This manual contains service and reference information for IdeaCentre A720 computers listed on the cover. It is intended only for trained servicers who are familiar with Lenovo computer products. Before servicing a Lenovo product, be sure to read the Safety Information.
Page 10
Observe the following rules when working on electrical equipment. Important: Use only approved tools and test equipment. Some hand tools have handles covered with a soft material that does not insulate you when working with live electrical currents. Many customers have rubber floor mats near their equipment that contain small conductive fibers to decrease electrostatic discharge.
– Switch off power. – Send another person to get medical aid. Safety inspection guide The intent of this inspection guide is to assist you in identifying potential hazards posed by these products. Each computer, as it was designed and built, had required safety items installed to protect users and service personnel from injury.
• Keep the parts in protective packages until they are inserted into the product. • Avoid contact with other people while handling the part. • Wear a grounded wrist strap against your skin to eliminate static on your body. • Prevent the part from touching your clothing. Most clothing is insulative and retains a charge even when you are wearing a wrist strap.
Page 13
To Connect 1. Turn everything OFF. 2. First, attach all cables to devices. 3. Attach signal cables to connectors. 4. Attach power cords to outlet. 5. Turn device ON. CAUTION: When replacing the lithium battery, use only Part Number 45C1566 or an equivalent type battery recommended by the manufacturer.
Page 14
≥18 kg (37 lbs) ≥32 kg (70.5 lbs) ≥55 kg (121.2 lbs) CAUTION: Use safe practices when lifting. CAUTION: The power control button on the device and the power switch on the power supply do not turn off the electrical current supplied to the device. The device also might have more than one power cord.
1. If your computer is already on when you start this procedure, shut down the operating system and turn off the computer. 2. Press and hold the F1 key then turn on the computer. When the Lenovo BIOS Setup Utility program is displayed, release the F1 key.
Page 20
5. Select Save changes and Exit from the menu. Power-On Password When a Power-On Password is set, you cannot start the Lenovo BIOS Setup Utility program until a valid password is typed from the keyboard. Setting, changing, or deleting a Power-On Password Note: A password can be any combination of letters and numbers up to 16 characters (a-z and 0-9).
To set a Power-On Password, do the following: 1. Start the Lenovo BIOS Setup Utility program (See ”Starting the Lenovo BIOS Setup Utility program” on page 13.) 2. From the Security menu, select Set Power-On Password and press the Enter key.
Selecting or changing the startup device sequence To view or permanently change the configured startup device sequence, do the following: 1. Start the Lenovo BIOS Setup Utility program (see “Starting the Lenovo BIOS Setup Utility program” on page 13). 2. From the Lenovo BIOS Setup Utility program main menu, select the Startup option.
Exiting the Lenovo BIOS Setup Utility program After you finish viewing or changing settings, press the Esc key to return to the Lenovo BIOS Setup Utility program main menu. You might have to press the Esc key several times. Do one of the following: •...
POST error codes Each time you turn the computer on, it performs a series of tests to check that the system is operating correctly and that certain options are set. This series of tests is called the Power-On Self-Test, or POST. POST does the following: •...
Page 28
Left and right view The following illustration shows the location of connectors, controls and components on the left and right side of the computer. 1. Air vents 2. USB 3.0 connector 3. HDMI-in connector (selected models only) 4. HDMI-out connector 5.
Page 29
Rear view The following illustration shows the location of connectors and components on the rear of the computer. 1. TV tuner connector (selected models only) 2. Headphone connector 3. Microphone connector 4. USB 3.0 connector 5. USB 2.0 connectors (2) 6.
Page 30
Hardware components The following illustration shows the components that make up your computer. 1. System fan 2. Scalar board 3. Hard disk drive bracket 4. Hard disk drive 5. Hard disk drive rubbers 6. CPU 7. Base cover 8. Optical drive 9.
Page 31
Identifying parts on the motherboard The motherboard (sometimes called the planar or system board) is the main circuit board in your computer. It provides basic computing functions and supports a variety of devices that are factory-installed or that you can install later. The following illustration shows the location of connectors and components on the front of the motherboard.
Page 32
The following illustration shows the location of connectors and components on the back of the motherboard. 23. TV-Tuner card connector 24. Battery IdeaCentre A720Hardware Maintenance Manual...
Page 33
Identifying parts on the back of the LED panel The following illustration shows the components and controls on the back of LED panel. 1. Bluetooth module 2. WLAN card 3. Camera 4. Touch control board 5. Front function board 6. Converter board 7.
Attention: Do not remove the computer cover or attempt any repair before reading the “Important safety information” in the Safety and Warranty Guide that was included with your computer. To obtain copies of the Safety and Warranty Guide, go to the Support Web site at: http://consumersupport.lenovo.com. Note: Use only parts provided by Lenovo.
