Dell Inspiron 15-3521 Motherboard Replacement
Duration: 45 minutes
Steps: 13 Steps
Get ready to breathe new life into your Dell Inspiron 15-3521! This step-by-step guide will walk you through replacing the motherboard, complete with handy photos to reference along the way. A wonky motherboard can be a major productivity killer, so let’s get it sorted. Before you dive in, make sure your laptop is unplugged and powered off, and take a minute to review any additional safety tips from the manufacturer. Your safety is top priority!
Step 1
We’re popping out the battery to dodge any chance of a zap while working on this system.
– Flip your laptop over so it’s facing down.
– Move the latches outward to unlock the battery. They’re just waiting to be slid out of the way!
– Carefully lift the battery out of its cozy home in your laptop.
Step 2
– Get ready to tackle those two screws holding the access door tight to the laptop! Loosen them up and let the fun begin.
– Now, grab your trusty spudger and gently pry open that access door from the laptop. You’re almost there!
– With a little finesse, use your fingers to fully open and lift off the access door, revealing the hidden memory cards beneath. Look at you go!
Tools Used
Step 3
– To get to those memory cards, just give a little push to the latches on both sides – left and right, like giving them a high five!
– When you’re ready to say goodbye to the old memory card, simply pull it out of the tray while keeping those latches stretched. It’s like giving it a gentle tug to set it free!
– Now, let’s welcome the new memory card! Slide it into the tray and press down until you hear that satisfying click from the side latches. It’s like a warm hug of assurance!
Step 4
– Before flipping your laptop right-side up, take out the screws securing the backplate to the laptop frame—easy peasy, right?
– Using a Phillips head PH0 screwdriver (11), carefully unscrew and remove the backplate screws. You’ve got this!
– Underneath the battery and access panel, you’ll find a few sneaky screws (3). Grab that same trusty Phillips head PH0 screwdriver and get those out too.
Step 5
– Flip your laptop so it’s right-side-up.
– Grab a spudger and gently work your way around, separating the keyboard from the laptop frame.
– Once you’ve got the keyboard loose, use your fingers to carefully lift it off the frame. Just be cautious around the keyboard cable to avoid any accidental damage!
Tools Used
Step 6
– Alright, to kick things off, find the keyboard cable locking gizmo—it’s usually hanging out near the keyboard connection.
– Once you spot it, gently lift up the locking mechanism like you’re opening a tiny treasure chest.
– Now slide the keyboard cable right out of its slot. Boom! The keyboard and laptop are officially broken up, but in a good way!
Step 7
– First things first, find that sneaky wireless card hiding beneath the keyboard you’ve just removed. It’s like a game of hide and seek!
– Next up, gently disconnect those antenna cables that link the laptop to the wireless card. Take your time; they’re a little shy.
– Grab your trusty Phillips head PH0 screwdriver and unscrew the lone screw that’s keeping the wireless card snug in place. Don’t worry, it won’t bite!
– Now, it’s time to liberate the wireless card from its cozy spot. Just pull it out, and voilà!
Step 8
– Let’s get those palmrest cables unplugged! Look for the blue and purple markings to guide you.
– To free them, simply lift the locking tab and gently pull the cables away from their laptop home.
Step 9
– Pop out those four 2.5 mm x 5 mm screws hiding under the keyboard plate using your trusty PH0 Phillips head screwdriver. You’ve got this!
– Now, tackle the three 2 mm x 3 mm screws under the keyboard plate. Same PH0 Phillips head screwdriver, same can-do attitude!
Step 10
– Grab your trusty spudger and gently work it around the middle seam of the laptop—aka the ‘equator’—to separate the palmrest from the base.
– Once it’s loosened up, use your hands to carefully lift and fully detach the palmrest from the base of the laptop.
Tools Used
Step 11
In the first image, the wireless card is still in place. But here’s the deal—to get to that power cable, you’ll need to pop out the wireless card first. Once that’s done, the power cable will be revealed, as shown in the second image. Keep at it, you’ve got this!
– First up, unplug the power cable from the upper left-hand corner of your laptop. You can easily do this with your fingers or some handy forceps if you prefer.
– Next, it’s time to disconnect the LCD cable. You’ll find it right in the middle at the top of the laptop. To remove it, just follow the same unlocking steps as you did with the palmrest cables in step 6. Piece of cake!
Step 12
The last cable is happily shown unplugged in the first image.
– Alright, let’s get those speaker cables out! You can either use a pair of forceps or just your fingers to unplug them. No need to be shy!
– Now, for the grand finale! Unplug that last cable marked with a purple plastic flag. It’s similar to the palmrest cables we tackled in step 6, so you got this!
Step 13
– Now it’s time to put everything back together. Just follow these steps in reverse, and you’ll be all set.
– If you get stuck along the way, feel free to schedule a repair for expert assistance.
