Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

21

Time Required

                          1 hour

Sections

1

  • Thermal paste
  • 21 steps

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Introduction

While following this guide, remove every dust you see, to optimize the performance of your laptop. Using a simple paint brush, or compressor/compressed air.

It’s highly recommended to use anti static tools, to prevent damage!

What you need

Step 1

              Thermal paste
  • Shut down your laptop.
  • Turn your laptop upside down.

Shut down your laptop.

Turn your laptop upside down.

1024

Step 2

  • Remove the battery, by sliding the slide.
  • Lift up the battery / pull it out.

Remove the battery, by sliding the slide.

Lift up the battery / pull it out.

Step 3

  • Remove all the screws.
  • Warning: the yellow screws are longer then the rest. Keep them part!

Remove all the screws.

Warning: the yellow screws are longer then the rest. Keep them part!

Step 4

  • Remove the DVD drive.
  • Mine is green, because it’s an HDD caddy.
  • Optionally use a tool.

Remove the DVD drive.

Mine is green, because it’s an HDD caddy.

Optionally use a tool.

Step 5

  • Remove the two screws which were under the DVD drive.
  • These are shorter then the rest. Keep them part!

Remove the two screws which were under the DVD drive.

These are shorter then the rest. Keep them part!

Step 6

  • Remove the bar at the bottom of the laptop, by sliding it downwards.

Remove the bar at the bottom of the laptop, by sliding it downwards.

Step 7

  • To prevent damage, remove your memory.
  • Your memory is probably just one, mine is extended.
  • The black lines are to protect some data.

To prevent damage, remove your memory.

Your memory is probably just one, mine is extended.

The black lines are to protect some data.

Step 8

  • Release the marked connector.
  • Release the Wi-Fi antennas.

Release the marked connector.

Release the Wi-Fi antennas.

Step 9

  • Remove the marked screws.
  • The black lines are to protect some data.

Remove the marked screws.

Step 10

  • Remove the marked screws.
  • Carefully remove the HDD, by pulling the black plastic thing.

Carefully remove the HDD, by pulling the black plastic thing.

Step 11

              Opening case
  • This step is for the bottom side of the laptop (where HDD and memory are). Using an opening pick, to not damage the case.
  • Starting in an edge, pull the pick in. Slide left-right/right-left, to create an opening.
  • No problem when you hear a click-sound.
  • When there is an opening, use a spudger to seperate the rest of the downside of the case. Slide it trough the whole downside.
  • Slide further with the spudger to the side where are the least ports (one USB port). Optionally use a opening pick, if necessary.

This step is for the bottom side of the laptop (where HDD and memory are). Using an opening pick, to not damage the case.

Starting in an edge, pull the pick in. Slide left-right/right-left, to create an opening.

No problem when you hear a click-sound.

When there is an opening, use a spudger to seperate the rest of the downside of the case. Slide it trough the whole downside.

Slide further with the spudger to the side where are the least ports (one USB port). Optionally use a opening pick, if necessary.

Step 12

              Opening case - network-side
  • Use the spudger from the downside edge, until you reach the network port.
  • Behind the network port, try to insert an opening pick, to create a new opening.
  • When done, slide with the spudger to the rest of the network-side.

Use the spudger from the downside edge, until you reach the network port.

Behind the network port, try to insert an opening pick, to create a new opening.

When done, slide with the spudger to the rest of the network-side.

Step 13

              Opening case - battery side
  • Use opening pick to create an opening at battery side. Try to open the battery side with opening pick only. Only when necessary use the spudger on this side.

Use opening pick to create an opening at battery side. Try to open the battery side with opening pick only. Only when necessary use the spudger on this side.

Step 14

              Removing the case
  • Lift up the case (with finger/hand), so the whole case is released.
  • Open the laptop. Turn the laptop upside down.
  • Don’t try to remove the case, it’s connected to the screen!

Lift up the case (with finger/hand), so the whole case is released.

Open the laptop. Turn the laptop upside down.

Don’t try to remove the case, it’s connected to the screen!

Step 15

  • Pull down the keyboard, but not too far.
  • Release the screen connector, by pulling the plastic thing (marked red).
  • Make the laptop in an 90 degree edge, then carefully pull out the case.
  • STOP when hearing some cracking sounds! Try pull out an other way (make small movements). When something is blocking, check if released all connectors!

