Screen Removal and Disassembly on the HP Victus 15

Hey everyone, today we’ll be doing a total disassembly of the 2022 HP Victus 15. This model of the entry level gaming laptop has the i5-12450H, the GTX 1650, 8GB RAM, and a 512GB m.2 SSD. There are a few things you should be aware of when repairing this series, but before we go into specifics there are some common issues with the model to cover. As always, if you see any parts or tools you might need for this repair, you can find them here.

Common Issues

The Victus series has a few common issues across their product line that continue to appear in the HP Victus 15. One very commonly reported issue is a lack of storage space on the device. It does have 512GB, which is large for a typical laptop, but with gaming models the more space the better. With how large games have become recently, 512 often doesn’t cut it for many users. The laptop does use a standard m.2 2280 slot, but because there is only one, internal storage cannot be added. You can replace the SSD, but it would require a reinstall of the operating system. In addition, any files would have to be transferred over to the new drive.

This model also has its fair share of hinge issues. It does have some strong and reliable hinges, but because of their placement inside the device causes some issues. You’ll see as we proceed with the repair exactly what sort of issues come with the design.

On the other hand, the fans in the laptop are very simple to repair. It does have 2 internal fans, as most do, but the two fans are actually identical. No more issues with ordering the wrong part, having it not fit, or anything like that. On the Victus, you can reliably know that the fan you got will fit right wherever you need it to. Similarly, the battery in the device is very easy to remove and replace. It is also common to a number of HP laptops, which ensures replacements are easy to find.

Getting Started

As we start with the disassembly, make sure the device is powered off. On this model, there are no rubber screw covers on the bottom case, making it simple to open up. Once it is open, disconnect the battery from the motherboard by sliding connector out and away from the board. I like to fold the cable a bit so it stays put away from the board as I disconnect it.

Once it’s unscrewed, it’s very easy to pull right out of the laptop and put to the side. Now that it’s out, we can look a bit more in detail at the device. You may notice that the hinges aren’t really visible inside where they should be. That is because on the Victus, the hinges are actually located underneath the motherboard. This means that to remove the screen and perform a replacement, you need to almost completely disassemble the device before you can even unscrew the two hinges.

Removing the Boards

Now that the battery is gone, and because we can’t remove the screen, we can start to remove the boards. There is the main motherboard on this model, of course, but there are also two daughter boards connected by ribbon cables, as well as the power jack that is separate from the main board.

The two daughter boards are actually in my opinion a good addition to the device. Them being separate makes the ports on them much easier to replace, as opposed to soldering. One board has the AUX port and a USB Port, and the other has the SD Card reader.

The boards on this device do come off fairly easily, you just need to unscrew them after taking off the fans and the heatsink. The heatsink on this model does just use thermal paste, without any of the newer liquid metal. It makes for a much easier removal than some other new gaming laptops.

Removing the Screen

Now that the boards are removed, we can actually see the hinges that connect the display to the top case. These are fairly standard, there are three screws on each. Once they are removed you can take the screen of just how you would on most models of laptop. The only issue is of course how long it takes to get to this step. Keep in mind the keyboard cover does also hold the wifi and bluetooth antennae in place. It is just held down by some light adhesive that can be lifted with ease.

Overall

The construction of the Victus lineup, and the HP Victus 15, is, in my opinion, flawed. While the separated daughter boards and the identical fans are good additions, the major impediments to performing a screen replacement on the device are a major flaw. Screen repairs are very common in almost all laptops, and HP putting access to that behind the motherboard was a poor choice.