCD screen. Locate the wireless card near the LCD hinges toward the center of the laptop base. Disconnect the two antenna cables from the wireless card and the LCD video cable from the motherboard. Close the LCD screen and flip the laptop over.
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10
Locate and remove the two screws labeled "D" on the bottom casing of the laptop. Place the laptop vertically with the back edge of the laptop facing upward. Remove the screws from the back edge. Remove the LCD panel from the base of the laptop. Flip the base of the laptop over so the motherboard assembly is facing upward.
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11
Locate and remove the two screws labeled "P." Locate and disconnect the touchpad cable in the bottom left-hand corner of the motherboard, the Bluetooth card in the upper left-hand corner and the coin cell battery cable near the top of the laptop casing. Disconnect the speaker cables from the motherboard and remove the speaker assembly from the laptop.
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12
Locate the modem card next to the wireless card compartment. Remove the two screws from the modem card, pull on the modem card's retaining tab and lift it out of the motherboard. Store the card in a static-free plastic bag.
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13
Locate the SD card reader on the left-hand side of the motherboard. Remove the two screws from the card reader and lift the reader out of the motherboard by pulling on the blue tab.
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14
Locate the CPU heatsink. The heatsink is a metal device with copper piping extending out of it. Remove the four retaining screws and lift the heatsink out of the motherboard.
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15
Disconnect the cooling fan's power cable from the fan assembly. Locate the serial ports on the back of the laptop casing. Use a small wrench to remove the hex bolts securing the serial ports to their slots on the back of the laptop casing. Slide the ports out of their slots.
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16
Remove the four remaining screws securing the motherboard to the bottom casing. Carefully lift the motherboard out of the laptop's base and set it aside. Repeat this entire procedure in reverse to install the new motherboard.
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