Inside my laptop » 2. Asus Laptops

How to disassemble and modify Asus Eee PC

Laptop Tech — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:30:02 +0000

In this thread you’ll learn how to disassemble and modify an Asus Eee PC. I’ll be posting new instructions and guides as soon as I find them. If you find a new guide not mentioned in this thread feel free to leave a link in comments.

Guide 1. Taking apart Asus 701 and modifying the motherboard.

This guide will help you to take apart an older Asus Eee PC 701.

You’ll find instructions for:
1. Taking apart the laptop base and removing the motherboard.
2. Taking apart the display panel and accessing the LCD screen.
3. Modifying the motherboard by installing two extra USB ports in the area of unused MiniPCI slot.

In the same guide you’ll learn how to take apart the display panel assembly and access the LCD screen. You can use this guide if you want to replace the LCD screen or inverter board.

You may ask: “Can I install a new 8.9 inch LCD screen on a 7 inch model?” This guy attempted replacing the screen.

..so the screen works, but BIOS needs to be hacked for full screen image.

..and you would need to modify the housing quite a lot.

Do you know how to hack the BIOS? Can you modify the housing? I guess the answer it NO.

Guide 2. Installing internal Bluetooth module into an Asus Eee 701.

This guide will walk you through the motherboard modification and installing an internal Bluetooth module into an Asus Eee 701.

I’ve added internal USB Bluetooth to my Eee without interfering with the built-in wireless, using the empty mini PCIe card slot, or disabling any of the available USB ports.

Guide 3. How to make an internal Bluetooth adapter from an external USB adapter.

Let’s say your Asus Eee PC doesn’t have internal Bluethooth adapter. Does it mean that your are stuck with using an external USB adapter? Apparently not.

Frustrated by the ugliness of plugging a USB bluetooth adaptor into my Eee PC, I decided that the best thing I could do was gut a bluetooth adapter and install it internally.

Check out this tutorial for converting your external USB adapter into the internal adapter.

Guide 4. Asus Eee 901 disassembled.

Actually it’s not a disassembly guide, but some pictures from the inside of the laptop. Could be very useful if you need to take a quick look at the motherboard.

Where to find hidden memory slots in Asus laptop?

Laptop Tech — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:28:39 +0000

Let’s say you have an Asus laptop and you are trying to install extra memory. You removed all covers from the bottom of the laptop but still cannot find memory slots. Where are they? Both memory slots are hidden under the keyboard!
In order to access them you’ll have to remove the keyboard. Take a look at this tutorial, it could be similar to your Asus laptop.

Also, you can use this instructions for removing and replacing the keyboard.

Taking apart Asus W3V, W3N, W3A, Z63A series laptop

Laptop Tech — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:51:47 +0000

With this guide you can take apart and remove major components from Asus W3V, W3N, W3A, Z63A series laptop.

This guide is to show you how to take off the top case, which is the palm rest part of the keyboard along with the Touchpad and the Keyboard frame. Removal of this part will allow you to access the mainboard of the system for repair, replacement, or cleaning. This guide will show you how to dismantle the W3V with all the screw locations and procedure to properly take it apart without damaging any of the components, reversing this procedure will allow you to put this back all together.

I already linked to an Asus W3J laptop disassembly instructions in my previous post. You’ll find it here: Asus W3J laptop disassembly and upgrade tutorial.

How to remove and replace keyboard on Asus A8J laptop

Laptop Tech — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:23:03 +0000

Here’s another guide for Asus a8j series laptops. This guide explains how to remove and replace the laptop keyboard yourself.

Replacing a laptop keyboard isn’t difficult, if you know what you are doing. Most of the time, because laptops keyboards seem so well integrated, it is tough to get started without knowing where to start.

If you do everything right, replacing the keyboard will take only a few minutes and you definitely can do it yourself, without taking your laptop to a repair shop.

WARNING! You have to be very careful with the keyboard connector on the motherboard. If you accidentally break the clip you will not be able to lock the keyboard cable in the connector and the keyboard will not function properly.
The author says:

you’ll see the clip mechanism and the white piece that keeps ribbon cable in place. Simply take your flat head screwdriver and push down on the white ends. They will unclip, and you’ll be able to lift the keyboard away.