Replacing the keyboard and mouse Attention: Turn off the computer and wait 3 to 5 minutes to let it cool down before removing the cover. To replace the keyboard and mouse Step 1. Remove any media (disks, CDs, DVDs or memory cards) from the drives, shut down the operating system, and turn off the computer and all attached devices.
Note: Turn off the computer and wait 3 to 5 minutes to let it cool down before removing the cover. Note: It may be helpful to place the computer face-down on a soft flat surface for this procedure. Lenovo recommends that you use a blanket, towel, or other soft cloth to protect the computer screen from scratches or other damage.
Step 5. Return the computer to an upright position, then lift the base cover up and slide it out as shown. Step 6. To reattach the base cover: Line up the base cover with the base, slide it back and snap it into position. Place the computer face-down on a soft flat surface, then secure the base cover to the base with the 7 screws.
Page 39
Step 5. Remove the 2 screws that secure the hard disk drive to the motherboard. Step 6. Disconnect the data and power cable from the hard disk drive. Step 7. Slide the hard disk drive and rubber out of the bay as shown. Step 8.
Secure the new hard disk drive to motherboard with the 2 screws. Connect the data and power cable to the new hard disk drive and motherboard. Step 10. Reattach the base cover and secure it with the screws. Replacing a memory module Attention: Turn off the computer and wait 3 to 5 minutes to let it cool down before removing the cover.
Step 5. Remove the 3 screws that secure the system fan to the heat-sink. Step 6. Disconnect the power cable from the motherboard. Step 7. Lift the system fan up to remove it. Step 8. Line up the new system fan, then secure it to the heat-sink and connect the new power cable to the motherboard.
Step 7. Remove the heat-sink by lifting it up. Attention: Place the heat-sink upside down on a flat surface to prevent thermal grease from contaminating other components. Attention: Use an alcohol pad to wipe the thermal grease off the heat-sink and CPU. Step 8.
Page 43
Step 8. Lift the microprocessor straight up and out of the socket. Attention: Do not touch the gold contacts on the bottom of the microprocessor. When handling the microprocessor, touch only the sides. Note: Do not drop anything onto the microprocessor socket while it is exposed. The socket pins must be kept as clean as possible.
Step 11. Lower the microprocessor straight down into its socket on the motherboard. Step 12. To secure the microprocessor in the socket, close the microprocessor retainer and lock it into position with the small handle. Step 13. Use a thermal grease syringe to place 5 drops of grease on the top of the microprocessor. Each drop of grease should be 0.03ml (3 tick marks on the grease syringe).
Page 45
Step 6. Remove the 3 screws that secure the optical drive to the motherboard and lift it up to remove it. Step 7. Remove the 5 screws that secure the optical drive to the bracket and disconnect the data cable from the optical drive.
Replacing the solid state disk Note: Turn off the computer and wait 3 to 5 minutes to let it cool down before removing the cover. To replace the solid state disk Step 1. Remove any media (disks, CDs, DVDs, or memory cards) from the drives, shut down the operating system, and turn off the computer and all attached devices.
Step 6. Lift up the optical drive eject board to remove it. Step 7. To install the new optical drive eject board: Connect the new optical drive eject board to the motherboard. Secure the new optical drive eject board to the motherboard with the 2 screws. Step 8.
Page 48
Step 14. Remove the 8 screws that secure the motherboard to the chassis and slide it out as shown. Step 15. Remove the 2 screws that secure the TV-Tuner card to the motherboard. Step 16. Disconnect the antenna cable(s) from the TV-Tuner card. Step 17.
Step 18. Use a flat head screwdriver as a lever to prise out the battery as shown. Step 19. To install the new motherboard: Insert the battery (CR2032) into the socket with the side labeled “+” facing up, and press the battery into place.
Page 50
Step 10. Remove the 8 screws that secure the motherboard to the chassis and slide it out as shown. Step 11. Remove the 4 screws that secure the speaker system to the motherboard. Step 12. Detach the speaker from the chassis. Step 13.
Replacing the TV tuner card Note: Turn off the computer and wait 3 to 5 minutes to let it cool down before removing the cover. To replace the TV tuner card Step 1. Remove any media (disks, CDs, DVDs, or memory cards) from the drives, shut down the operating system, and turn off the computer and all attached devices.
Step 13. Pull the TV-Tuner card upward to remove it from the card port on the motherboard. Step 14. To install the new TV-Tuner card: Insert the notched end of the TV-Tuner card into the card port on the motherboard. Secure new the TV-Tuner card to the motherboard with the 2 screws.
