1.0 mobile devices

Question 1

hardware/device replacement

Answer 1

Once you get beyond upgrading RAM and replacing a hard drive on a
portable, you take the plunge into the laptop-repair specialty. You can replace
some components by lifting them out, detaching a ribbon cable, and then
reversing the steps with the replacement part. Other parts require a full
teardown of the laptop to the bare bones, which presents a much greater
magnitude of difficulty. Because every portable differs, this section provides
guidance, but not concrete steps, for replacement. Be aware, as mentioned
earlier, that some systems are trending toward more integrated parts; make
sure the part you’re replacing is actually replaceable in the specific system
you’re working on.
Components
Replaceable components require more work than the RAM or drive upgrades,but replacing them generally falls into the category of “doable.” What I call
components are the battery, keyboard, optical drive, internal speaker(s),
frame, expansion cards, and CPU.
Battery If a battery’s performance falls below an acceptable level, you can
replace it with a battery from the manufacturer or from an aftermarket
vendor. Although this should be a simple swap replacement (and usually is,
at least if the battery isn’t built in), you might encounter a situation where the
real problem wasn’t the battery per se, but an inadequate or malfunctioning
charging system. The new battery might not give you any better performance
than the old one. Try it.
Keyboard Getting a keyboard off a laptop computer often requires little pry
bars, but also look for screws, clips, and so on. Keyboards connect via a tiny,
short, and very delicate cable, often held down by tape. Replacing one is
tricky, but doable.
Optical Drive Replacing an optical drive can present a challenge. If the
drive is part of a modular system, just pop out the old drive and pop in a new
one. If the drive is part of the internal chassis of the portable, on the other
hand, you’re looking at a full dissection. (See the upcoming “Integral Parts”
section for tips on dismantling the portable.)
Speaker Replacing the internal speaker or speakers on a laptop can be
simple or a total pain, depending on where the speakers connect. Some
laptops have speakers mounted on the outside of the chassis. You pry off the
covers, pull out the little speakers, disconnect the cable, and then reverse the
process for replacement speakers. If the speakers are inside the chassis, on
the other hand, you need to dismantle the portable to get to them. (See the
“Integral Parts” section.)
Frame All of the sophisticated electrified components that make our
portables work are held together by a variety of plastic, metal, and rubber
parts. Generally these frame parts are pretty durable, but over time—or in an
accident—these components can warp, bend, crack, split, dent, and chip.
Frame parts can be replaced, provided you can locate a suitable replacement
part.
You’ll need to know the device model to get started, and you may also need to hunt down the part number using manufacturer or third-party
resources. Many device parts appear similar, and some parts will appear in
many other portables. You may also find that the part you need is only
available as a piece of a larger assembly or group of parts, in which case you
may end up paying a silly sum to get the part you need.
Expansion Cards Many portables have one or more true expansion slots for
add-on cards. The more modular varieties will have a hatch on the bottom of
the case that opens like the hatch that gives you access to the RAM slot(s).
This enables you to change out an 802.11n wireless card, for example, for an
802.11ac card, thus greatly enhancing the Wi-Fi experience on this device.
Similarly, you could change out a Bluetooth module for an upgraded version. Check with the portable manufacturer to get a Wi-Fi card that’s compatible with the portable. Just because a card will fit in the slot does not,
in this case, mean it will work.
Just like when installing RAM in a portable, you must avoid ESD and
remove all electricity before you take out or put in an expansion card. Failure
to remove the battery and the AC adapter (or follow any extra steps and
precautions in the manufacturer’s resources if the battery is built in) can and
probably will result in a shorted-out laptop motherboard, and that just makes
for a bad day.
The only other consideration with expansion cards applies specifically to
wireless. Not only will you need to connect the card to the slot properly, but
you must reattach the antenna connection and often a separate power cable.
Pay attention when you remove the card as to the placement of these vital
connections.
You’ll find one of two types of expansion slot in a portable: Mini-PCIe
and M.2. The older ones (think 2013 and earlier) use Mini-PCIe, while newer
devices use M.2.
CPU Replacing a CPU on a modern portable takes a lot more work than
replacing RAM or a Mini-PCIe expansion card, but follows the same general
steps. Many CPUs mount facing the bottom of the portable, so that it vents
away from your hands. When sitting properly on a flat surface, the heated air
also goes to the back of the laptop and not toward the user. You access the
CPU in this sort of system from the bottom of the portable.
As you can see in Figure 23-39, the CPU has an elaborate heat-sink and
fan assembly that includes both the CPU and the chipset. Each of the pieces
screws down in multiple places, plus the fan has a power connection. Aside
from the tiny screws, there’s no difference here in process between replacing
a mobile CPU and replacing a desktop CPU that you learned way back in
Chapter 3, “CPUs.” Figure 23-39 CPU heat-sink and fan assembly exposed
