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In this guide I explain how to disassemble a HP Compaq 6730s – 6735s notebook and remove the cooling fan which is mounted under the motherboard. Basically I will take the whole notebook apart and remove all internal components one by one.
Why wouldn’t HP make a door for the cooling fan? Why should it be so complicated to replace the cooling fan?
Let’s start to disassemble the notebook.
If you need new replacement parts for you HP Compaq 6730s-6735s notebook, you can find them here.
STEP 1.
Remove the battery.
Remove covers from the hard drive, wireless card and memory.
STEP 2.
Remove one screw securing the DVD drive (red circle) and pull the drive from the notebook.
Remove memory modules (in my laptop I had only one module installed).
Remove the hard drive, you’ll find details instruction on the sticker glued to the hard drive caddy.
Unsnap two antenna cables from the wireless card. Remove two screws securing the wireless card (green circles). Remove the wireless card.
STEP 3.
Remove five screws securing the switch board cover (red circles).
Remove two screws securing the laptop keyboard (green circles).
Remove eleven screws securing the laptop bottom cover (yellow circles).
STEP 4.
Lift up the switch board cover. You can separate the switch board cover from the bottom cover with a piece of soft plastic. I’m using a guitar pick.
Be careful, the switch board cover is attached to the motherboard. Do not pull the cable from the connector yet.
STEP 5.
Lift up the keyboard and place it on the switch board cover so you can access the keyboard cable connector.
The keyboard is connected to the motherboard via a flat ribbon cable. Before you pull the cable and remove the keyboard, you’ll have to unlock the connector.
On the picture below you can see the keyboard connector unlocked. Now you can pull the cable and remove the keyboard.
STEP 6.
After the keyboard has been removed, you can release the switch board cable and remove the cover.
STEP 7.
Remove four screws securing the notebook speakers.
Unplug the speaker cable from the motherboard.
Remove both speakers.
STEP 8.
Release the wireless card antenna cables.
Unplug the webcam cable from the motherboard.
Remove four screws securing the display hinges (red circles) and one screw grounding the video cable (green circle).
STEP 9.
Lift up and remove the display panel assembly.
In the next guide I’ll explain how to get inside the display panel and remove/replace the web camera module.
STEP 10.
Remove two screws securing the top cover assembly.
STEP 11.
Carefully lift up the top cover assembly.
Be careful, the touch pad cable is still attached to the motherboard.Release the touch pad cable and remove the top cover assembly.
STEP 12.
Now we can access the motherboard.
Unplug three cables pointed with arrows.
Remove three screws securing the motherboard.
Lift up and release the RJ11 (modem) jack.
STEP 13.
Start removing the motherboard from the laptop case.
The motherboard has been removed.
STEP 14.
Finally, you can access and replace the cooling fan.
Simply remove one screw securing the cooling fan to the laptop base and replace it with a new one if needed.
If you are replacing the motherboard you’ll have to transfer some parts to the new board.
Transfer the DVD drive connector, modem card, heat sink, processor and modem cable.
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:47 am
6of1,
I believe in HP 6720s notebook the power socket is soldered to the motherboard. If the socket is bad, you’ll have to unsolder the broken/defective socket and solder a new one.
Check out this guide: How to replace DC jack in a laptop.
September 23rd, 2009 at 5:33 am
I want to replace the power supply socket on the motherboard. Where can I buy the socket and how do I replace it I have the socket. It’s a HP 6720s, I have it stripped down and I live in the UK.
Thanks
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Thanks a lot for this great tutorial !
I exchanged my CPU from an Athlon 64 X2 QL-60 to a Turion 64 X2 Ultra ZM-87.
The only difference was that I had a few more screws on my Board than the one in this tut…
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:56 am
Hi Mr Laptop Tech!
And many thanks for all for this great tutorial.
Actually, I’ve just bought a HP 6730s but I am very disappointed by the noise periodically produced by the fan, my previous laptops were really much regular and quiet…
So this tutorial is exactly what I need if I want to replace the fan. So, I have two questions. If other readers can also help me, they are welcome!
1) Is the noise really due to the installed fan in this model? Dust cannot be the problem since the laptop is new! Maybe this is due to the BIOS configuration (anyway, there is no configuration possible for the fan in BIOS)?
2) If another fan model can solve the problem, where could I buy one and which one could you advise?
Thanks!
PS: sorry for my english!
July 28th, 2009 at 10:56 am
“There could be a problem with one of the components on the motherboard. Is
the laptop still under warranty? Send it for repair!”
The motherboard was replaced on the 2nd trip in. It’s not the motherboard. It’s coming home now from it’s 4th trip where senior techs went over it. This time replaced the HD again as failing (the new one).
They claim well maybe the HD caused the touchpad mouse dead spot (somewhat intermittent). Does that even sound possible? I’m very curious.
I’m hoping they live up to their word that they’d replace the unit if I’m not satisfied. I so wanted just to fix this one. I’ve done software development, including testing. I’m not impressed with the tech support at all. They don’t even list the problems for themselves & go over each one. They just hit one & stop.
July 20th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Hi
Is it possible to upgrade the VGA card in this model (6730s) ?
Thanks
Malin
July 20th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Hi
I have the extact laptop and was wondering if i could change the VGA. I am not sure if it is built into main board or can fit a external mobile graphics chipset. Currently it says Intel mobile(r) 4 graphics chipset. So would i be able to upgrade graphics card.
Thanks
Malin
July 8th, 2009 at 2:07 am
thanks guys i had the some problem it has help me to solve it
July 6th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Cheri,
There could be a problem with one of the components on the motherboard. Is the laptop still under warranty? Send it for repair!
July 4th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Thanks for the response. The reason I asked is because I have an HP 6735s with the AMD Sempron SI-40, which is a “budget” CPU.