My TX2000z succumbed to the ever popular overheating issue a few weeks ago. The intention, with this post, is to provide a step by step guide to pulling out your motherboard. I have seen site after site, video after video talking about how to fix the motherboard, but little on pulling it out. Also, it seems everyone is bitching and moaning about the issue appearing just after their warranty was up as if HP devised some internal bomb to go off. I had all the options, just like everyone else, to extend that warrantyùI should have. I am not saying I deserve to have purchased a piece of shit, but let’s face it, it’s an HP. I’m not pretending I haven’t been warned.
Speaking of…
WARNINGS
In the process of dismantling your tx2000z, I take no responsibilities for any harm that may befall you, your laptop, your clothes, your home, your girlfriend/wife/toy, your first born, your pet or anything I can think of for using the information found on this post.
You’ve Been Warned!
So let’s get to it, shall we?
In a nutshell, I needed to re-seat the Nvidia chip, clean and re-thermal the CPU, and add the ‘copper penny’ shim to the heatsink; so, obviously, I needed access to the MB.
Advice: Label everything.
- Screw Detail
- WiFi Card
- Memory Modules
- Hard Drive
- Keyboard(1)
- Keyboard(2)
- Case Top
- Audio Strip
- Display
- Motherboard
- Heatsink
After the keyboard is removed, you can get to the last two screws holding the case top down. Disconnect the mouse pad (don’t forget to remove the remote control unit) and now the top can lift off. There are a few friction points that hold the top in place, but it should come up pretty easily. Don’t forget the screw which was hidden by the hard drive.
After you have pulled the case top off, turn the screen ninety degrees and remove the audio strip. The audio strip has a few clips at the sides and the rear of the laptop. Gently pry them loose and lift away the strip. There are no wires connecting this strip.
Now that the top has been removed, carefully flip the laptop over and remove the cover protecting the screen wires via the single screw circled in yellow. Then gently pull the wires and remove the two screws, again circled in yellow. Flip the unit over and locate the connector at the front. Carefully pull the connection and then remove the last two screws holding the screen in place. Be ready to catch the screen as it may fall. Pull the screen away from the laptop carefully making sure to feed the wires from below out the hole.
Once the screen is removed, disconnect the two wires left holding the MB in. Now, the motherboard can be lifted out from the left side hinging at the right side where the inputs are located. It should pull out easily, but take care at the inputs.
All that’s left is removing the heat sink. Remove the screws (yellow circles) and the fan plug.
The rest is upto you, but if you have the overheating issue, you can follow the myriad of videos on setting the Nvidia chipset and adding the penny (c.1982 or earlier) or a copper shim. I used the Micro-Therm
Good Luck!
Hi
Your article is really gr8.. Thank you so much for taking so much effort fr the writing up..
For past few days, my laptop [HP TX 2000z] is not booting.. If I power on, the power LED on’s.. HDD LED on’s for a second, all other LED is on like MEDIA, SOUND etc, but nothing is displayed on the screen.. Even I don’t feel CPU FAN is running nor HDD is read..
Therefore, I tried following, but nothing worked:
1. Removed battery, waited for a minute and fixed it again.
2. Removed battery, switched on laptop with direct PSU.
3. Tried PSU with battery fixed.
4. Tried pressing F8 or F11 and various keys after switching it on.
5. Finally I decided to remove RAM and fix it again. But it didnt help. I removed both the RAM, switched on laptop, still same behaviour.
Therefore, this tells me that power is nt getting passed to ROM [BIOS]. Now am stuck. Not sure how much HP will charge and as mentioned in many sites exactly after warranty period is over, am started facing this problem.
Am not sure, what I should do next. Therefore it will be grateful if you can share details on how computer starts, which components get Power-Supply first, then it passes to which components etc.. This will atleast help me to isolate the problem and I can talk accordingly with HP Support.
– Praveen
Praveen,
Glad you liked the write up, unfortunately it sounds like you are dealing with the same issue I ran in to (as well as many others). More than likely the gpu has either overheated and fried or perhaps is simply dislodged via the overheating in general. You have two choices: send it to HP and pay whatever they are charging, or follow the myriad of guides found online to attempt a self fix. Since you are out of warranty, as you mentioned, you lose nothing by attempting a DIY fix. Sadly, mine worked for a while with the fix I did, but eventually died again.
Sorry I could not be more helpful, I wish you good luck!