Nintendo Switch OLED Model Fan Replacement

Written By: Alex Diaz-Kokaisl
  • Comments: 4
Nintendo Switch OLED Model Fan Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

34

Time Required

1 - 2 hours

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the fan in your Nintendo Switch OLED.

For your safety, discharge the battery below 25% before disassembling your Switch. This reduces the risk of fire if the battery is accidentally damaged during the repair. If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions.

The Switch OLED uses JIS screws, but you can use a Phillips screwdriver in a pinch. Be very careful not to strip the screws. iFixit's Phillips bits are designed to be cross-compatible with JIS-style screws.

Note: When you remove the shield plate, you’ll need to replace the thermal compound between the plate and the heatsink. Since normal thermal paste isn’t designed to bridge large gaps, the closest replacement is K5 Pro viscous thermal paste. You will, however, need regular replacement thermal paste when replacing the heat sink.

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    • Before you begin this repair, make sure the device is completely powered off.

    • Press and hold down the small round button on the back of the Joy Con controller.

    • While you hold down the button, slide the controller upward.

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    • Continue sliding the Joy Con upward until it's completely removed from the console.

    • Repeat this same process for the other Joy Con.

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    • Use a Phillips driver, or a JIS driver, to remove the 2 mm-long screw securing the top of the rear case to the frame.

    • To prevent these tight screws from stripping, apply firm downward force, work slowly, and try another JIS or Phillips driver if the screws won't come out.

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    • Use a Phillips driver to remove the two 2 mm-long screws securing the bottom of the rear case to the frame.

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    • Use a Phillips driver to remove the 3.8 mm screw securing the right Joy-Con sensor rail to the rear case.

    • To prevent these tight screws from stripping, apply firm downward force, work slowly and try another JIS 000 or PH 000 driver if the screws won't come out.

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    • Use a Phillips driver to remove the 3.8 mm screw securing the left Joy-Con sensor rail to the rear case.

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    • Use your finger to flip up the kickstand on the back of the device.

    • If there's a microSD card in the microSD card slot, remove it now before you continue to the next step.

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    • Use a Y00 screwdriver to remove the two 4.3 mm screws securing the rear case to the frame.

    Before the next step remove any game cards in the console

    Zach -

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    • Lift the rear case up from the top of the device and remove it.

    • If you're having trouble removing the case, use an opening pick to pry up the plastic clips.

    Just a heads up that, even after removing the screws, the rear plate is still heavily clipped in place. I recommend using an opening pick or opening tool to carefully pry it up starting at the top and working your way down the sides. Once you get to the bottom, the speaker grilles are a little tricky. They're attached to the rear plate, but they can get stuck easily as you're removing the back plate.

    Craig Lloyd -

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    • Use the flat end of a spudger to separate a corner of the tape from the shield plate.

    Don't remove the antenna tape or the wires from the tape! The antennae can come off with the large metal shield plate anyways, so why remove them separately?? Extra UNNECESSARY WORK!! Just unscrew the antennae modules themselves, and pop out the antenna wires from the mainboard. Then they will lift with the large metal plate. (Steps 10, 11, 15, 16 are unnecessary, just remove the screws only that hold them down)

    hubbabubbahubbabubba9 -

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    • Use tweezers, or your fingers, to peel back and remove the tape.

    • Store the tape in a clean space for reinstallation.

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    • Use tweezers, or your fingers, to pull up and disconnect the primary Wi-Fi antenna's coaxial cable.

    • During reassembly, these can be tricky to reconnect. One at a time, hold each connector in place over its socket and press down with the flat end of a spudger. The connector should snap into place.

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    • Use tweezers, or your fingers, to reroute the primary antenna's coaxial cable out of its slots in the shield plate.

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    • Use a Phillips driver to remove the two 4.4 mm screws securing the primary Wi-Fi antenna to the shield plate.

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    • Insert an opening pick between the primary Wi-Fi antenna and the shield plate.

    • Pry up with the pick to separate the primary Wi-Fi antenna from the shield plate.

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    • Remove the primary Wi-Fi antenna.

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    • Use tweezers, or your fingers, to pull up and disconnect the secondary Wi-Fi antenna's coaxial cable.

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    • Use the point of a spudger to reroute the secondary Wi-Fi antenna's coaxial cable from its slot in the frame.

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    • Use a Phillips driver to remove the 4.4 mm screw securing the secondary Wi-Fi antenna to the shield plate.

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    • Insert an opening pick between the secondary Wi-Fi antenna and the shield plate.

    • Pry up with the pick to separate the secondary Wi-Fi antenna from the shield plate.

    • Don't attempt to completely remove the antenna yet, as its coaxial cable is still routed through the frame.

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    • Use the point of a spudger to reroute the secondary Wi-Fi antenna's coaxial cable out of its slot in the frame.

    • Remove the secondary Wi-Fi antenna.

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    • Use a Phillips driver to remove the six 4.4 mm screws securing the shield plate to the frame.

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    • Use your fingers to lift the top of the shield plate up and away from the frame.

    • You may feel a bit of resistance. This is normal, since the shield plate is slightly bonded to the heat sink with thermal paste.

    • Remove the shield plate.

    • A thick pink thermal compound bridges the gap between the shield plate and the copper heat sink underneath. Whenever the shield plate is removed, refer to our thermal paste guide to remove the old thermal compound and replace it with an appropriate compound, such as K5 Pro, during reassembly.

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    • Use the point of a spudger to pry up and disconnect the battery.

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    • Use tweezers, or your fingers, to remove the piece of tape obscuring the daughterboard's screw.

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    • Use a Phillips driver to remove the 4 mm screw securing the daughterboard to the frame.

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    • The bottom of the daughterboard is connected to the motherboard via a press connector.

    • Insert a spudger between the edge of the daughterboard and the motherboard.

    • Pry up with the spudger to disconnect the press connector and separate the daughterboard from the frame.

    • Remove the daughterboard.

    • To re-attach press connectors like this one, carefully align and press down on one side until it clicks into place, then repeat on the other side. Do not press down on the middle. If the connector is misaligned, the pins can bend, causing permanent damage.

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    • Use a Phillips driver to remove the three 3 mm screws securing the heat sink to the motherboard.

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    • Insert a spudger between the heat sink's bracket and the motherboard.

    • Pry up with the spudger to separate the heat sink from the motherboard.

    • You may feel a bit of resistance. This is normal, since the heat sink is slightly bonded to the CPU with thermal paste.

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    • Insert a spudger in the gap between the fan and the heat sink.

    • Pry up with the spudger to separate the heat sink from the adhesive beneath it.

    • Remove the heat sink.

    • Clean off the old thermal paste from the heat sink and CPU using high-concentration (90% or higher) isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth. Apply new thermal paste to the CPU before reassembly.

    The section near the fan is pretty difficult to remove, since it's adhered to the case and there's no good way to get your spudger underneath it, even by inserting it between the fan and the heat sink. Be very gentle and work patiently. It's really easy to bend the heat sink and the fins.

    Craig Lloyd -

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    • Use the tip of a spudger, an opening tool, or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the fan cable's ZIF connector.

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    • Use a pair of tweezers to pull the fan cable straight out of its connector on the motherboard.

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    • Use a Phillips driver to remove the three 3 mm screws securing the fan to the frame.

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    • Use a spudger to lift the fan out straight out of the frame.

    • Remove the fan.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Nintendo Switch OLED Answers community for help.

Compare your new replacement part to the original part—you may need to transfer remaining components or remove adhesive backings from the new part before you install it.

Author

Alex Diaz-Kokaisl

Member since: 16/01/22

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