Replace Apple Xserve 2009 Motherboard and fans

Notable specs:

Dual Xeon Nehalem CPU @ 2.26 GHz

No SSD

No Hardware RAID

Pull on release lever, and pull power supply out.

Loosen the 2 thumbscrews on the back of the xserve to release the top.

Slide top back, and lift top off.

If the hard drives or blanks are still in the xserve, push the handle in to pop it out.

Pull the hard drive and blank sleds out.

Slide lever lock to release the CD/DVD drive.

Slide CD/DVD drive back.

Lift drive up and unplug the SATA connector on the back.

Using a #1 Phillips screwdriver, unscrew the screws on each side of PCI slot #2 on the back of the computer.

Once the screws are loosened, the PCI riser card should lift out of the slot.

Repeat for PCI slot #1

Remove the RAM from all slots.

Using a 3.0mm Hex wrench (Allen wrench), loosen the 4 screws that hold the processor and heatsink down.

Unplug the sensor cable.

Lift the heatsink and processor off the motherboard.

Repeat if you have the dual processor model.

Using a #1 phillips screwdriver, loosen the 5 screws that hold the plastic bezel in place.

Remove the plastic bezel.

Using a #2 phillips screwdriver, loosen the 2 screws that hold the fan array in place

Lift the fan array out.

Using the spudger, lift the connector on the right.

Carefully squeeze the connector on the left and unplug it.

Using the spudger, lift the CD/DVD connector by the CPU A RAM slots.

Using a #2 screwdriver, loosen the 9 screws that hold the motherboard in place.

There are 3 rows of 3 screws each. 1 row by the back of the computer, 1 row in the middle and 1 row by the fan array. They are obvious by the black plastic spacer/retainer on them.

Using a #2 screwdriver, loosen the screw on the power board.

Slide it up to disconnect it from the motherboard.

Remove the 2 screws that hold the video card on.

Slide the card out of the socket.

Lift the motherboard and slide it out ofthe connectors on the back of the computer.

Then tip the motherboard up and out of the computer.