My comment: Do not push the clip too far. In order to unlock the connector, you’ll have to push the clip 1-2 millimeters, not more. The clip has to stay attached to the connector. I usually push the clip with my fingernails.

Here’s my previous post about tightening hinges on an Asus A8J laptop.

Asus A6R laptop disassembly and upgrade instructions

Laptop Tech — Sat, 10 May 2008 22:51:14 +0000

These disassembly pictures show how you can access an upgrade or replace main components in an Asus A6R laptop. Almost all main components can be easily accessed through the bottom of the laptop without taking the whole thing apart.

Before you go inside the laptop do not forget to unplug the power adapter and remove the battery. Let’s take a look at the laptop components you can remove yourself and possibly upgrade them:

1. This laptop comes with a 80GB IDE hard drive witch can be easily upgraded to a bigger 100GB or 120GB IDE hard drive. To remove the hard drive, simply slide it towards the battery bay and after it got disconnected from the connector lift it up.

2. Both memory modules can be accessed from the bottom of the laptop. This laptop comes with two 256MB DDR2-533 PC2-4200 memory modules. Asus A6R can handle up to 2GB memory total, so you can install up to 1GB memory into EACH slot.

3. Wireless card can be accessed from the bottom. You can remove the wireless card the same way as you remove the memory module, spread latches on both sides of the card and carefully pull it from the slot by the card edges. There are two antenna cables connected to the wireless card. The black cables goes to the main connector on the wireless card and the white cable goes to the auxiliary connector. To unsnap the antenna cable from the wireless card, simply grab the golden connector with your fingers and pull it up.

4. The cooling module – fan and heat sink can be accessed through the cover on the bottom. It’s very convenient if you want to clean it. If you clean the cooling module with compressed air once a month, your laptop will never suffer from overheating.
If you want to replace the cooling fan, just remove two screws securing the fan and unplug the cable from the motherboard. That’s it.

5. This laptop comes with a Pentium M 1.73GHz processor. CPU is located under the heat sink but I don’t think if it’s a good idea upgrading the CPU because it’s too expensive.

Taking apart an Asus L3800 (Asus L3C) laptop

Laptop Tech — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:22:02 +0000

I found instructions for taking apart an Asus L3800 or Asus L3C laptops. Apparently both models are the same or at lease very similar.

This guide has instructions for taking apart the whole laptop. You’ll need this one for accessing the wireless card, CPU cooling fan with the heatsink, dial up mode. Also, you can use it for removing the motherboard and replacing the power jack. By the way, if the power jack is loose you can use this tutorial for resoldering the jack yourself.
The second source offers basically the same laptop disassembly guide but with better pictures taken from different angles.

Let’s say you repaired the laptop, assembled it and now it gets power but will not turn on. What could be wrong?
1. If you removed the CPU, make sure it’s seated properly inside the socket and the socket is LOCKED.
2. Make sure the memory is properly connected to the motherboard and making good connection with the slot. Try reseating the module inside the slot.

Replacing internal wireless card on an Asus M2400N notebook

Laptop Tech — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:46:31 +0000

Need instructions for replacing or upgrading the internal wireless card on an Asus M2400N notebook? Here it is. With this guide you’ll be able to remove the notebook keyboard and get down to the wireless card slot.

I used an Atheros Cardbus card for a while, using the madwifi driver, but the laptop has only one PCMCIA slot, and it was a bit of a pain to have it always occupied.

Now I have bought an Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG mini-pci card, which I managed to insert into the laptop with not too much difficulty.

Instructions for replacing the old wireless card:
1. Unsnap the antenna cable from the wireless card with your fingers. Do not use plyers, use fingers or you can damage the connector.
2. Spread the latches on both sides of the card. The wireless card will pop up at a 30 degree angle.
3. Carefully pull the wireless card from the slot by the card edges. Do not touch chips on the card.
4. Insert a new wireless card and connect the antenna cable. There are two connectors on the card – Main and Auxiliary. Snap the antenna cable on the main connector.

