Can You Update The Processor On A Laptop

Even if it'southward silver or bluish on the exterior, to most folks, a laptop PC looks like an bulletproof black box on the inside—you wouldn't dream of cracking it open up. Some notebooks, indeed, do their best to go on you out. Just if you can remove your laptop's bottom panel, chances are proficient that there's something inside—or perhaps several somethings—that you can upgrade.

Notebooks, of grade, aren't nearly as flexible every bit your typical desktop PC when it comes to hardware swaps. Simply upgrading your laptop, within the confines of what it will allow, can be a great way to become more than life out of it. Depending on the model, you might be able to add more than arrangement memory (RAM) to go far more responsive, upgrade the storage drive for a capacity and performance boost, or replace the bombardment to rejuvenate the accuse-holding that the machine had when information technology was new.

What y'all can really practice yourself varies from laptop model to laptop model, however. This guide helps you lot identify which laptop components you lot can (and tin can't) upgrade, and how to supersede them. We'll even discuss items like the Wi-Fi radio and the graphics processor (GPU), and how to handle whatever warranty issues that might come up upwardly if you perform upgrades.

Can Upgrades Void Your Laptop Warranty?

Kickoff off: Let'due south hash out warranties before diving into upgrades. To cut to the hunt, engaging in the process of upgrading or replacing parts in your laptop volition not void its warranty in and of itself. The FTC has plainly stated that you can't void a warranty by breaking a seal, and more recently, the agency announced plans to crevice down on companies that try to prevent their customers from repairing products.

That's not a license, yet, to dive in willy-nilly with screwdriver and pliers. The warranty won't comprehend damage that might occur from your upgrade efforts. If you don't feel confident you lot can do an upgrade on your ain, seek a qualified repair shop or a computer-savvy friend or relative to do the chore.

Then, What Exactly Tin I Upgrade?

This is a general guide for laptops produced from the early 2010s onward—that is, in the last decade. Information technology won't cover every configuration, simply information technology should get pretty close. You will definitely run across exceptions, though.

Early Microsoft Surface Laptop models and their fabric-coated keyboard decks, for example, are largely glued together and virtually-impossible to open up without damage. Or, a dissimilar limitation: Some Apple MacBooks use soldered-downwardly instead of removable components.

The bottom cover off, how information technology looks inside an older gaming laptop. (Photograph: Charles Jefferies)

That said, on average, the following components are commonly upgradable in a typical business organization or consumer laptop:

The main system memory (RAM).
The primary storage, which may come in the grade of an Thou.2 or mSATA solid-state drive or a 2.5-inch SSD or hard drive.
The secondary storage, if present (typically a two.5-inch hard drive, and merely on larger models).
The bombardment pack.
The wireless/Bluetooth bill of fare.

By contrast, the post-obit parts are almost never upgradable:

The processor (CPU)
The graphics fleck (GPU)

Each component above has its ain department in this guide, in which we'll explain how to identify whether it'southward upgradable in your laptop.

This guide doesn't discuss laptop components that are ofttimes proprietary or likewise specific for u.s. to offering general advice nearly, such equally the brandish, the keyboard, and the touchpad. Replacing those is sometimes possible, depending on the model and availability of parts. But in almost all cases, they would fall under the category of a repair rather than an upgrade. (You'll typically be swapping a broken component for an identical working one.)

Ideally, you'll starting time want to find a service manual on your laptop manufacturer'south support site that describes how to perform bones upgrades. If you can't, most notebooks are relatively simple to service. Pop models may have pro or apprentice repair videos on YouTube, although y'all should consider the expertise of the video'south poster before relying on ane fully. (Also exist sure your precise model is actually the one being upgraded!) As noted, any upgrade yous perform is at your own risk, so we strongly propose doing your research offset and not skimping on your toolkit.

Many laptops can exist upgraded without tools other than a few Philips screwdrivers (having several on hand, with larger or smaller heads, is a skillful idea), or in some cases various sizes of star-head or Torx screwdriver. In the absence of a service transmission to tell you the size(due south) or types you need, flip your laptop over and come across what fits. Almost laptops will use same-size screws inside and out for simpler servicing, simply non always.

For laptop upgrades, a screwdriver kit similar this Rosewill gear up (with a plethora of ordinary and Torx bits) will pay for itself many times over.

Don't rush; never effort to force a screw with a screwdriver that doesn't fit a screw caput snugly. It'due south just also easy to strip or hollow out the caput of a screw that way, which leaves you lot with a much bigger problem.

This is the general procedure for getting to the guts of a laptop:

Close down, unplug the laptop, and close its lid.
On a desk or other flat, sturdy surface, identify the laptop upside-down on a towel or other soft cloth to avert scratches (and catch stray screws).
Undo the screws property the laptop'due south bottom panel in place, and (gently!) remove the console.
A credit card or plastic trim tool can aid dissever the console from the chassis if information technology's held in by clips or just being stubborn. Never force anything!

Then gear up the bottom console aside and segregate the screws you removed from the panel earlier proceeding.

