Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

12

Time Required

                          30 minutes - 1 hour

Sections

3

  • Back Cover
  • 3 steps
  • Steam Deck Battery Disconnection
  • 4 steps
  • Audio Board
  • 5 steps

Flags

1

Provided Hardware

A manufacturer provided iFixit with this device or component.

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Introduction

Before you begin, completely power down and unplug all cables from your Steam Deck. Remember to follow general electrostatic discharge (ESD) safety procedures while repairing the device.

The audio board is home to the Steam Deck’s headphone jack and volume buttons.

What you need

Step 1

              Remove the back cover screws
  • To minimize risk of damage, turn on your Steam Deck and allow the battery to discharge below 25% before starting your repairs. A charged lithium-ion battery can be very dangerous if accidentally punctured.
  • Before starting this guide, power down your Steam Deck and unplug any cables.
  • As an extra precaution, Valve recommends putting your Steam Deck into battery storage mode within the BIOS before starting any internal repairs. Read how to do that here.
  • If you have a microSD card installed, make sure to remove it before opening the Steam Deck.
  • Use a Phillips driver to remove the eight screws securing the back cover:
  • Four 9.5 mm screws
  • Four 5.8 mm screws
  • Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your Steam Deck.

To minimize risk of damage, turn on your Steam Deck and allow the battery to discharge below 25% before starting your repairs. A charged lithium-ion battery can be very dangerous if accidentally punctured.

Before starting this guide, power down your Steam Deck and unplug any cables.

As an extra precaution, Valve recommends putting your Steam Deck into battery storage mode within the BIOS before starting any internal repairs. Read how to do that here.

If you have a microSD card installed, make sure to remove it before opening the Steam Deck.

Use a Phillips driver to remove the eight screws securing the back cover:

Four 9.5 mm screws

Four 5.8 mm screws

Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your Steam Deck.

1024

Step 2

              Unclip the back cover
  • Insert an opening pick into the thin gap between the back cover and the front shell, along the edge of the right grip.
  • Pry up on the back cover to release it from the locking clips.

Insert an opening pick into the thin gap between the back cover and the front shell, along the edge of the right grip.

Pry up on the back cover to release it from the locking clips.

Step 3

              Remove the back cover
  • Once the clips are disconnected from one edge, the rest disconnect easily.
  • Grip the back cover at the opening you just created and pull it up and away from the device to unclip the long edges.
  • Remove the back cover.

Once the clips are disconnected from one edge, the rest disconnect easily.

Grip the back cover at the opening you just created and pull it up and away from the device to unclip the long edges.

Remove the back cover.

Step 4

              Uncover the hidden shield screw
  • Use a pair of tweezers to remove the piece of foil tape covering the hidden screw on the board shield.
  • If possible, try not to rip or tear this tape so it can be reused. If necessary, you can fashion a replacement by cutting a piece of aluminum foil tape to fit.

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the piece of foil tape covering the hidden screw on the board shield.

If possible, try not to rip or tear this tape so it can be reused. If necessary, you can fashion a replacement by cutting a piece of aluminum foil tape to fit.

Step 5

              Remove the shield screws
  • Use a Phillips driver to remove the three screws securing the board shield:
  • One 3.4 mm screw
  • Two 3.7 mm screws

Use a Phillips driver to remove the three screws securing the board shield:

One 3.4 mm screw

Two 3.7 mm screws

Step 6

              Remove the shield
  • Remove the board shield.
  • During reassembly, ensure that the fan cable lays on the side of the board shield and isn’t pinched underneath.

Remove the board shield.

During reassembly, ensure that the fan cable lays on the side of the board shield and isn’t pinched underneath.

Step 7

              Disconnect the battery
  • Grip the battery cable by its pull tab and pull it directly away from the motherboard to disconnect it.
  • Alternatively, use the flat end of a spudger to gently push the connector out of its socket, then disconnect it completely by hand.

Grip the battery cable by its pull tab and pull it directly away from the motherboard to disconnect it.

Alternatively, use the flat end of a spudger to gently push the connector out of its socket, then disconnect it completely by hand.

Step 8

              Disconnect the audio cable
  • Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift up the small locking flap on the audio cable’s ZIF connector.

Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift up the small locking flap on the audio cable’s ZIF connector.

Step 9

  • Use a pair of tweezers to slide the cable out of its connector.
  • Grip the cable by its pull tab, not by the cable itself.

Use a pair of tweezers to slide the cable out of its connector.

Grip the cable by its pull tab, not by the cable itself.

Step 10

              Disconnect the mic cable
  • Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift up on the mic cable’s white locking tab.
  • You should feel a small tactile bump once the connector unlocks.
  • Use a pair of tweezers to pull the mic cable up and out of its connector.
  • With the connector properly unlocked, the mic cable should slide out with little to no resistance.
  • During reassembly, ensure that the locking tab is in its unlocked, lifted position before reinserting the mic cable. Press down on the tab to lock the cable in place.

Use the pointed end of a spudger to lift up on the mic cable’s white locking tab.

You should feel a small tactile bump once the connector unlocks.

Use a pair of tweezers to pull the mic cable up and out of its connector.

With the connector properly unlocked, the mic cable should slide out with little to no resistance.

During reassembly, ensure that the locking tab is in its unlocked, lifted position before reinserting the mic cable. Press down on the tab to lock the cable in place.

Step 11

              Remove the audio board screws
  • Use a Phillips driver to remove the two 3.7 mm screws securing the audio board.

Use a Phillips driver to remove the two 3.7 mm screws securing the audio board.

Step 12

              Remove the audio board
  • Use a pair of tweezers to grip the audio board by the headphone jack.
  • Pivot the board up and out of its recess to remove it.

Use a pair of tweezers to grip the audio board by the headphone jack.

Pivot the board up and out of its recess to remove it.

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

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Steam Deck answers community for help.

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                                                                                      One other person completed this guide.

Author

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                    Carsten Frauenheim

Member since: 03/10/2020

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Bónitz András - Jun 12, 2022

Reply

When will the audio board be available? Currently the part isn’t even listed.

Sarah kai - Jul 1, 2022

Reply

So glad that Steam made it easy for user to buy individual parts from a 3rd party, much more to iFix it. Can’t wait to get my hands on this beast.

Erik Carlson - Sep 11, 2022

Reply

Any chance of a photo of the underside of the audio board, I need to replace the headphone socket for a friend and can’t tell which version to order so that i only have to take it apart once.