Step 10. Remove the 8 screws that secure the motherboard to the chassis and slide it out as shown. Step 11. Use a flat head screwdriver as a lever to prise out the battery as shown. Step 12. To install the new battery: Insert the new battery (CR2032) into the socket with the side labeled “+”...
Page 54
Step 1. Remove any media (disks, CDs, DVDs, or memory cards) from the drives, shut down the operating system, and turn off the computer and all attached devices. Step 2. Unplug all power cords from electrical outlets. Step 3. Disconnect all cables attached to the computer. This includes power cords, input/output (I/O) cables, and any other cables that are connected to the computer.
Step 8. Reattach the base cover and secure it with the screws. Removing the rear cover Note: Turn off the computer and wait 3 to 5 minutes to let it cool down before removing the cover. To remove the rear cover Step 1.
Step 7. Put the head of a flat head screwdriver between the middle frame and the rear cover as shown. Then using the screwdriver as a lever and the middle frame metal bar as the fulcrum, prise the rear cover away from the middle frame. Step 8.
Page 57
Step 8. Remove the scalar shielding and set it aside. Step 9. Disconnect all the cables from the scalar board. Step 10. Remove the 5 screws that secure the scalar board to the middle frame and lift it up to remove it. Step 11.
Line up the holes on the new scalar board with the mounting holes on the middle frame and secure it with the 5 screws. Connect all the cables to the new scalar board. Reattach the scalar shielding to the middle frame with the 3 screws. Step 12.
Line up the holes on the new touch control board with the mounting holes on the middle frame and secure it with the 2 screws. Connect all the cables to the new touch control board. Step 11. Reattach the rear cover to the LED panel. Step 12.
Step 10. To install the new converter board: Line up the holes on the new converter board with the mounting holes on the middle frame and secure it with the 4 screws. Connect the 2 cables to the new converter board. Step 11.
Step 8. Remove the screw that secures the power switch board to the LED panel and lift up the power switch board to remove it. Step 9. To install the power switch board: Line up the hole on the new power switch board with the mounting hole on the LED panel and secure it with the screw.
Step 6. Remove the rear cover. Refer to “Removing the rear cover”. Step 7. Use a small flat head screwdriver to prise the Bluetooth module away from the socket. Step 8. Disconnect the cable from the Bluetooth module. Step 9. To install the new Bluetooth module: Connect the cable to the new Bluetooth module.
Step 9. Lift up the WLAN card to remove it from the socket. Step 10. To install the new WLAN card: Connect the data cable to the new WLAN card. Line up the new WLAN card with the socket, snap it into position and secure it with the pins. Connect the antenna cable to the new WLAN card.
Step 8. Lift up the camera and disconnect the data cable from the camera. Step 9. To install the new camera: Connect the data cable to the new camera. Line up the holes in the new camera with the mounting holes on the front bezel and secure it with the 2 screws.
Note: Turn off the computer and wait 3 to 5 minutes to let it cool down before removing the cover. Note: It may be helpful to place the computer face-down on a soft flat surface for this procedure. Lenovo recommends that you use a blanket, towel, or other soft cloth to protect the computer screen from scratches or other damage.
Page 66
Step 7. Remove the scalar board. Refer to “Replacing the scalar board”. Step 8. Remove the touch control board. Refer to “Replacing the touch control board”. Step 9. Remove the converter board. Refer to “Replacing the converter board ”. Step 10. Remove the power switch board. Refer to “Replacing the power switch board”. Step 11.
Step 17. Remove the 6 screws that secure the hinge to the middle frame and set the hinge aside. Step 18. To install the new the LED panel: Line up the holes on the hinge with the mounting holes on the new middle frame and secure it with 6 screws.
Page 72
Liteon SK-8861(LA-AR)S-SilkKB-Silver(WW) Mouse Liteon SM-8861(WW) Mouse Silver(WW) Liteon SM-8861 Mouse(MY) Silver(WW) LiteonSM-8861Mouse(No Battery)Silver(WW) Liteon SM-8861(JP) Mouse-Silver(WW) Power cords Volex 1.0m C5 US Power Cable longwell Black Single-end 1.0m SAAPower Cable Volex 1.0m C5 Austrilian Power Cable Luxshare 1.0m C5 Austrilian Power Cable 1.0M C5 JPN power cord with converter®...
Page 73
Longwell Black Single-end 1.0m SA C5Power Cable® Volex 1.0m C5 SA Power Cable Mechanical A720 Base Cover W/BCAS W/TV2 W/HDMI A720 Base Cover W/O BCAS W/O TV2 W/HDMI A720 Base Cover W/O BCAS W/O TV2 W/O HDMI A720 Base Cover W/O BCAS W/O TV W/HDMI A720 Power Board A720 LED Function Board A720 Scalar Board...
Need help?
Do you have a question about the IdeaCentre A720 and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers