This is by far the most difficult step.

Make sure all the screws are removed before attempting to lift the motherboard. There are more screws to remove than the above picture indicates:

-One located under the left fan cable

-Another below the right fan

-Another holding down the wifi card above the battery to the left (suggest removing this screw then removing the wifi card completely)

Note that the screen cable is located in the top left corner and cant be disconnected.

The right speaker will also achor down the motherboard so watch out for that.

When lifting the motherboard, be gentle and take your time. I lifted the left side about half an inch out first then struggled a bit to free it from the right side I/O ports. Placing it back in is easier.

Note that the back side panel (the one with “Stealth” written on it) also comes off. This makes it easier to open without breaking the clips. Take care not to insert the prying tool you use too far in on that side as there is a ribbon cable for the power LED very close to the side located in the center.