How to take apart HP Pavilion dv5 laptop

In this post I explain how to take apart a HP Pavilion dv5 laptop (Pavilion dv5t-1000 model).

I’m taking it apart in order to replace the noisy cooling fan which is mounted deep inside the case under the motherboard. In order to replace the cooling fan I’ll have to disassemble the whole laptop.

Let’s take it apart step-by-step. Before you start, make sure the laptop is turned off.

REMOVING HARD DRIVE, MEMORY, WIRELESS CARD AND DVD DRIVE (Steps 1-7).

STEP 1.

Remove the battery.

Loosen four screws securing the hard drive, memory and CMOS battery covers. Remove all three covers.

STEP 2.

Lift up the left side of the hard drive assembly and carefully slide it to the left.

STEP 3.

Remove the hard drive assembly and disconnect the hard drive cable from the motherboard.

Remove both memory modules.

If needed, remove the CMOS battery (I’ll keep it connected to the motherboard).

STEP 4.

If you are replacing the hard drive, you’ll have to disconnect the hard drive cable and transfer it to the new drive.

Also, remove four screws (two from each side) and transfer hard drive mounting brackets.

HP Pavilion dv5 laptop has a regular 2.5″ SATA hard drive installed.

STEP 5.

The wireless card located under the hard drive.

Disconnect both antenna cables and remove one screw securing the wireless card.

STEP 6.

Remove the wireless card same way you removed memory modules.

STEP 7.

Remove one screws securing the CD/DVD drive and pull it from the laptop.

REMOVING KEYBOARD AND KEYBOARD COVER (Steps 8-18).

STEP 8.

Remove five screws (yellow) securing the keyboard cover.

Remove two more screws (red) securing the keyboard.

STEP 9.

Insert a piece of soft plastic (I”m using the guitar pick) between the keyboard cover and laptop case and carefully lift it up.

STEP 10.

Continue removing the keyboard cover with your fingers.

Be careful, there are two cables running from the keyboard cover to the motherboard. You’ll see this cables on the next pictures.

STEP 11.

Place the keyboard cover so you can access four screws securing the keyboard.

STEP 12.

Lift up the keyboard.

STEP 13.

Now you can access the keyboard cable connector.

Before you can remove the keyboard, you have to unlock the connector and release the keyboard ribbon cable.

STEP 14.

On the following picture the keyboard connector shown in the locked position.

STEP 15.

In order to unlock the connector, lift up the brown piece so it opens up at a 90 degree angle.

On the following picture the keyboard connector shown in the unlocked position.

Now you can pull the cable.

STEP 16.

Remove the keyboard.

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STEP 17.

Disconnect the power button and LED board cables from the motherboard.

STEP 18.

Remove the keyboard cover.

REMOVING DISPLAY AND TOP COVER ASSEMLBY (Steps 19-26).

STEP 19.

Disconnect the video cable from the motherboard.

Disconnect the webcam cable.

Pull both wireless antenna cables though the opening in the top cover.

STEP 20.

Remove four screws (two on each side) securing the display assembly hinges.

STEP 21.

Remove the display assembly.

In the next guide I explain how to take apart the display panel and remove the LCD screen.

STEP 22.

Disconnect the speaker assembly cable and remove it.

STEP 23.

Remove all screws from the bottom of the laptop.

STEP 24.

Remove four screws securing the top cover assembly.

Disconnect the touchpad cable.

STEP 25.

Start removing the top cover assembly.

STEP 26.

The top cover assembly has been removed.

REMOVING MOTHERBOARD AND COOLING FAN ASSEMLBY (Steps 27-32).

STEP 27.

Disconnect the power jack, USB board and audio jack board cables from the motherboard.

Remove one screws securing the motherboard. It’s hidden under the audio jack board cable.

STEP 28.

Lift up the right side of the motherboard.

STEP 29.

Remove the motherboard from the laptop base.

STEP 30.

If you need to replace the DC power jack, you’ll find it mounted in the top right corner of the laptop base.

In a HP Pavilion dv5 laptop the power jack is not soldered to the motherboard. It’s attached to a power cable.

STEP 31.

Loosen three screws securing the cooling fan assembly.

Disconnect the cooling fan cable from the motherboard.

STEP 32.

After the cooling fan assembly removed, you’ll have to clean remaining thermal grease from the CPU and GPU chips.

Now you can install a new cooling fan assembly.

I purchased a brand new assembly and it came with thermal grease and thermal pads pre-applied.

If you are installing a used assembly, you’ll have to apply thermal grease on the processor and transfer thermal pads from the old assembly.

Different HP Pavilion dv5 laptops have different cooling fan assemblies. It depends on the CPU installed (AMD or Intel) and type of graphics memory (discrete or UMA graphics subsystem memory).

Here’s how to find the correct fan/heatsink assembly.
1. Download the official service manual for HP Pavilion dv5 laptops.
2. Find the motherboard part number. Usually it’s located on a sticker under memory modules.
3. Compare your part number with all motherboard part number listed on the page 20 in the service manual. This will help you to find out what type of motherboard you have installed.
4. Find the correct fan/heatsink assembly part number in the same manual on the page 21. Search this part number on Google and you’ll find it.

By the way, you can buy just the replacement fan here without buying the entire heatsink assemlby.