Barely a month after Apple releases its voice application, Siri, Google retaliated by pushing its own voice application to the public. The name of the application is simply called the “Google Voice Search”. The publicity comes through the form of a few videos of Australian Google researchers trying to explore the boundaries of Google Voice Search. The videos are done in a way that they demonstrate Google Voice Search’s ability to correctly identify words correctly after going through various mediums.

Of course, to display the adaptivity of the application, they have invited questions from Tourism Australia about the questions people would like to ask in the middle of the desert.

The second test was done as the first ever Google Voice Search in the Great Barrier Reef. That is done through a transducer, a device that receives digital signals (from the underwater microphone) and translates them into sound waves for the phone. I wonder what happened to the shark question.

As usual, they have invited a few other questions as well.

It is great to see that Google has stepped up its game in the voice application niche of the mobile business. However, I would like to point out that the videos only prove that the application manages to determine a broad range of different English pronunciations. It shows nothing about a user friendlier application like the Apple Siri does and does not convince me that the Google Voice Search works flawlessly in normal operating conditions (anywhere other than the desert or the ocean).

Also like the name suggests, Google Voice Search only takes you to Google search page. It is not intelligent enough to show you the answer you want based on your questions alone. Only certain questions such as weather or stock would appear without the need to press on the Google search page.

As of now, Apple is still ahead with its voice application in terms of user friendliness. To be able to answer your questions (taking into account of the previous questions you have asked), personalization and be able to throw out images when needed is indeed a great feat for a mobile application.

Perhaps Google saw more than that, perhaps Google saw the inability for Apple’s Siri to perform under conditions where sound waves are not perfect. As shown in many videos and especially demonstrated in this Simi parody.

Then again, Google was the one who announced their voice search application first on 14th June 2011. Apple felt a huge threat and decided to release a beta version of Siri and charging their customers for it. We will continue to observe and see what these giants have under their sleeves.

After a long search for laptops and successfully completed my university, I have finally found our next candidate for disassembly. Today a friend has kindly contributed a laptop to the AhWee.com laptop disassembly guide. It is the Sony Vaio VGN-C25G (PCG-6R6P) one of the Vaio VGN-C series laptops.

This guide will explain detailed step by step sequence to dismantle a Sony Vaio VGN-C25G laptop.

Read me

AhWee.com is not by any means giving out professional advice. AhWee.com will be held no responsibility for any hardware and warranty faults.

If a warranty sticker that states “Warranty void if removed” is present. I highly discourage you to proceed further unless you are well aware of your warranty period.

Tools you need for dismantling and cleaning

1. Philips Screwdriver (I use a Pro’s Kit #0×75, blade size approximately 2.4 mm)
2. Flat Blade Screwdriver (Anything smaller than 2.5 mm)
3. Polyester brush (about 1/2″ wide would do)

 Before you start

There are a few things you will need to do before you start disassembling your Sony Vaio VGN-C25G.

1. Clear your table
   Ensure that you have plenty of space (1 meter square would be great) to put all the components so they won’t go missing or dropping off the table.
2. Remove the battery
   To remove the battery from your Sony Vaio VGN-C25G. Unlock the battery and slide the battery latch to the right, then slide it out.
   
3. Ground the motherboard
   When the battery is removed, simply ground the motherboard by pressing on the power button for a few seconds.
4. Ground your hands
   Ground your hands by wearing a wrist grounding strap or touching an unpainted metal surface from time to time.

And now you are set to dismantle your Sony Vaio VGN-C25G.

Step 1: Removing harddisk

Always remove your harddisk first if you are cleaning your laptop and put them in an anti static bag if possible.

1. Remove two screws (M2x7mm)
2. Carefully slide it out of the hub.

Step 2: Removing CPU fan

If you are not confident in laptop maintenance, I suggest Step 2 is the furthest you should go. Most dust collects near the fins of the heat sink and the CPU fan. This model (Sony Vaio VGN-C series) is designed with CPU fan cleaning in mind, thus the CPU fan is easily reachable.

1. Open the CPU cover by removing two screws (M2x7mm) and one captive screw shown below.
2. Lift the cover up.
   
3. When you see the fan, remove four screws (M2x4mm) and unplug the power cable.
   
4. Lift the fan out of its seating.

If you think there is a need to remove and clean the heat sink by itself, by all means, remove the four screws (M2x4mm) near the processor. Bear in mind to always use a thermal compound to replace the old one to maintain optimum heat transfer from the processor to the heat sink.

Step 3: Removing the memory modules

1. Remove the captive screw on the RAM covers.
2. Pull the pins sideways as shown in the picture below.
3. Carefully slide the RAM modules out of the connector.

Step 4: Remove the optical drive

1. Remove one screw (M2x7mm) pointed out in the picture below.
2. Slide the optical drive out of the bay.

Step 5: Remove the keyboard

1. Remove one screw (M2x15mm) located at the center.
   
2. First use a little flat bladed screwdriver to pry up one side of the dead securing pin located at the far right of the keyboard.
3. Then, using your nails, press in four remaining live securing pins and lift up the keyboard as you go. (!) Be careful when you lift the keyboard as there is a connector at the back of it.
   
4. Disconnect the connector at the back of the keyboard.

Step 6: Removing the palm rest

This is the trickiest part for most beginners and I highly suggest you not to rush this step. Take it slow and make sure all the screws are out before taking the palm rest apart.

1. Turn to the back of the laptop and remove ten (M2x7mm) screws and three (M2x3.5mm) screws located near the optical drive.
2. Turn the laptop upright and remove two (M2x7mm) screws and one (M2x15mm) screws.
3. Disconnect three cables (power, speaker and touchpad).
4. Carefully lift the palm rest from the base of the laptop from the back.

Step 6: Removing the PCMCIA module

Although step 6 and 7 might seems unnecessary, but some of the cables are overlapping each another. So I have took the time to disassemble them to show you how it really works.

1. Remove two screws (M2x2.5mm).
2. Disconnect the FPC (Flat Printed Circuit Cable) shown in the picture.
3. Lift the board up.

Step 7: Remove the communication board

Depending on how the laptop is initially setup, this step is done either before or after Step 8. If the display cable routes below this board, then you will have to do this step first. If it goes on top, then you can skip this step.

1. Remove two screws (M2x3mm) on the communication board.
2. Remove two screws (M2x3mm) on the RJ45 and RJ11 mount.
3. Disconnect two FPC cables.
4. Disconnect two WLAN cables.
5. Lift the communication board up.

Step 8: Remove the LCD screen

1. Disconnect the LCD connectors using the blue coloured pull tab.
2. Unscrew six hinge support screws (M3x3mm)
3. Carefully lift the LCD screen up and make sure to put it on a smooth surface.

That is it folks. The Sony Vaio VGN-C25G/PCG-6R6P disassembled.

More laptop disassembly guides at the Laptop Disassembly Archive.

It has been awhile since I actually disassembled a laptop or even written an article. Fortunately, when I was back in hometown for new year, my brother who trusted my ability to disassemble laptop had offered me the opportunity to clean his Dell Latitude E4300.

This guide will explain detailed step by step way on how to dismantle to clean a Dell Latitude E4300 notebook.

READ ME

Advices taken here are taken at your own risk. AhWee.com will be held no responsibility if your laptop malfunction or lose your warranty.

NOTE: Even though Dell said disassembling laptop yourself would lose your warranty, but I haven’t void anybody’s warranty in any possible way yet.

Tools You Need For Dismantling and Cleaning

1. Philips Screwdriver (Size #0 is great)
2. Flat Blade Screwdriver (usually a test pen)
3. A brush (about 1 inch or 2 cm wide would do it, not too big)

It pays to go to your nearest hardware store and get a well fit Phillips screwdriver because you don’t want to spoil the screws in your laptop.

Before You Start

Here are a few things you’ll need to do before you start to disassemble your Dell Latitude E4300.

1. Clear your Table
   Ensure that you have plenty of space (1 meter square would be great) to put all the components so they won’t go missing or falling off the table.
2. Prepare a Small Container for Screws
   Every single screws taken out from the laptop has their own job in keeping the computer intact. Don’t lose them.
3. Disconnect all the Cables & Components
   It’s wise to disconnect all usb cables, pendrives, power cords.
4. Put Some Cloth or Thin Sponge Under the Laptop
   To make sure that the rough table surface would not scratch your laptop.
5. Remove the Battery
   To remove the battery from your Dell Latitude E4300, unlock 2 of the latches and remove the battery out from the battery bay.
   
6. Ground the Motherboard
   When the battery is removed, simply ground the motherboard by pressing on the power button for a few seconds.
7. Ground your Hands
   Ground your hands by wearing a wrist grounding strap or touching an unpainted metal surface from time to time.

Getting excited? We’re good to go now.

Step 1 : Remove The Harddisk

Always (I mean like every freaking time), remove the harddisk first and store it inside an antistatic bag if possible.

1. Turn the laptop upside down. Note the harddisk is at the lower right hand corner.
2. Unscrew two M3x3 screws.
   
3. Slide the harddisk out from it’s compartment.

Step 2 : Remove The Hinge Cover

I like the hinge cover in E4300, very flexible (very easy to break too) and easy to remove.

1. Note the indentation at the right side of the hinge cover, that’s the place where you start.
2. Pry up the hinge cover using your test pen.
3. Slowly lift up the whole thing from right to left.
   

Step 3 : Remove The Keyboard

After you remove the hinge cover, you can see three screws that secures the keyboard.

1. Unscrew all the three M2x3 screws located at the top of the keyboard.
2. Lift the keyboard up from the top, then slide the keyboard out.
3. The connector is not a wire so it slides out together along with the keyboard.
   

Step 4 : Remove The LCD Screen

1. Turn your laptop upside down, remove two M2.5×4 screws securing the display assembly on the white support.
   
2. Remove two more M2.5×4 screws at the back of the laptop
   
3. Turn the laptop rightside up and open the screen as far as possible.
4. Remove the display cable with the blue tab.
5. Remove 3 (white, grey, black) antennas that is labelled “Display”.
   
