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Thermal Cooling Assembly
Alienware® M14x Service Manual
Removing the Thermal Cooling Assembly
Replacing the Heat Sink
WARNING: Before working inside your computer, read the safety information that shipped with your computer. For additional safety best practices information, see the Regulatory Compliance Homepage at dell.com/regulatory_compliance.
WARNING: If you remove the heat sink from the computer when the heat sink is hot, do not touch the metal housing of the heat sink.
CAUTION: Only a certified service technician should perform repairs on your computer. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is not covered by your warranty.
CAUTION: To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself by using a wrist grounding strap or by periodically touching an unpainted metal surface (such as a connector on your computer).
CAUTION: To help prevent damage to the system board, remove the main battery (see Removing the Battery Pack) before working inside the computer.
Removing the Thermal Cooling Assembly
1.Follow the instructions in Before You Begin.
2.Follow the instructions from step 2 to step 18 in Removing the System Board.
3.In sequential order (indicated on the heat sink), loosen the seven captive screws that secure the heat sink to the system board.
4.Carefully lift heat sink away from the system board.
1 | heat sink | 2 | captive screws (7) |
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Replacing the Heat Sink
NOTE: The original thermal grease can be reused if the original processor and heat sink are reinstalled together. If either the processor or the heat sink is replaced, use the thermal pad provided in the kit to ensure that thermal conductivity is achieved.
1.Follow the instructions in Before You Begin.
2.Clean the thermal grease from the bottom of the heat sink and reapply it.
3.Align the seven captive screws on the heat sink with the screw holes on the system board and tighten the screws in sequential order (indicated on the heat sink).
4.Follow the instructions from step 4 to step 20 in Replacing the System Board.
CAUTION: Before turning on the computer, replace all screws and ensure that no stray screws remain inside the computer. Failure to do so may result in damage to the computer.