Replacing your Dell XPS laptop's motherboard involves completely dismantling the computer.
The Dell XPS M1330 motherboard supports a wide range of hardware, including Intel Core Duo T-series processors, Nvidia GeForce 8000-series graphics modules and a 500 GB, 5400 RPM hard drive. Whether you plan to perform a processor upgrade, or you're experiencing major hardware connectivity issues, replacing the motherboard may be essential. This can be a risky procedure if you don't know what you're doing. Removing the motherboard involves completely dismantling your laptop and removing all of the motherboard's attached hardware.
Instructions
1. Turn off the laptop, close the display panel and unplug all cables from the computer. Place the laptop face down, rotate the computer so the front is facing you and remove the battery pack from the laptop.
2. Remove the Phillips screws from hardware compartment cover near the upper-right of the laptop's bottom side. Lift the cover off of the laptop to expose the heat sink and memory modules
3. Spread apart the retention clips on each side of every memory module inside the laptop. Lift each module so they are in the 45-degree position. Slide the modules out of their individual memory sockets.
4. Remove the single Phillips screw from the wireless card near the center of the laptop. Lift the cover off of the laptop. Unplug the two antenna cables from the wireless card. Unscrew the Phillips screw from the card, tilt it upward at an angle and remove the card from the laptop.
5. Unscrew the four Phillips screws from the lower-right corner of the laptop. Slide the hard drive out of its compartment, and set it to the side.
6. Remove the two Phillips screws from inside the empty battery compartment, and all remaining screws from the laptop's bottom side.
7. Flip the laptop over and pull open the display panel. Disconnect the cables from the hinge cover, and remove the hinge cover from the laptop. This is the plastic strip above the keyboard.
8. Disconnect the cable from the Bluetooth card revealed by the removed hinge cable. Slide the Bluetooth out of its slot, and set it to the side.
9. Remove the two Phillips screws above the keyboard's top row of keys. Tilt the keyboard upward and unplug the keyboard's ribbon cable from the motherboard. Lift the keyboard out of the laptop.
10. Disconnect the main LCD cable extending from the display panel to the motherboard. Unscrew the Phillips-head screw from each hinge. Lift the LCD panel off of the laptop.
11. Unscrew the seven Phillips screws from the laptop's top cover. Carefully lift the entire top cover off of the laptop's base slightly. Disconnect the touchpad cable extending from the top cover's bottom side to the motherboard. Remove the top cover from the laptop to reveal the entire motherboard.
12. Remove the four Phillips screws from the CD/DVD drive located to the left of the motherboard inside the laptop's base enclosure. Lift the drive out of the laptop slightly, disconnect the data cable from the back of the drive and remove the drive from the laptop.
13. Unscrew the Phillips screws from the PCI express card reader cage in the upper-right corner of the motherboard. Remove the cage from the laptop.
14. Flip the laptop over so it is facing downward on your work surface. Remove the five Phillips screws from the processor cooling fan and heatsink combination unit. Lift the unit out of the laptop to reveal the processor chip.
15. Use a flat heat screwdriver to turn the processor chip's locking screw in the counterclockwise direction one-half turn. Lift straight up on the processor to disconnect from the motherboard socket.
16. Flip the laptop over again and disconnect all remaining cables from the motherboard. Then remove the two remaining Phillips screws mounting the motherboard to the base of the laptop. Carefully lift the entire motherboard out of the laptop.
17.Reverse this procedure to install the new motherboard, and put your laptop back together.
Tags: Phillips screws, from laptop, screws from, Phillips screws from, cables from, bottom side