6. Slowly lift the LCD screen out from its respective compartments.

Step 5 : Remove The Palm Rest

Note that this is the hardest part during a laptop disassembly. Be extra careful here to make sure every cable are dislodged and every screw is unscrewed before taking the palm rest apart.

1. Turn the laptop upside down and remove the two M2.5×8 from the bottom of the computer and two M2x3 screws from the harddisk’s compartment.
   
   Obviously, I forgot to remove the harddisk first, sorry.
2. Turn the laptop rightside up, remove the five M2.5×8 screws and five M2.5×5 screws from the palm rest. The sizes are labelled beside each screw.
   
3. Remove 6 cables that connects the palm rest to the motherboard.
4. Start from the back of the laptop, slowly disengage every hooks until you have the whole palm rest out.

NOTE: If you think something is not right with the palm rest (it is not coming out or something), chances is that there are still some screws or cable still connected. Trust your instincts.

Step 6 : Remove The Dirty Fan

After the palm rest have been removed, you can see the system fan clearly.

1. Disconnect the cable that connects the fan to the motherboard.
2. Remove one M2.5×5 screw.
   

Sponge of dust would usually clog the air vent. It is extremely normal actually.

There you go, Dell Latitude E4300 disassembled.

Please inform me if I missed any of the crucial steps, wrote wrong screw dimensions or even forgot to add the tools needed to complete this guide.

More laptop disassembly guides at the Laptop Disassembly Archive.

Please forward any questions or comments regarding Laptop Disassembly to the Forum at Real Time Gamer (RTG) website. RTG is a website we have long-term partnership with.

Apple introduced its newest tablet style product called the Apple iPad on 27th of January at San Francisco. I watched the Keynote; everybody was dead silent when Steve Jobs ran through all the features available on the iPad, unlike the cheers and applauses on the iPhone during its first debut.

When I looked through Facebook, tonnes of disappointed Apple fans updated their status with “iPad, a gigantic iPod Touch”. Myself on the other hand think the Apple iPad is “the future” if Apple would be bothered to revise it.

Apple has always focused on user interface to redesigned our lives. On the Apple iPhone, Apple redesigned the way we use mobile phones.  On the iPad however, Apple have done a superb job focusing on user interface, but has it redesigned our lives?
From the looks of our many Facebook colleagues, not quite.

If Apple thinks that enlarging the iPod Touch and introducing the iBookStore would mean anything near to “redesign lives”, Apple is dead wrong. It is simply not going to work. Look, the iPad will be mostly used in offices or at home. We have high speed laptops and desktops at these places, why should we the iPad instead?

Here are the questions.

1. Is the iPad better at web surfing?
   I doubt so, can it open 30 tabs to work with?
2. Is the iPad worth $499 to share & view pictures with?
   Highly doubt so.
3. Does the iPad score better at watching movies?
   Definitely a no if you’re a fan of big screens and an audio freak.
4. Is the iPad better at listening to music?
   I already have an iPod touch mate.
5. How about email (Apple hyped a lot at this)?
   I can definitely reply email faster with my workstation.
6. But how about reading books with your iPad?
   Sounds like a future to me.

I beg to differ what Steve Jobs has explained in the keynote. He said the iPad is far better at doing some important things than the iPhone and the Macbook. From the questions I have asked above, I’d say the iPad failed at doing everything. It is just another “Improved Netbook” that fails at everything.

So the only reason I think anybody would use to persuade themselves to get the iPad is the book reading feature. But does that justify the need to get another $499 gadget ($829 at its best spec)?

I personally think the iPad was mixed with the hype of iPhone thus blinded Apple’s development team from searching an identity (or a specialty) for its newest product.

The Apple iPhone has an identity, a revolutionized mobile phone. The Apple iPod also has an identity as well, iPod revolutionize your music. The iPad? Let’s just say as things stands now, the iPad has yet to have an identity of its own.

Apple iPad, Revolutionize Your Home

When I first saw the size of the iPad, what came to me was that this is something I would love to play with when I am taking a break away from my workstation (a laptop or a desktop). Ultimately a gadget perfect for a home, where I can do whatever I do in the living room all in that one piece of metal.

A Library at Home

Apple has done this and I would say this is the biggest step to the future. Many kids have always read story books under a shade which could cause eye problems later in life, same goes to reading books in the iPhone, I can barely see the texts. Reading books in a laptop or desktop however, does not give you the sense of satisfaction.

Therefore the new iBookStore for the iPad in my personal opinion is a huge step forward. Apple iPad has the size of an average book size and is perfect for reading, in any position.

Of course, Amazon’s Kindle has done it before Apple, but is it as user friendly as the iPad?

Built-in Home Telephone

Home phones has run its course in human life now, it is old technology and should be replaced. I irk every time the telephone rings (especially the old ring noise) and how unfitting it is to room spaces and usefulness.

Sometimes it is even more nerve breaking when you are to jot down notes through your phone. You just couldn’t find the pen and paper! While iPad does it all with just a flick of a finger.

Built-in TV

While revolutionizing a home, a built-in TV should not be missed in the iPad. Build the iPad in such a way that it becomes a second TV at home, wirelessly. This way, parents and children would not fight for the favourite TV channels and end up with cold faces at dining tables.

I believe with all these built into the Apple iPad, it will give Apple targeted customers a reason to replace household things (especially the telephone) with the iPad regardless of its price.

What’s the point of creating a product when any older product can easily outdo it? Create one that is made to substitute older products. That is what triggers human nature to change, in which we call revolution.

Out of a dozen Inspiron 6400s I am pretty sure eleven of them suffers from wobbling screens. Of course, mine wasn’t excluded from this “disease” as well. So today I decided to fix this problem and at the same time create a different post on how to disassemble the bezel and replacing the LCD panel.

• Constant adjustment to the screen
• Opening and closing the screens in an extremely fast manner
• Aggressive/fast screen movements

We all know how irritating wobbling screen can be sometimes, especially when you know there is something lose inside but you have no idea how to fix it. Thus, this article is written to solve the wobbling screen problem.

First I must confess that my wobbling issue was not severe, therefore I can easily solve it with my method. For those who have serious wobbling cases, you can try this method but I am not sure that it will 100% help you fix your problem.

Fixing Wobbling LCD Screen

1. Remove the LCD Screen.
2. Remove the Display Bezel.
3. As the display bezel is removed, you can see four screws (2 screws every hinge)
4. If your Dell Inspiron 6400 suffers from wobbling screen, most probably screws near the hinges are lose.
5. Tighten all the four screws on the both the hinges.
   

And you are done, wobbling screen fixed. Enjoy using your Dell Inspiron 6400 without being irritated by wobbling screen.

More laptop disassembly guides at the Laptop Disassembly Archive.

Please forward any questions or comments regarding Laptop Disassembly to the Forum at Real Time Gamer (RTG) website. RTG is a website we have long-term partnership with.

Due to popular search demands on removing the display bezel and the last day of using my camera, I decided to try and disassemble the display bezel. It was a success that’s why this article can be written to cater for those who want to replace their Dell Inspiron 6400′s LCD panel.

Removing the Display Bezel

1. Remove the Battery (available here).
2. Remove the Hinge Cover (available here).
3. Remove the LCD Screen (available here).
4. Note that in every round display bumpers, there is a M2.5 x 4.2-mm screw.
5. Unstick all the display bumpers. Please take note that some display bumpers comes out in 2 pieces. So you might need to pry it out with a small screwdriver before you get to unscrew it.
   
6. Unscrew all the six screws in the display bumpers.
7. Here is the hard part, it is extremely hard to unclip all the protruding edges shown below. On each side, there are at least three edges you will need to unclip.
   You will need to apply some strength to force the edges out, so don’t be sissy with the edges.
   

Replacing the LCD Panel

1. After the bezel is removed, you can fix the wobbling screen or replace the LCD panel.
2. To change a LCD panel, simply remove eight M2 x 3-mm screws (four on each sides of the panel).
   
3. Disconnect two connectors. One with the blue tag, another one by clipping it in and pull it out.
   
4. Connect those two connectors to the new LCD panel.
5. Fix it into the display back cover.

There you go, removing the display bezel and replacing the LCD panel of a Dell Inspiron 6400. I hope it helped you guys solve some of your problems.

More laptop disassembly guides at the Laptop Disassembly Archive.

Please forward any questions or comments regarding Laptop Disassembly to the Forum at Real Time Gamer (RTG) website. RTG is a website we have long-term partnership with.

Have you ever wondered how much dust could be stuck inside your laptop? Dusts collect and grow, and can be damaging when it completely blocked your laptop’s air ventilation. Dust is laptop cooling system’s worst enemy, but how would you know how much dust has been collected and when should you clean your laptop?

What can dust do?

First, let’s talk about how heat is dissipated from laptops. An effective heat dissipation system would be a fan blowing on a lot of copper plates called “Heat Sink”. If you increase the number of copper plates, you have a better cooling system.

However, there is a pitfall if you introduce too many copper plates. If a clump of dust is bigger than the ventilation hole (the distance between copper plates), then dust will stuck and accumulate. It is just a matter of time before a sponge of dust emerges and blocks the ventilation holes.

Dusts have clogged the air vents

When that happens, air blown out from the fan can never reach the heatsink. And your laptop overheats, as the temperature reaches its maximum threshold, your computer will shut itself down to avoid damaging the electronic components.

Dust collecting around the fan would also damage the fan, resulting in an extremely loud and inefficient laptop fan.

Symptoms of a Dirty Laptop

Laptop gets very hot earlier than expected

If last year your laptop wasn’t hot at all when you are using word processing software and now you can feel the heat while doing the same thing, there could be dust accumulating inside your laptop.

No Air coming out from the heatsink

Occasionally feel for released air coming out from the heatsink (usually located at the back) of your laptop. The air could be very little, but enough for your hands to feel it.

If you can’t feel anything coming out, chances are the air ventilation is blocked.

Testing Method

A very good method to check for dust is to test your laptop with your favourite 3D game that sucks up a lot of resources from the laptop. Then compare it with the performance when your laptop was still new.

Play the game for 30 minutes, if the game lags and your laptop gets extremely hot, it is time to clean your laptop. This is how I determine when to clean my laptop

Clean your laptop once a year

A rule of thumb I often use before was to clean my laptop once a year. I’m not talking about wiping the screen and keyboards. I am talking about disassembling the laptop and cleaning it from the inside.

Would Cooler Pads Help?

This is one of the most popular questions asked by anybody before disassembling their own laptop. Since disassembling your laptop comes with a little risk, seeking an alternative way could be a solution for some people.

The answer for the question is of course yes, it helps. It’s just that the downside is if your laptop rely on cooler pads to cooldown, it has lost its portability.

So here’s a suggestion, if you are afraid of risking your laptop due to the disassemble operations, get a cooler pad. Otherwise, disassemble the laptop yourself.

I have compiled some laptop disassembling guides at the Laptop Disassembly page. I am doing my best to expand the guide, so if you live in Sydney, don’t want to buy a cooler pad and want somebody to disassemble your laptop, I can volunteer to help.

With the market flooded with varieties of laptops, buying your notebook (laptop) without sufficient knowledge of the world of Information Technology can never be a pleasant experience.

You know what you are going to do with your laptop, but knowing what your laptop is capable of is what needs to be answered. Thus this article “How To Choose a Laptop for Beginners” is prepared.

So to ensure that you get a laptop that suits your needs, here are a few things to take note of.

What You Want To Do With Your Laptop?

Different notebook usage requires different notebook specifications which will determine your budget. Word processing (writing, surfing, checking email) requires a lot less technology compared to graphic processing (graphic design, video editing, gaming and so on).

A famous question many beginners will ask is, “Do I need good specs to watch movies?” My answer will be, “it depends”. If you are going to watch HD (High Definition, 1080p for example) movies, get a laptop with at least a decent graphic card.

Learn The Information Technology Language

It would not hurt to learn a few words of the language computer geeks speak. In fact, it is very crucial to learn the language of a subject (in this case, computer subject) before you have anything to do with it.

Understanding words like processor, memory (aka RAM), harddisk (SATA or PATA), graphic cards, HDMI/RJ45/USB ports, operating system (Windows, Linux or MAC OS), optical device and a lot more allows you to understand more about the laptop you are going to buy.

The most important thing is to ask questions, be it to a sales assistant or the customer service through phone.

Go google up all the above terms yourself. There is plenty of information on the internet which I wouldn’t stuff you with.

Outlook

With pretty things being one of the most important factors when buying a product, I am sure how your laptop looks counts when you are buying your laptop. Outlook does matter to an extent that it should not be first priority when choosing a laptop.

Portability

Notebook portability is inversely proportional to the size of your notebook, meaning if you want more portability, you will have to have smaller notebook (10 – 12 inch screen). Small notebook translates to lousier specs, smaller screen, smaller keyboard, more expensive specs and so on.
Suitable for office, lecture, presentation and word processing use.

Large notebooks (17 inch screen) are not particularly helpful also since they are usually very pricey and are extremely heavy to carry around. You can’t even travel 200 meters without breaking a sweat with a 17 inch screen notebook on your back (during summer of course). The good thing about large notebooks is they have attractive specs.
Suitable for almost everything except for portability.

Medium sized notebooks (14 to 16 inch) will have the best of both worlds. You have specs, portability with a large keyboard and your compromise is too small to be noticeable.
Suitable for everything depending on usage.

Battery Life

Battery life can sometimes be a very important factor when choosing your laptop or vice versa if power ports are all around you.

If there is a lack of power ports at your work place or you like to use your laptop while you are traveling (in planes or trains), battery life is extremely crucial to you. Otherwise, you can forget about it since most laptop guarantees you at least 2 hours (1 hour+ when the battery loses its life).

Warranty and Support

All notebook manufacturers offer warranty and support for their notebooks, but they come in various forms. Some expect you to return the laptop to the factory when it is faulty (which takes weeks/months to repair) and some get their technicians to change the faulty parts the next business day.

It is our responsibility to discover which company offers the most beneficial after-sales support and for the above example, it is the latter type of after-sales support that we want.

Your Budget

Lastly your budget, one of the most important factors that determines which notebook you will get. After deciding what you want, set your budget and try not to go beyond the money you are willing to spend.

Specifications

After deciding everything above, you have to know what sort of specifications your future laptop should have.

Do you need a faster processing speed at a ridiculously price increase? Do you need that 500 GB of storage? Conventional SATA harddisk or wallet damaging Solid State Harddisk? Do you need 8GB of RAM while you can’t even finish using 2GB?

First Impression Is Important

When buying from a computer shop, your first thing you felt when you touch the notebook must be an excellent one. If something does not feel right, find the problem then decide if you can live with that or not. In case you can’t find out the problem, pick others.

When buying online, it is always advisable to visit some computer store to check the notebook out first.

Also, do note that keyboard varies in sizes and brands of notebooks. A smaller notebook would have a smaller and much cramped keyboard which does not suit people with large fingers.

Different brand of notebooks would also have different keyboard placements. Of course the alphabets are in the same place, but some keys like Spacebar, Shift, Ctrl, Enter, Backspace, Delete, Home, Insert, End keys are placed differently.

It is totally up to you whether to adapt to it or choose others.

My Thoughts

From this point onwards you can discredit my opinion if they do not make sense or sound wrong to you.

I am an all-rounder person, I play games, twiddle with graphic design, do some crazy engineering calculations and surf with 20 tabs open most of the time. I travel with my notebook only when I am forced to.

The ideal (ideal, not perfect) notebook for me would have

- 15.6 or 16 inch Full HD Display
- Any processor speed (processing speed is really something overrated for me)
- 320GB of harddisk space is more than enough (NO SSD for the time being)
- 2GB or 4GB of Memory depending on budget (6GB maximum)
- Any best Radeon or NVIDIA Geforce available
- The best support & warranty available (this is one of my highest priority)

Of course, wireless LAN card, Bluetooth and all those little things a notebook should have must be included.

I would get a 12 inch notebook (any specifications) for presentation and jotting down notes during lectures if I have extra money to spend.

To top that up I would also get a gaming desktop if the day I turn into a gaming freak arrives. I would not by any means go for a 17 inch notebook because I personally think that is just a marketing gimmick. A 17 inch notebook defeats the purpose of laptops. Laptops are meant to be portable and I don’t see how a heavy 17 inch notebook is portable. I might as well go to the gym if that is the case. 16 inch is the maximum I would go.

I’d like to conclude the article with my 2 cents regarding support and warranty. To be honest, I can’t really be bothered with the high-end specifications if I am not guaranteed with an excellent after-sale service. Pretty laptop and high-end specs count to nothing if they are not replaced (longest) in a week when spoilt.

That is all for this article, I sincerely hope you learned something from it. Happy shopping for laptops!

Have been awhile since I last written anything. Here is a laptop disassemble guide, the Dell Precision M65. A workstation class notebook built for business purposes 3 years ago. This is quite a fighter I must say. All thanks to HQ and Thomas I am able to disassemble this laptop.

This guide will explain detailed step by step guide on how to dismantle a Dell Precision M65 notebook.

READ ME

This guide is made for the purpose of cleaning your laptop.

Advices taken here are taken at your own risk. AhWee.com will be held no responsibility if you break any of the hardware and lose your warranty.

NOTE: Even though Dell said disassembling laptop yourself would lose your warranty, but I haven’t void anybody’s warranty in any possible way yet.

Contents

1. Tools Needed
2. Before You Start
3. Step by Steps
4. Replace RAMs

Tools You Need For Dismantling and Cleaning

1. Philips Screwdriver (M2.5 will do)
2. Flat Blade Screwdriver (usually a test pen)
3. A brush (not too big, about 1 inch in width or smaller)

I usually have 2 Philips screwdrivers, big one for more unscrewing force, small one for less screwing force (so that I don’t spoil the screws), then a test pen for prying up parts and a brush for cleaning.

Before You Start

Here are a few things you’ll need to do before you start disassembling your Dell Precision M65.

1. Clear your Table
   Ensure that you have plenty of space (1 meter square would be great) to put all the components so they won’t go missing or falling off the table.
2. Disconnect all the Cables & Components
   It’s wise to disconnect all usb cables, pendrives, power and HDMI cables.
3. Put Some Cloth or Thin Sponge Under the Laptop
   To make sure that the rough table surface would not scratch your laptop.
4. Remove the Battery
   To remove the battery from your Dell Precision M65, simply grasp on the latch and lift the battery from the handle.
   
5. Ground the Motherboard
   When the battery is removed, simply ground the motherboard by pressing on the power button for a few seconds.
6. Ground your Hands
   Ground your hands by wearing a wrist grounding strap or touching an unpainted metal surface from time to time.

All preparations done. This is one of the easier type of laptop that can be cleaned without removing the motherboard (which is tedious).

Step 1 : Remove The Harddisk

For the sake of your business data stored inside the laptop, I strongly suggest the harddisk to be removed first and placed somewhere safe. Preferably inside an antistatic bag.

1. Remove two screws that secures the harddisk.
2. Pull the harddisk out from its compartment.
   

Step 2 : Remove The Hinge Cover

Removing hinge cover can be a little tricky as the hinge cover can be bent quite easily. You don’t want to bent it too much and break it but you need to apply enough force to snap it out from the palm rest. So be gentle.

1. Open your LCD screen all the way until it is 180 degrees with the base of the laptop.
2. Note the little notch at the right side of the hinge cover.
3. Use your flat blade screwdriver to pry up the hinge cover from the notch.
4. The popping sounds indicates that the edges are disconnected
   

Step 3 : Remove The Keyboard

I like removing keyboards, because they are so easy.

