Newbie, opening up XPS M1710 ....Help!

Hi Everyone

I managed to get myself a Dell XPS M1710 for £180, (May 2011) and i knew before buying it was it a bit of state and needed a clean, so after purchasing i cleaned the externel part of the XPS (screen, Keyboard, underside) and i've been using it for the past 3 months doing Web design (Flash, DreamWeaver, Photoshop CS5) and some HD video Editing and it been going well, although on some occasions the Fans go wild.during HD .MTS conversions.

I thought i'd try a Game on the XPS on Tue (30 Aug) STALKER 1 which came out in 2004 I maxxed everything out at 1024 x 768 and the game ran perfectly, only that the fans stayed on all the time, so after 15 mins i shut down the XPS and realised if the PC was very dusty on the outside, it must be on the inside so i opened the XPS

BUT!!

I have one screw which i can't get open as the head is worn, i was trying to lift the front casing off and swivel it round but i can't, is there a way to get the top part off. I taken some photos as you can see the fans a really dusty

Hope you can help as this is a learning project

Dell XPS M1710
Intel Core 2 (T7600 @ 2.33GHz)
2GB Ram
Nvidia GeforceGo 7950 GTX (512mb)
160GB HD

Windows XP performance edition (sp2)
 

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Thanks for looking, Please Note i'm in no rush as i can take my time as i have

3 Gaming Desktops (athlon x2, i5, Phenon)

1 netbook (samsung N510)

4 Notebooks (XPS M1710, Latitude D810, C610 ,9400)

I can use my Dell 9400 for now to do my Web and Video work, but its not as powerfull as the XPS

PS

While i've got the XPS open should i take out the Graphics card and give that area a clean and apply some cooling gel around the area, also any step-by-step links much apreciated

Hi

Thanks again for the response, I don't think i can use the cutter option (seems a little daunting for a newbie), so i gone for option 2 filing down to the base and using some pliers to turn the screw, all the pliers i have a too large, would any of these 'needle nose pliers' do or do i need a specific on for the XPS

http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=needle+nose+pliers&hl=en

thanks

Hi

I've got a problem i can't seem to get the top section of the XPS off, the Pliers that were recommened were too large, so i've just used a knife to cut the plastic section around the screw, so i won't be able to use this hole to screw it to the motherboard

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Now I still can't take the top part of the XPS its really tightly shut i can managed to get the top part up a few cm, but the bottom part is still bolted on, i used the documentation to remove all the screws top and bottom side, is more brute force needed i just don't want to crack in half the top section

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Hi all

I managed to get the top cover off and as you can see from the photo, this has got to be one of the worst state dell notebook you have proberly seen, i mean there are sponge full's of dust everywhere, the girl i brought off used the XPS for social networking all the time, but i can't understand how it could get to such a state.

I had a Dell Precision M50 (2002-2008) and its lasted me for 6 years i kept it in clean condition always looked after it and was on for 24hrs at a time (video encoding) i even played games on it (max payne 2) and the fans would rarely come on if the did the would stop after about 5 mins

enough about the good old days...

So where should i start, should i clean the dust first and then take the graphics card and CPU out to cover with arctic silver, or do the gelling, then dust up also should i just use ear plugs to clean the fans or buy a blower

while i'm here the XPS has 2GB of ram, will updating to 4 GB make any difference

Thanks again for looking and your advice

zack

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