Now-a-days Laptops are no more a big matter of a business enterprise or of a high salaried executives. It is a part your daily life. Even smart children are utilizing their laptops for game culture. These have crossed the boundary of luxury. But day by day the technologies of the laptops are getting advanced in their components. If this continuously happens, what will you do with your old laptop? Of course, you need to upgrade it. Since the mechanism of a laptop is much move critical than that of a desktop, opening a laptop is risky as a whole. Let us go through a step-by-step guide for the job of upgrading laptops.
Upgrading: - All laptops are not same, rather they differ in design and configuration. It is not possible to apply the procedure to all kinds of laptops in general. Let us go through an old laptop and a new laptop. First of all, we need to know how to open up a laptop for replacing or upgrading the internal core components such as RAM, Processor and hard drive. Before trying to open a laptop, ensure that the laptop is completely powered off. If connected to a wall socket, it is wise to unplug the connector.
Step- 1:-
Open the laptop: - Most of the modern laptops are to be opened from the base. If your laptop opens, simply open back flap and go to step-2. Those laptops that do not open from under the keyboard, don’t bother looking at back. Watch closely at edge of the keyboard. You will find latches on the chassis which secure keyboard from all the sides. Use flat screw driver, just push the latcher down and pull keyboard out. But take caution it is not completely detached. The data ribbon is inside the port on motherboard. For releasing data ribbon, use fingers to carefully pull lever from both sides. Gently pull the ribbon till it is out of slot.
Step- 2:-
Remove the Heat sink: - Now you are to remove heat sink for exposure the processor underneath. Therefore, unscrew the heat sink from chassis and keep screw in the safe place. In case of losing them, it will be difficult to finding replacements. Heat sink has fans which are to connected to motherboard. Ensure that you remove connections before pulling heat sink out. When it is complete, you will now take heat sink out of chassis. If your laptop have not undergone any service recently, you will discover plenty of dirt within.
Step-3:-
Clean the laptop: - Use 1 inch or 1.5 inch brush for brushing off dust accumulated on motherboard and chassis. Use a hand blower to blow out the remaining dust away. While you will find no more dust coming out of your computer, prepare for upgrading the processor.
Step-4:-
Upgrading the processor: -
Lift the lever of CPU socket for releasing processor’s pins. You can now pick up the processor and put it aside. Be strictly gentle, lest you should bend the pins. Now take the new processor. Locate triangular mark at one of the corners. Match this to triangular notch on CPU socket. When you find it, insert the processor carefully into the socket. Check if all pins are properly inserted. Lower the lever and make sure that it is secured back in proper place. Apply some heat sink compound on the surface of processor –not too little or too much. While it is done, processor has been upgraded. Now, put the heat sink in place towards the end with all other open parts. Note that while handling the processor, use small plastic container and keep it in cool and dry place.
Step-5:-
Upgrade Hard Drive: - Everyone wants some extra room for storage. In the most modern laptops, the 2.5 inch hard drive is slid into the slot which houses SATA power and the data connectors. Slide hard drive out from slot and replace it with new one. However, in older note books there is a casing which houses 2.5 inch hard drive. That casing is fastened into chassis. Unscrew the casing to make sure that you do not shap connectors. Just release the hard drive from connectors and open the casing. Then replace old hard drive.
Step – 6:-
Upgrade Memory Modules: - This is a simple matter. Latest laptops will open from base and RAM modules will be accessed from here. The old laptop will open from base but only for RAM modules. Other upgrades have to be completed opening the keyboard. Of course method of upgrading RAM is the same for all the laptops.
Hold clamps with one finger at either side and pull then apart gently. RAM module will automatically pop out. Just take it out of slot and slide new module into slot. Ensure that you press module all way down until the clamps clicks end also secures modules in place.
Reassembling: - Bring all the screws, heat sink back panel of laptop back to one place. First, you need to connect keyboard’s data ribbon. Just pull the lever upwards. Insert ribbon, push lever back in place for securing the ribbon. Place heat sink the top of processor; slide it little for spreading heat sink compound. Fasten screws back in place. For power cables of fan, insert them into respective slots. Screw the back panel into right place. While it is done, you have just upgraded your laptop yourself.
When the job for upgrading your laptop is well done, there is no reason that you are absolutely free from further bothering regarding your laptop. Unfortunately, your laptop may hang, restart automatically and become sluggish. This is because; dust, water, moisture as well as heat may cause the above problems. If problem arises, do not neglect your laptop rather undergo another cleaning process and continue a trouble-less computing. If no trouble is noticed, you should also clean your laptop periodically.