Dell LaptopDell Vostro 5470

Dell Vostro 5470 disassembly and SSD, RAM, HDD upgrade options

In this guide, I’ll explain how to disassemble the Dell Vostro 5470 to remove and replace the keyboard, battery, hard drive, RAM, palm rest, wireless network card, cooling fan, and motherboard.

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Remove all screws from the bottom case.

Pry up and remove the bottom case. You can separate the bottom case with a guitar pick.

When the bottom case is removed, you can get access to the battery, hard drive, heat sink, cooling fan, wireless card, RAM, and motherboard.

Remove three screws securing the battery.
Disconnect the battery connector from the motherboard. Now, the battery can be removed.

The laptop comes with a 51.2wh Li-ion battery, and the Dell part number is VH748.

Remove two screws securing the hard drive module
Remove the hard drive.

The Dell Vostro 5470 comes with a Seagate 500GB 5400RPM hard drive.

Separating two clips with fingernails, the RAM will pop up automatically.

It featured an SK Hynix 4GB PC3L-12800S 1600MHz memory.

Remove the screw securing the cooling fan. There are two on each side of the fan.

Remove six screws securing the heat sink.

Heat sink and cooling fan assembly

Dell Vostro 5470 cooling fan

Remove one screw securing the wireless card.
Unplug two antenna cables.

Intel wireless card

Unplug all cables from the motherboard.

Dell Vostro 5470 motherboard

Intel processor

Now you can access the keyboard, and if necessary, you can replace it.

Speaker modules

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30 Comments

  1. Hi,

    Is it possible to upgrade the cpu, from i7-4500U to higher 8 cores like i7-4700qm or higher? my rig is dell vostro 5470…

    thanks

      1. Hi,

        I have my hot air soldering gun/iron which I used to SMD chips on damaged phone chips etc.

        Before that. You think I can upgrade my current cpu i7 4500u 1.8ghz to a more faster and updated generation of quad core class cpu?
        I mean yes. I cannot and nobody could upgrade integrated cpu to 6 or 8 core cpu as it is based on it’s chipsets and/or motherboard itself. It cannot be support more than 4 core cpus (well based in my analysis).

        My point is just I want to MAKE MY CPU GO FASTER THAN 2.xx – 3.xxGHZ PLUS TURBO.

        CURRENTLY:

        CPU – i7 4500u 1.8GHZ turbo 2.2GHZ
        RAM – 8GB
        STORAGE – 1 TB SSD
        my OS is Windows 8.1 64bit running on a separate
        Kingston SMS200S3/240G a.k.a mSata standard to all Vostro 5470 model laptops.

        Any suggestion will be appreciated.

    1. @Joseph, I have installed a Crucial MX SATA3 2.5″ SSD into my vostro 5470. Do you know the plastic frame the SSD has, that makes it thicker? (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, check your SSD or google about it) Well, I had to remove it from my SSD, so I could install it into the vostro.

      Now, according to this blog (http://goughlui.com/2013/02/26/am-i-crazy-an-ssd-in-a-usb-3-0-enclosure/), that would make it 7mm (new standard for ultrabooks), intead of 9.5mm your third-party drive may mesure.

  2. Hi, can I upgrade the video card from nVidia GT740M to a nvidia GTX series? And i want to upgrade the RAM to an 8 GB but i don’t know what kind of RAM is compatible with this motherboard

    Thanks.

  3. my vostro 5470 has a keyboard problem. it mute the laptop when i type “n” it type “sfjl” when i type “j” it goes full screen in browser when i type “y”
    i suspect the keyboard cable is loosen, may i ask which one is keyboard cable?

    sorry for my english

  4. Hello,

    Your guide is very detailed, cool! I just want to ask if before opening my own model do you think it is possible to upgrade my storage? Mine is a “119GB Micron C400 RealSSD 2.5″ 7mm 128GB (SSD)”

    If yes, can you recommend which brand and model should I purchase for upgrade?

    Regards,

    Brian

    1. the vostro 5470 have mSATA slot, you can add a mSATA SSD, you can also upgrade to the samsung 850 EVO 500GB 2.5″ SSD

  5. Hi,
    i have bought a vostro lately and upgraded the hdd to ssd and ram to an 8 gig.
    Everything is fine but the wireless card. I’m on ubuntu 14.4 and wireless is not very stable with latest drivers (on some networks its very unstable). I’m thinking of changing it too but when i called Dell Turkey Service, i’ve been told that there was a warning about wireless card for it shouldn’t be changed.
    Should i just go with stock wireless card or change it? And if you say changing wouldn’t cause a problem, with what?

    Thank you for your time, and guide 🙂 have a nice day

    1. Hi,
      As i read on one review comment: This is very good computer with virtually useless wireless. I 100% agree.
      I had two of them. One i was using under Linux. I had continuous problems with wifi. I was blaming Linux. But when i got another one for my wife with windows. Problem remained the same.
      I really liked this notebook, but wifi was driving me mad..
      Finally my wife uses cable, and I got money back (had some other issues) for mine and got a Thinkpad instead.

  6. Hi David,

    Thanks for this post.
    My Dell Vostro 5470 cannot start after bios flashed.
    So, I want to reset it back to factory setting. I have disassembled my laptop, where I can find the bios battere? I want to reset the cmos. Help me please…

  7. Hi my dell vostro 5470 fans are making noise when i shut down or goes to sleep .What would be the problem .Please Help

  8. Hello
    I also have a dell vostro 5470 which currently has a 2.5″ ssd instead of the factory hdd
    the question that i have is this:
    what’s the maximum lenght of the msata ssd that i can install in it? because from the pictures it lookst to be quite a small space for it, even though there would be a port in which to plug it
    thank you

      1. keyboard same type for vostro 5470 and working very well, but why sound not hear now? can be trouble from keybord David? please solution? tx

  9. hello, i cant hear the sound in dell votro 5470 when i replace new keyboard. Please solution for that. Thank you before…

  10. Hi guys, my 5470 i3 motherboards broke, it’s possible to upgrade for 5480 i7 motherboards? I saw the disassembly about 5480 and it’s like the same. THANKSS!!

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