1. Remove all three screws located at the upper side of the keyboard.
2. DO NOT pull your keyboard out yet, the connector is located right behind the keyboard.
3. Slowly lift the keyboard upwards so that you can disconnect the keyboard cable.
   

Step 4 : Remove WLAN Card

1. In case you don’t know where WLAN card is, it is located at the bottom left hand side, beside it is the WWAN slot.
2. Simply disconnect all those antennas. (Don’t worry if you will forget where the antenna go, the WLAN card clearly states that black is right side and white is left side)
3. Spread the securing metals apart to pop up the WLAN card.
4. Remove it from the slot.
5. Don’t forget to unroute the antennas from their routing guides.
   

Step 5 : Remove LCD Screen

1. Turn your laptop upside down and remove 2 screws labeled “D” (for display) at the bottom of the laptop.
2. Turn your laptop topside up and remove 2 screws at the back of the laptop.
   
3. Disconnect the display cable from the motherboard by pulling the blue tag.
4. Unroute all the cables from the routing guides (highlighted) as shown in the figure below.
   
5. Lift the LCD screen up.

Step 6 : Remove The Palm Rest

Tired of looking at the dirty fan but unable to reach it already? This is just one step away and the hardest one.

1. Remove the bluetooth device at the center of the hinge cover.
2. Remove three screws labeled “M2.5X5″ from the top of the palm rest.
3. Disconnect the speaker cable and the touchpad cable located in between the RAM and WWAN.
   
4. Turn your laptop upside down and remove twelve M2.5 x 5-mm screws.
5. Starting from the back of the laptop, slowly disconnect all the edges of the palm rest and the base of the laptop.

Step 7 : Remove The Fan

Finally, the fan.

1. Disconnect the fan’s power cable.
2. Remove two screws securing the fan.
3. Lift the fan from its compartment.
   

Be amazed at how dirty your fan can be.

Extra: How To Replace Dell Precision M65′s RAMs

How to replace DIMM A

The DIMM A of this Dell Precision M65 is located right beneath the keyboard. To reach it you have to follow steps 1 – 3 in order to reach it.

How to replace DIMM B

If you think removing DIMM A is much of a hassle, DIMM B can be reached from the bottom of the laptop.

1. Locate the cover located at the center (bottom view).
2. Remove the cover by loosening the captive screw.
3. DIMM B is located right there.

All Dell built RAMs follow one standard method of removing the RAM

1. Spread the metal clips outward
2. The RAM will pop up ready to be removed
   

That is all for how to disassemble Dell Precision M65. Happy disassembling.

More laptop disassembly guides at the Laptop Disassembly Archive.

Please forward any questions or comments regarding Laptop Disassembly to the Forum at Real Time Gamer (RTG) website. RTG is a website we have long-term partnership with.

This week’s laptop disassembly guide will be to disassemble a Dell Latitude D620, a slight upgrade of the previous model the D610. This guide is made possible thanks to a friend of mine Cklim.

This guide will explain detailed step by step way on how to dismantle a Dell Latitude D620 notebook.

READ ME

Advices taken here are taken at your own risk. AhWee.com will be held no responsibility if you break any of the hardware and lose your warranty.

NOTE: Even though Dell said disassembling laptop yourself would lose your warranty, but I haven’t void anybody’s warranty in any possible way yet.

Tools You Need For Dismantling and Cleaning

1. Philips Screwdriver (M2.5 will do)
2. Flat Blade Screwdriver (usually a test pen)
3. A brush (about 1 inch or 2 cm wide would do it, not too big)
4. Hex Nutdrivers (about 5 mm)
5. Thermal Compound

I usually have 2 Philips screwdrivers, big one for more unscrewing force, small one for less screwing force (so that I don’t spoil the screws), then a test pen for prying up parts and a brush for cleaning.

For this guide, because disassembling the motherboard is necessary, that is why you’ll need a hex nutdriver. A pair of pliers could do the job perfectly as well.

Before You Start

Here are a few things you’ll need to do before you start disassembling your Dell Latitude D620.

1. Clear your Table
   Ensure that you have plenty of space (1 meter square would be great) to put all the components so they won’t go missing or falling off the table.
2. Prepare a Small Container for Screws
   Every single screws taken out from the laptop has their own job in keeping the computer intact. Don’t lose them.
3. Disconnect all the Cables & Components
   It’s wise to disconnect all usb cables, pendrives, power cords.
4. Put Some Cloth or Thin Sponge Under the Laptop
   To make sure that the rough table surface would not scratch your laptop.
5. Remove the Battery
   To remove the battery from your Dell Latitude D620, unlock 2 of the latches and remove the battery out from the battery bay.
   
6. Ground the Motherboard
   When the battery is removed, simply ground the motherboard by pressing on the power button for a few seconds.
7. Ground your Hands
   Ground your hands by wearing a wrist grounding strap or touching an unpainted metal surface from time to time.

Are you ready now? Before you move on any further I have to warn you that the D620 is not easy to disassemble. To clean the fan (which is my main purpose of disassembling this notebook) I have to disassemble even the motherboard. Don’t risk it unless you suspect something is wrong with your fan (not functioning, dust clotting the air vent, etc).