First, remove all power from the laptop, including the battery if possible;
consult manufacturer or third-party resources for any extra steps or
precautions for systems with built-in batteries. Remove the hatch to expose
the CPU. Remove the heat-sink and fan assembly and lift out the CPU.
Replace it with another CPU, apply thermal paste, and reattach the heat-sink
and fan assembly. Reconnect the fan power connector and you’re good to go.
Some laptops use passive cooling and may have the CPU pointed up rather
than down. They have a heat sink beneath the keyboard that cools everything
down. With that style laptop, you remove the keyboard and heat sink to
expose the CPU.
Display and Its Components A laptop screen presents unique challenges
when faced with a replacement scenario. The display has the typical parts
you’d expect in an LCD, such as the panel, backlight(s), and inverter (on
older portables); plus, the display typically has other components along for
the ride, such as the Wi-Fi antenna, a Webcam, and a microphone. Finally, atouchscreen display offers even more of a challenge. CompTIA expects you
to know the process for replacing (the objectives say installing, but whatever)
the screen as well as each component within the display. Here’s the scoop.
EXAM TIP The CompTIA A+ 1001 objectives mention both LCD and
OLED display types for laptops when discussing possible scenarios where
you’d install components within the display. As discussed in Chapter 17,
OLED laptops did not exist (for consumers, at least) when the 1001/1002
exams went live in early 2019. That said, the process for replacing OLED
screens and components within the screens should mirror the process with
LCDs.
The process for replacing the screen (flat, touchscreen, digitizer), inverter,
Wi-Fi antenna, Webcam, or microphone follows the same steps. You pry the
plastic frame off the display, most commonly using a spudger or other tool
from your iFixit toolkit, then remove any exposed screws. The screen will lift
out, plus you’ll need to detach the internal parts. I can’t give you precise
details, because one model differs from another, but the parts are usually
secured with tiny screws or compression, or mild adhesive. Plus, you’ll need
to gently disconnect data cables for each component. If you’re just replacing
a defective Webcam or microphone, you won’t need to disconnect other parts
(most likely), but if you need to replace the screen or inverter, you’ll have to
remove everything.
Take pictures with your phone. Keep track of which connectors go where.
Don’t rush the process when dealing with so many tiny connectors and parts.
Document the locations and types of screws. The extra work you do to record
each step or layer will pay off with a properly repaired laptop. Trust me! EXAM TIP Expect a question or two on the CompTIA A+ 1001 exam on a
typical scenario where replacement of the screen or components within thedisplay needs to happen. These are obvious—cracked screen, failure of the
digitizer/touchscreen, Wi-Fi antenna malfunction, and so on. (Note that the
specific objective language on the antenna is WiFi antenna
connector/placement, which refers to the wireless antenna wires—pun
intended—that run along the top and sides of the display and connect with a
tiny ribbon cable.) Some hardware replacements require you to get serious with the laptop,
opening it fully to the outside, removing many delicate parts, and even
stripping it down to the bare chassis. I leave these repairs to the professional
laptop repair folks, simply because they have the specific tools and expertise
to do the job efficiently. CompTIA expects you to understand the process,
though, so I’ve outlined it here. This pertains to three components: DC jack,
touchpad, and system board.
EXAM TIP Although you might get a question on the CompTIA A+ 1001
exam about replacing the video card on a laptop, that’s a rare thing to do.
Only a handful of models from various manufacturers over the years had a
discrete removeable/replaceable video card. Most commonly, the video
processing components are part of the system board. Replacing the video
card in that case means replacing the board.
Portables open in two different ways, depending on the manufacturer. You
either peel away layers from the top down, through the keyboard, or from the
bottom up, through the base. Either direction requires careful attention to
detail, part connectivity, and locations. You’ll need a system to keep track of
the dozens of tiny screws.
Every one of the replacements here requires you to detach the screen from
the main chassis of the portable. Aside from finding the connection points
and removing the proper screws, you need to pay attention to the connection
points for the data stream to the monitor and the antenna that’s in the frame
of the display, as mentioned earlier.Once you have the portable stripped down, you replace whichever
component you’re in there to replace and then begin the process of building it
back up into a coherent unit. Pay incredibly careful attention to getting data
cables connected properly as you rebuild. I can’t imagine a worse tech
experience than replacing a touchpad and rebuilding a laptop only to have
missed a connection and having to do it all over again.
EXAM TIP The DC jack requires extra-special love when you need to
replace one. The part is soldered to the main board, so replacing it means
you’ll need to not only strip the laptop to the bare metal but also unsolder the
old part and solder the new part. Then you’ll rebuild the laptop and hope you
got everything right. CompTIA cannot expect a CompTIA A+ technician to
know how to do this stuff. Expect a question that explores whether it can be
done. Rest assured, specialized techs can replace any component on a laptop,
even the DC jack.