Dell XPS 15 9575 Heat Sink Replacement

Michael Papadopolous and 3 other contributors

Last updated on September 13, 2023

5 minutes

Moderate

Introduction

Go to step 1

This guide will show you how to remove the heat sink in a Dell XPS 15 9575 laptop.

The heat sink works in tandem with the fan to cool the laptop and offset the heat produced by the central processing unit. The heat sink sits directly over the CPU, and funnels heat to the fan unit where it can be dispersed. Since the heat sink is bonded to the CPU with thermal paste to ensure good thermal transfer, you will need to reapply the thermal paste during reinstallation. Be sure to clean both the heat sink and CPU with isopropyl alcohol and follow our How to Reapply Thermal Paste guide for best practice on reapplication.

Since the heatsink is a static rather than dynamic component, its failure most likely involves aging or faulty thermal paste. If the fans of the device still function properly, excessive heat may not be obvious, so instead look to the heatsink when the processing of the computer seems to have issues. If your computer experiences regular freezing, trouble handling intensive tasks, or crashing after substantial use, replacing the thermal paste of the heatsink may help. The heatsink should only be replaced completely if there is obvious physical damage, but you should check out the Dell XPS 15 9575 Troubleshooting page for more details.

What you need

Tools

Step 1 Bottom Cover

Dell XPS 15 9575 Heat Sink Replacement, Bottom Cover: step 1, image 1 of 3

Dell XPS 15 9575 Heat Sink Replacement, Bottom Cover: step 1, image 2 of 3

Dell XPS 15 9575 Heat Sink Replacement, Bottom Cover: step 1, image 3 of 3

For your safety, please make sure the device is powered off and the A/C adapter is unplugged.
Use your T5 Torx driver to remove all eight 3.2 mm screws holding down the back panel.
Wedge an opening pick between the back cover and the base of the board, then slightly lift the tool to pop the clips on the back cover off.

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Step 2

Make sure all screws are removed before you lift the panel to prevent any damage from occurring.
Remove the bottom cover from the device when all sides are free.

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Step 3 Heat Sink

Dell XPS 15 9575 Heat Sink Replacement, Heat Sink: step 3, image 1 of 2

Dell XPS 15 9575 Heat Sink Replacement, Heat Sink: step 3, image 2 of 2

Wedge the plastic opening pick in between the aluminum cover and the motherboard.
Gently pull up popping off the cover and revealing the rest of the heat sink.
The aluminum cover will slot into small clamps on all sides, so be sure to align all sides within the clamps during reinstallation.

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Step 4

Use the Phillips #0 screwdriver to remove all five black 3.2mm screws.

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Step 5

Wedge the plastic opening pick in between the edge of the heat sink and the aluminum perimeter with care not to scratch the CPU beneath.
Gently pry up on the heat sink until it is loose enough for you to remove. Then grab and remove the heat sink.
If it does not work in the first position that you tried, try another. Do not pry too much in one position because it could damage the components beneath the heat sink.
Clean and Reapply the Thermal Paste during reinstallation.