Difficulty
Moderate
Steps
3
Time Required
45 minutes
Sections
1
- Thermal Paste
- 3 steps
Flags
Member-Contributed Guide
An awesome member of our community made this guide. It is not managed by iFixit staff.
BackLenovo ThinkPad T420s
Full Screen
Options
History
Save to Favorites
Download PDF
Edit
Translate
Get Shareable Link
Embed This Guide
Notify Me of Changes
Stop Notifications
What you need
Step 1
Opening the laptop.
- Remove all the visible screws and the battery.
- Use a prying tool to remove the keyboard.
- Unscrew the palmrest and disconnect all connectors.
Remove all the visible screws and the battery.
Use a prying tool to remove the keyboard.
Unscrew the palmrest and disconnect all connectors.
1024
Step 2
The insides.
- Unscrew the display assembly and remove it.
- Unscrew the mother board and remove it.
Unscrew the display assembly and remove it.
Unscrew the mother board and remove it.
Step 3
Changing the thermal paste and cleaning the fan
- Remove the screws that hold the cooling assembly and disconnect the fan.
- Now is a good idea to upgrade the RAM.
- Clean the old thermal paste both from the cooler and the CPU. It is best to use isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs or paper towel, but be careful not to go too hard on the CPU.
- You can also disassemble the fan and clean it from the inside.
- It is also recommended to use compressed air to remove any dust in the laptop and the fan.
- Dont use too much thermal paste, just enough to cover some portion of the pad. If you have a spreader, use it. The thermal paste will apply evenly after you tighten the heatsink.
- Last, put the heatsink back carefully and tighten the screws in order to ensure even pressure. Dont forget to plug in the fan cable.
Remove the screws that hold the cooling assembly and disconnect the fan.
Now is a good idea to upgrade the RAM.
Clean the old thermal paste both from the cooler and the CPU. It is best to use isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs or paper towel, but be careful not to go too hard on the CPU.
You can also disassemble the fan and clean it from the inside.
It is also recommended to use compressed air to remove any dust in the laptop and the fan.
Dont use too much thermal paste, just enough to cover some portion of the pad. If you have a spreader, use it. The thermal paste will apply evenly after you tighten the heatsink.
Last, put the heatsink back carefully and tighten the screws in order to ensure even pressure. Dont forget to plug in the fan cable.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
Cancel: I did not complete this guide.
2 other people completed this guide.
Author
with 1 other contributor
Simeon Brankov
Member since: 11/08/2020
3,455 Reputation
41 Guides authored
Badges:
17
+14 more badges