1. Loosen the two captive screws that attach the heat-sink assembly to the system board on either side of the assembly.
2. Pivot the assembly toward the back of the computer. (This will lift the heat sink off the CPU, exposing the thermal compound. Probably a good time to clean it off and apply something better.)
   
3. Disconnect the fan cable connector from the motherboard.
4. Simultaneously press the fan-release tab on one side of the fan assembly and pull the fan-release tab located on the bottom of the opposite side of the assembly upwards.
5. Slide the fan assembly toward the back of the computer and lift to remove the assembly.
   

/misc | Jan 07, 2013