Lenovo IdeaPad 3-1481W000NGUS Motherboard Replacement

Written By: Keith Heath II
  • Comments: 0
Lenovo IdeaPad 3-1481W000NGUS Motherboard Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

19

Time Required

50 minutes - 2 hours

Introduction

A motherboard replacement is necessary when the existing board becomes damaged or stops functioning properly. Common reasons include hardware failures such as power delivery issues, damaged ports or connectors, liquid spills, short circuits, or physical damage from drops or impacts. Additionally, a motherboard may need to be replaced if it has burnt-out components or other irreparable faults that prevent the laptop from powering on or operating correctly. This guide is designed to help users safely replace the motherboard in such situations to restore the device's functionality.

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    • Orient the laptop so that the bottom is facing up.

    • Remove the six 7 mm screws using a Phillips #00 screwdriver.

    • Remove the four 4 mm screws using a Phillips #00 screwdriver.

    • Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

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    • Pry up the sides of the back case using the iFixit opening tool. Then, lift to remove.

    • You may hear snapping when removing the panel. This is normal!

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    • Remove the three 4 mm screws connected to the battery pack using a Phillips #000 screwdriver.

    • Disconnect the battery cable from the motherboard.

    • Gently lift up the battery pack by hand to remove it.

    • Be sure to avoid pulling the plug cable.

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    • Gently peel away the blue thermal pad, revealing the SSD underneath.

    • Do not set the sticky bottom side of the thermal pad on any surface.

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    • Remove the 4 mm screw keeping the SSD in place using a Phillips #00 screwdriver.

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    • Pull the SSD out straight, without applying any vertical pressure.

    • When removing, do not pull the SSD upwards. This may damage the motherboard slot and hard drive.

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    • Use your fingernail or an opening tool to gently pull out and disconnect the battery pack cable.

    • Do not pull on the cables.

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    • Use the spudger to remove each cable from the Wi-Fi card, one cable at a time.

    • The cables do not need much force to be removed.

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    • Remove the single 2 mm screw using a Phillips #00 screwdriver.

    • Try not to press to hard down on the computer to avoid damage.

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    • Pull the card away from the housing capsule on the right side of the Wi-Fi card to remove it from the laptop.

    • Make sure no cables are still connected or wrapped around the Wi-Fi card when removing.

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    • Use your fingernails to gently "walk" the fan connector out of its motherboard socket.

    • Be gentle while unplugging the connector. Using too much force may damage the computer.

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    • Remove the three 5.5 mm screws that secure the fan with the Phillips #0 screwdriver.

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    • Unwrap the wires from around the outside of the fan.

    • Remove the fan.

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    • Use your fingernail or an opening tool to gently pull out and disconnect the battery pack cable.

    • Do not pull on the cables.

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    • Disengage the latch of the RAM by pushing outwards on the left and right side of the memory module slot.

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    • Remove the RAM by sliding it out of its slot.

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    • Remove the four 3 mm Phillips screws that secure the heat sink.

    • Gently lift the heat sink up and out.

    • Reapply thermal paste before installing a new heatsink.

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    • Lift the black ZIF locking flap and disconnect the display connector.

    • Use your fingernails to gently "walk" the white CMOS battery connector out of its motherboard socket.

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    • Remove the seven 4 mm Phillips #00 screws securing the motherboard to the chassis.

    • Lift one corner gently. Check for any remaining connected cables, and carefully remove the motherboard out of the case.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow the above steps in reverse order.
Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting or ask our Answers community for help.

Author

Keith Heath II

Member since: 19/09/24

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