Step 1 : Remove The Harddisk

A wise move when disassembling laptops is to remove the harddisk first to protect your data from possible bumps during the disassembling process. Store the harddisk inside an antistatic bag if possible.

1. Search for the “Container” labeled screws.
2. Unscrew 2 screws.
3. Slide the harddisk out from it’s compartment
   

Step 2 : Remove The Hinge Cover

Compared to removing the motherboard, the hinge cover should be considered easy. However, this will still pose a challenge to first timers.

1. Note the indentation at the right side of the hinge cover, that’s the place where you start.
2. Pry up the hinge cover using your test pen.
3. Slowly lift up the whole thing from right to left.
   

NOTE: Be gentle to the hinge cover as it’s very fragile. Trust your instincts.

Step 3 : Remove The Keyboard

1. Unscrew all the 3 screws located at the top of the keyboard.
2. Lift the keyboard up slowly because the keyboard connector is still connected to the motherboard.
3. Unlock the locking arm (blue color) by pulling the retaining bracket (black) sideways.
4. Disconnect the cable by pulling the pull-tab.
5. Remove the whole keyboard.
   

Step 4 : Remove The RAMs

These 2 RAMs are located at opposite sides of the laptop. DIMM A is located at the top of the touchpad and DIMM B is located right behind it.

Removing DIMM A

As soon as you removed the keyboard, DIMM A is reachable from there. Just push the pins sideways and the RAM will pop up.

Removing DIMM B

DIMM B is located at the back of the laptop, so you will have to reach in from the base of the notebook.

1. Note the small compartment above the battery.
2. Unscrew it.
3. DIMM B is inside, use the same method of RAM removal with DIMM A.
   

Step 5 : Remove The DVD/CDROM

1. At the bottom of the DVD/CDROM, remove the screw if it is there.
2. push the CDROM as shown from the picture below.

   

Step 6 : Remove The LCD Screen

1. Disconnect all the cables from the WLAN card and the display cable.
2. Unroute all the cables linked to the LCD screen.
   
3. Turn the laptop around (bottom), unscrew two M2.5 x 8-mm screws labeled “D” .
4. At the back of the notebook (where all the ports resides), remove two M2.5 x 8-mm screws.
   
5. Lift the LCD screen from the base of the laptop.

Step 7 : Remove The Palm Rest

Note that this is also quite a hard part to disassemble. Be extremely careful and not to break any parts.

1. Remove three M2.5 x 8-mm screws labeled “P” from the palm rest.
2. Disconnect the Coin Cell Battery cable, Touch Pad cable and the Bluetooth Card.
3. Loosen 2 captive screws at the hard drive compartment.
4. Unscrew seven M2.5 x 8-mm screws located at the bottom of the notebook.
5. Starting from the back of the laptop, carefully separate the palm rest from the base of the laptop.
   

Step 8 : Remove The Speaker & Modem

Removing Speaker

Just disconnect the speaker cable and your speaker is out. There’s no need to remove any screws.

Removing Modem

1. Remove the M2 x 3-mm screw that secures the modem.
2. Disconnect the modem cable
3. Pull the modem out using the pull tab (star labeled).
   

Step 9 : Remove The Card Reader

1. Unscrew four M2 x 3-mm screws.
2. Pull the card reader out using the blue colored pull-tab
   

Step 10 : Remove the Heat Sink

I am sorry that I do not have a proper picture of the removal of heat sink. But I do have pictures of the heatsink when I was removing the palm rest though, that should be enough.

1. Remove four captive screws according to the sequences 1, 2, 3, 4 written on the heatsink.
2. Lift the heat sink assembly out from the motherboard
   

NOTE: Can you see the blue substance in between the processor’s core and the heatsink. Those are called thermal compound that helps heatflow from the processor’s core to the heatsink. It’s always better to scrap it off and replace it with new thermal compound.

Step 11 : Remove the Motherboard

You are almost there, just the last piece of component (the motherboard) that is the most fragile due to the amount of chips on it. Please, anything you do, don’t break any of the microchips on the motherboard.

1. Disconnect the fan cable.
2. Disconnect the other two cables circled in the picture below.
3. Remove 4 hex screws on the serial ports.
   
4. Remove four M2.5 x 5-mm screws as shown below.
5. Gently and slowly lift the motherboard out from the laptop.
   

Step 12 : Remove & Clean the Fan

Congratulations you have disassembled one of the hardest notebook disassembly process. Well, the most tedious I would say.

1. Just remove one M2.5 x 5-mm screw for the fan
2. Remove the fan from the base of the laptop

Damn I spent my whole afternoon writing this guide. I seriously hope it will help those D620 notebook users. Alright, this is all for How To Disassemble Dell Latitude D620.

Please inform me if I missed any of the crucial steps during the disassembling process.

More laptop disassembly guides at the Laptop Disassembly Archive.

Please forward any questions or comments regarding Laptop Disassembly to the Forum at Real Time Gamer (RTG) website. RTG is a website we have long-term partnership with.