How to tighten loose hinges on an Asus A8j laptop

Laptop Tech — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 08:23:13 +0000

The display panel on your laptop feels wobbly? Apparently, the display hinges are loose and it’s time to tighten them up. On some laptops tightening up hinge screws is not difficult at all, let’s take for example instructions for this Asus A8j laptop.
In order to secure loose screws you’ll have to remove hinge covers and then remove the LCD bezel.

You first have to pry out the LCD bezel cover (this requires your fingernails a lot. Start from top and look at the whole LCD cover from the side. prying open from the outside seemed a lot easier than trying to open it from the inside like the guide told me to). Before that, you have to take the 6 rubber things off and unscrew the screws beneath those.

Here are instructions for removing the LCD bezel from Toshiba laptops, it will be similar to removing the bezel from Asus laptops.
After the LCD bezel and hinge covers are removed, you’ll get access to the screws securing the hinges.

there are two screws holding down the LCD part to the hinges, and one screw (the one that’s under the hinge cover) holding the hinge down to the body. I found that my two screws were quite loose. After I tightened them, the LCD hinge was loose no more.

Tighten them up and assemble everything back together, you’ll see the difference.

UPDATE: removing and replacing keyboard on an Asus a8j laptop.

Asus W3J laptop disassembly and upgrade tutorial

Laptop Tech — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 03:11:54 +0000

Here’s very useful tutorial explaining how to disassemble and upgrade an Asus W3J laptop posted at NotebookReview.com.
If you are going to open up your laptop make sure to work in a static safe environment. If possible, wear ESD wrist strap or at least touch a grounded metal object (desktop chassis for example) before you touch internal laptop components.

Key disassembly and upgrade points:

1. You can easily access one of the memory modules, graphics card, hard drive, heatsink and CPU if you remove one cover from the bottom of the laptop.

2. In order to remove the memory module, carefully spread latches on both sides of the module. The memory module will pop up at 30 degrees angle. Grab the memory module by the sides (do not touch chips) and pull it from the socket.

3. Be careful when removing and installing the graphics card. If you accidentally damage the graphics card connectors, the laptop will not start. In this case you’ll have to replace either the graphics card or the motherboard, it depends on witch connector is damaged.
Handle graphics card by the edges, do not touch chips.

4. You can remove the cooling fan and clean the heatsink. Removing dust will prevent laptop overheating.

5. Do not forget to apply thermal compound on the CPU and VGA chip located on the graphics card. Without thermal compound the laptop will overheat.

6. The second memory module is located under the keyboard. Be careful when you are lifting up the keyboard, it’s still attached to the motherboard.

Troubleshooting tips:

1. If you upgraded laptop memory and now it will not start, make sure the memory module is seated correctly, all the way down into the memory slot. Reseat the memory module and try again.
2. If the laptop works fine for a while and then shuts down without any reason, make sure the cooling fan is connected to the motherboard. If the cooling fan works but the laptop still shuts down it’s possible that you forgot to apply thermal compound on the CPU/VGA chips.
3. If your laptop start but the keyboard doesn’t work, make sure it’s properly connected to the motherboard. Reseat the connection and try again.

Cleaning heatsink and fan on an Asus v6000 laptop

Laptop Tech — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:38:10 +0000

This easy to follow Asus laptop maintenance guide will help you to open up the computer and clean the cooling module witch included heatsink and CPU fan. This guide was created for an Asus v6000 series laptops but will work for some other Asus models too.

Due to the size constraints, notebook fans are usually small and come in small amounts, usually one or two depending on the size of the notebook. It may not sound like much, but the fan is a vital part of a notebook, and can make a difference whether or not the notebook will function well and at times, the lifespan of the notebook.

If you maintain your laptop often and clean the cooling module on a regular basis you will avoid all heat related issues:
1. Loud fan
2. Very hot laptop base and keyboard
3. Unpredictable laptop shut downs
4. Slow processing speed (because when CPU is hot it slows down)

Maintenance may seem like a hassle, but to improve notebook temperatures and a healthy lifespan, it’s well needed. Like a vehicle, regular changes are necessary, and this notebook is humming away happily.

Also, if you’ve been using your notebook for a few years, replacing thermal compound between the heatsink and processor will help to keep your laptop cooler too.