How To Upgrade Your Laptop

Boost your laptop's performance and capabilities by upgrading its storage, memory, or Wi-Fi, revitalizing it without the need for a complete replacement. Whether you're aiming for faster load times, smoother multitasking, or improved connectivity, this guide will walk you through the steps to upgrade these key components, helping you get the most out of your laptop. If you want to know what parts we use when upgrading our laptops, visit our website. The parts listed here are the ones we feel confident in. Also, if you aren't sure how much memory you should buy, we have a dedicated video on that.

The first thing you should do is check whether these components can even be upgraded in your laptop. Many modern laptops, like MacBooks, have everything soldered and can't be upgraded after you purchase the device. Before you run out to buy new parts, research whether the parts you want to upgrade can actually be replaced in your particular laptop by watching our reviews of your specific laptop, as we usually note this. An alternative option is visiting a site like Notebookcheck. They have detailed breakdowns on almost all laptops and include what is upgradeable.

Now that you know what you can and can't upgrade, you must buy the right parts. For example, DDR4 memory will not fit into DDD5 memory slots and vice versa. The manufacturer of your laptop should have tech specs available that outline what type of memory and storage your laptop supports.

When it comes to Wi-Fi cards, these are primarily universal, so most Wi-Fi cards will work in any laptop.

Once you've chosen the parts, you'll want to buy a screwdriver suitable for laptops and a spudger kit. These are listed on our website.

Now that you have the tools and parts you need, follow these steps to ensure a smooth upgrade.

1. Back Up Critical Data

Before you begin removing parts from your device, ensure you have backed up all your critical data in the cloud or on an external drive. If you are upgrading your primary storage drive where your operating system is located, make sure that you have created a bootable USB key of your operating system to boot the laptop back up. Migration tools are available that will copy all your existing data to your new drive and make it bootable, but you'll probably need to buy an external SSD enclosure.

2. Disable BitLocker

Once you've backed up your data, we advise disabling BitLocker disk encryption if you use Windows. If you don't disable it, you may find that Windows won't boot afterward, forcing you to go through an annoying process of visiting a Microsoft website to enter a very long key into your laptop. This is particularly important if you are upgrading the SSD, but it could also be triggered when upgrading memory.

3. Remove Back of Laptop

Now, you're ready to perform the upgrade itself. First, ensure the laptop is turned off. Flip the laptop over, placing it on a surface that won't scratch your lid. Carefully undo the screws to avoid stripping them. Open the device slightly to place your palm on the palm rest.

Then, gently push so that the back of the laptop starts to come off. Place a plastic spudger tool in the gap and wedge the back off of the laptop. Do not use a metal tool, as it can scratch the device. We also do not recommend using your fingernails because it could cause severe pain. If the back won't come off, it likely has screws underneath its rubber feet. You'll need to remove the rubber feet before removing those screws.

Please note: a small number of laptops we've encountered, like the Framework laptop, have their internals accessed underneath the keyboard deck rather than the back of the device, so you'll need to remove that instead.

4. Remove Battery Power Cable

Once the back of the laptop is off, remove the battery's power cable and wait a few seconds. This will ensure your device is completely off and no power is running through it. If you have further concerns about shorting your laptop, you could invest in an anti-static wrist strap. That said, we've upgraded many laptops and have never experienced an issue with this.

5. Upgrade Memory

To upgrade your laptop's memory, you'll want to find the memory slot or slots. To remove the existing memory, push on the clips holding the memory in place. It will then pop up. Slide the old memory out and gently replace it with your new memory. Then, push it down so that it clips back into place.

6. Upgrade Storage

To upgrade the storage, find the SSD drive. If there is already one inside the laptop, unscrew it. Some laptops come with spare SSD slots, so you won't find a drive already there. Slide the new drive in and screw it down.

7. Upgrade Wi-Fi

To upgrade your laptop's Wi-Fi, find and unscrew the Wi-Fi card. You'll then need to disconnect the antennas. Then, get your new card and snap the antenna cables back in by matching the colors indicated on the card.

Please note: It can be challenging to snap the antenna cables in if the card is not held at a certain angle.

If you have difficulties, try to snap in the antenna cables before placing your new card in the slot. That will allow you to hold the card at the optimal angle for connecting those cables. Once you have placed it back in the slot with the antenna cables attached, screw it down.

8. Reassemble Laptop

Once you finish your upgrade, plug the battery cable back in and reassemble the back of the laptop. I would advise that you don't screw all the screws back in until you've at least booted the laptop once to check that everything is working. It will be a pain to fully unscrew the back of the laptop again if something is not working.

9. Check Upgrades are Recognized

To verify that your RAM is correctly recognized, you can open Task Manager and check the amount of memory there. Use the free Hardware Info application to confirm even more details about your installed memory.

To verify that your storage is correctly recognized, open Disk Management on Windows and ensure you see the drive. You may also need to format the drive in Disk Management before it appears in File Explorer.

To verify your Wi-Fi is installed correctly, open Device Manager and ensure the model matches your expectations.

Occasionally, a laptop will not have the correct Wi-Fi drivers installed for a new card. If this occurs, we recommend keeping an ethernet cable and dongle on hand so that you can connect your laptop directly to the router. That way, your operating system can download the new drivers.

10. Update System and Re-Enable BitLocker

It's always good to run a System Update after you've installed new hardware in case specific drivers or firmware need to be installed.

Once you've verified everything is working, screw back in the remaining screws on the back of your laptop. Then, re-enable BitLocker encryption if you use Windows.

With these upgrades, you can significantly enhance your laptop's performance and adaptability to meet your evolving needs. Whether you're a student, professional, or casual user, investing in storage, memory, and Wi-Fi upgrades can prolong your device's lifespan and ensure it keeps up with the demands of modern computing. So, don't let an outdated laptop hold you back—take the initiative to upgrade and unlock its full potential.