How to remove motherboard from Compaq Presario CQ50, CQ60 or CQ70 laptop

In the following guide I remove the motherboard from a Compaq Presario CQ50 laptop. Also this guide should work for Compaq Presario CQ 60/CQ70 and HP G50/G60/G70 laptops.

If you need replacement parts, you can find them here. Just search by the part name and laptop model.

Start laptop disassembly with removing the battery.

STEP 1.

Remove memory, hard drive and wireless card covers.

STEP 2.

Remove three screws securing the hard drive assembly.

Slide the hard drive assembly to the right, disconnect it from the motherboard and remove from the laptop.

STEP 3.

Remove both memory modules.

Disconnect two antenna cables from the wireless card. Remove two screws and remove the wireless card from the laptop.

STEP 4.

Remove one screw securing the DVD drive.

Pull the DVD drive from the laptop.

STEP 5.

Remove all screws from the bottom of the laptop.

Disconnect the CMOS battery cable from the motherboard.

STEP 6.

Carefully lift up the keyboard as it shown on the picture below.

STEP 7.

Access the keyboard cable connector underneath the keyboard.

Unlock the connector before removing the keyboard.

In order to unlock the connector you’ll have to move the locking clip (white) about 2-3 millimeters towards the LCD screen.

The locking clip must stat attached to the connector base (dark brown) as it shown on the picture below.

Now you can release the cable and remove the keyboard.

STEP 8.

Unlock the power button cable connector.

On the following picture you can see the connector in the unlocked state.

Now you can remove the power button board cable from the connector.

STEP 9.

Remove the plastic cover.

STEP 10.

Disconnect the video cable connector from the motherboard.

Disconnect the webcam cable.

Pull the wireless card antenna cable through the opening in the top cover.

STEP 11.

Remove screws securing the display hinges.

STEP 12.

Remove the display assembly from the laptop.

In the next post I explain how to remove the LCD screen, inverter board and hinges from the display assembly in HP G50/G60/G70 laptops. It’s similar for Compaq Presario CQ50/CQ60/CQ70 laptops.

STEP 13.

Disconnect the touch pad cable from the motherboard.

Remove screws securing the top cover assembly.

STEP 14.

Start separating the top cover assembly from the laptop base.

You can use a guitar pick in order to split the laptop case.

STEP 15.

The top cover assembly has been removed.

STEP 16.

Remove one screw securing the left speaker.

Remove the left speaker from the base.

STEP 17.

Remove four screws securing the motherboard.

Disconnect four cables from the motherboard.

STEP 18.

Remove the motherboard from the laptop base.

STEP 19.

Disconnect the cooling fan cable from the motherboard.

STEP 20.

Loosen four screws securing the cooling fan assembly.

STEP 21.

Remove the cooling fan assembly from the laptop.

STEP 22.

In this model the power jack is not soldered to the motherboard.

You can unplug the power jack cable from the motherboard and replace it with a new DC jack harness if it’s bad.