Pull down the keyboard, but not too far.

Release the screen connector, by pulling the plastic thing (marked red).

Make the laptop in an 90 degree edge, then carefully pull out the case.

STOP when hearing some cracking sounds! Try pull out an other way (make small movements). When something is blocking, check if released all connectors!

Step 16

              Remove the cooling unit
  • Remove the red marked screws and the red marked connector.
  • Optionally remove the yellow marked screws.

Remove the red marked screws and the red marked connector.

Optionally remove the yellow marked screws.

Step 17

  • Release the aluminum isolation layer a little bit, so it makes possible removing the cooling unit.
  • Remove the full cooling unit (lift it up).

Release the aluminum isolation layer a little bit, so it makes possible removing the cooling unit.

Remove the full cooling unit (lift it up).

Step 18

              Cleaning chips
  • Clean the processor and videocard chip, so the thermal paste will be removed.
  • If the paste is dried out, use some water or alcohol, not to much! Make sure to dry both.

Clean the processor and videocard chip, so the thermal paste will be removed.

If the paste is dried out, use some water or alcohol, not to much! Make sure to dry both.

Step 19

              Cleaning cooling unit
  • Remove the (dried) thermal paste of the cooling unit.
  • Clean the dust, by using compressed air, or an paint brush.
  • When using an compressor/compressed air, block the fan, so it can not spin/rotate. Else it will damage!

Remove the (dried) thermal paste of the cooling unit.

Clean the dust, by using compressed air, or an paint brush.

When using an compressor/compressed air, block the fan, so it can not spin/rotate. Else it will damage!

Step 20

              Apply new thermal paste
  • Thermal paste is available in different versions.
  • Put one drop on the processor, two on the videocard. Use not to much (could counteract the cooling process).
  • Gently divide the thermal paste like on the picture, over the whole “metal” part of the chips.

Thermal paste is available in different versions.

Put one drop on the processor, two on the videocard. Use not to much (could counteract the cooling process).

Gently divide the thermal paste like on the picture, over the whole “metal” part of the chips.

Step 21

  • Pull back the cooling unit, and gently move it with two fingers, so the cooling paste wil divide better.
  • When done, remove the unit and check if the paste is divided well.
  • Repeat if necessary.

Pull back the cooling unit, and gently move it with two fingers, so the cooling paste wil divide better.

When done, remove the unit and check if the paste is divided well.

Repeat if necessary.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

While disassemble and reassemble, remove every dust you see, for better performance.

Let me know if this guide helped you!

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                                                                                      8 other people completed this guide.

Author

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                    Marvin Arets

Member since: 10/22/2017

390 Reputation

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Geoffrey van Oosterhout - Feb 6, 2018

Reply

Thanks for your guide! Is it possible to make a guide to replace the LED IPS screen from the N551JQ? Mine is black after a crash.

Marvin Arets - Feb 7, 2018

I think this is not very difficult, mostly you can simply pull off the plastic frame that is over your LCD (be carefull with pulling off!). You can pull it off with your fingers starting inside.

(Plastic frame can damage, but they are not expensive).

Then remove some screws, LCD will release, but it is still connected with some cables on the backside.

Try it and make pictures, so you can create a guide :).

michelangelo dini - May 8, 2018

Reply

Thanks for the guide! Sadly after doing this I found that my right side I/O (audio out and 1x usb port) no longer works. Any suggestions as to what could be the cause and how to solve this?

I’m pretty sure I have done everything by the book so I’m really bashing my head against the wall right now, I’ve never had this occur when replacing thermal paste before.

Thanks for your help

Marvin Arets - Jun 24, 2018

Maybe you released/loosened its connector or you damaged the board?

michelangelo dini - Aug 7, 2018

It was indeed a ribbon cable which had come loose (luckily no mobo damage). Something that I noticed is that the factory thermal paste had been applied all over the vram chips, as well as on those chips labeled “R36” directly “south” of the gpu die. I have the JW version of this laptop, which has some thin rectangular metal plates attached to the heatpipes, so as to cover the vram chips and others surrounding the gpu die. I found that kinda strange, seeing that the JQ version does not have this at all.