Laptops : swapping motherboards between model numbers
 

Any tips or warnings ?
I just hate seeing these beautiful machines go to the 'laptop' electronics scrap pile when for a few bucks $ and a new OS can keep'm going.

You mean taking a board from laptop model A and putting it in a laptop model B? 90% of the time this won't work, as they don't have mount points in the same spot, accessory ports in the same spot, etc. So they simply won't fit without a LOT of modification including ugly hacks to the body itself.

Or do you mean just replacing a DOA board with another? In this case, it's possible but only sometimes worth it. It's a fair amount of work, some of the cables aren't actually meant to ever be removed/reattached and may break, and with some cpu's, the cpu is soldered to the board so replacing the board also includes the price of replacing the cpu. Also, because of the unique design, you can almost never get a "generic" board to replace it, it must be an OEM board that are usually overpriced. So you have to scour Craigslist/Ebay for cheap laptops of that model that are functional but with broken LCD's or such so that you can use them as a parts machine, and this can get to be rather time intensive depending on how popular the model was originally.

Laptops are poor subjects when it comes to winging it. They are non-standard.

If you have access to a similar model and you only mean a revision number change then it may work fine.

I don't think there's such a thing as a "standard" Laptop mobo. They all tend to be different with different cut-outs for disks, memory sockets, heatsink and heatpipe locations, fixing holes, flex cable connectors, etc, etc.

As mentioned above in post #2, you can fit a model A laptop with a replacement model A mobo but that's about it. I've done it a few times but it's like with like. I wouldn't even contemplate modding the casing and plastics, waste of time and effort.

Play Bonny!

:hattip:

i think you're in a world of pain trying this with a laptop main board.
screen, hard drives, ram, dvd, network cards, i have all changed succesfully without bothering with the particular make of the laptop.
but the motherboard?:banghead:

why don't you have a look at this instead.

Thanks for the insight.
I was hoping to swap a motherboard without an HDMI port with one that has one.
The original bottom case has a 'knockout' where a HDMI port would stick thru.
The laptops are identical in brand and size.

In that case, yes it will work (you're basically just upgrading to the better version of your model, but it's going to be a PITA to swap them. If you do it, be EXTREMELY careful with cables when removing everything, and don't force things. 90% of the time, if it's stuck and won't move, then it's probably because you've missed a screw.

I also suggest working with a multi-opening storage container near you for the screws. WHile it varies, you could be looking at 30-40 screws that need to be removed in order to remove the motherboard.

sometimes there's youtube videos for that sort of stuff (recommend!), or detailed disassembly/reassembly pdf manuals.