An HP laptop with its bottom panel removed: Piece of cake access to the retentiveness, SSD, battery, and wireless menu. (Photograph: Charles Jefferies)

You lot might use small dishes or trays—1 for exterior screws and one for interior screws—to hold screws after y'all accept them out. (Notation that some laptops use "convict" retainer screws, which volition loosen but won't come up out of the panel.) Screw lengths tin can vary, so pay close attention as you remove them; you don't want to return a screw that's too long into the wrong hole. (It either won't go all the fashion in or could even cause harm as it does.) We are partial to magnetic parts trays to keep screws separated yet secured. (Y'all tin find ones swell for PC screws for just a few dollars from sellers every bit diverse every bit Micro Center and Harbor Freight.)

Magnetic parts trays are invaluable for PC upgraders and builders.

If you're dealing with a mix of spiral lengths, though, a good alternative is taping them to a sheet of paper in the relative positions they came out of the laptop. (A rough sketch on the paper of the laptop's underside, and the position of the screw holes on it, will also help.)

PC Upgrade Tools to Consider...

Rosewill 32-Piece Precision Screwdriver with Scrap Fix RPCT-10001

Fellowes 55-slice Expanded Computer System Toolkit (49106)

Katzco Magnetic Mini Tray Holders - 4 Pack Multi Color - Use in Garage, Home, Construction - for Basics, Bolts, Washers, Iron, Nails, Screws, Sockets, Bits, Etc. - 4 Inch Diameter 10 1-one/4 Inch Depth

Pro tip: Go on any and all parts you replace! Should yous demand to ship in the laptop for warranty service, you should reinstall the original parts before doing so. The reason for this is simple: If the service section decides to supersede parts or your entire laptop, the parts you changed won't disappear in the process. (If you decide to discard the parts anyway, do then properly; many electronics stores will recycle them at no charge.)

Okay, your laptop is now open for business! Let'south get through the individual components.

And so-DIMM, Then Proficient: Upgrading Laptop Memory

Increasing a computer'south random-admission memory (RAM) is ane of the well-nigh common upgrades. Calculation RAM almost always yields superior multitasking and improved responsiveness.

Laptop makers are increasingly turning to soldered memory, nonetheless, particularly on premium sparse and calorie-free models, which makes retention upgrades incommunicable. How do you know if your laptop has soldered memory? Read its specifications—if the memory blazon starts with "LP," as in LPDDR3 or LPDDR4X, it's soldered in place, and you're out of luck.

On the other manus, if your laptop has SO-DIMM slots, your memory can exist upgraded. (And so-DIMMs are laptop-specific RAM modules, shorter than the classic DIMMs that work in traditional total-size desktops.) Your PC'south specifications or service manual should list the number of retention slots (1 or 2 is common), the memory type and speed (DDR4-2666, DDR4-3200, and and so on), pin count (DDR4 will be 260-pin), and the maximum supported corporeality in gigabytes (GB). An app like HWiNFO64 can tell you all that, along with how much memory is installed currently; Crucial's Organization Scanner website is even simpler. You'll need to purchase memory modules that exactly match the correct specifications. If the laptop has DDR4, you'll demand DDR4, for case.

A Crucial DDR4 So-DIMM. Matching the laptop's recommended peak memory speed and not exceeding the per-slot capacity limit are both—wait for it!—crucial.

Employ these guidelines to plan your memory upgrade:

Your usage determines how much memory you need. The bare minimum for a reasonably responsive Windows or macOS laptop is 8GB, though you'll desire 16GB for much-improved multitasking. Some laptops support up to 32GB or 64GB (and some workstations 128GB) for extreme calculating needs.
Each And then-DIMM slot has a maximum per-module capacity. Don't exceed it. If you lot exercise, the module won't work. (For case, if each slot takes upwards to a 16GB SO-DIMM, don't try and install ii 32GB SO-DIMMs.) Also, for best results, match the recommended memory speed. Matched pairs of And then-DIMMs are best.
If your laptop has two SO-DIMM slots but only one is occupied, you tin simply install another module in the other slot. It doesn't have to exist the aforementioned capacity—for example, you lot tin install an 8GB module aslope a 4GB module to go 12GB total—merely information technology should be of the aforementioned rated height speed (such as DDR4-2666). If both slots are occupied and you intend to supervene upon both modules, buy a paired retentiveness kit with same-capacity, aforementioned-speed modules (such as a 16GB kit containing ii 8GB sticks) for maximum performance and compatibility. Again, obey the peak per-module capacity and memory-speed recommendations from the laptop'southward maker.
Stick to major memory brands that offer a lifetime warranty, such as Corsair, Crucial, and Kingston, to proper noun a few. Information technology's also smart to purchase from an outlet that offers costless, like shooting fish in a barrel returns in the outcome the retentivity proves incompatible (which is rare but does occur). The surest bet is to buy RAM from your laptop maker or the shop that sold you the automobile, though those are also likely to be the most expensive options.

The memory upgrade procedure varies from laptop to laptop; follow your service manual if you have it. Otherwise, here's the general process.

Beginning, locate the Then-DIMM slots on the motherboard. The laptop in the photo below has ii slots, each with a memory module installed. One module is already released and gear up for removal.

Two SO-DIMM slots in a laptop. Notice the silver retaining clips belongings the modules down. (Photograph: Charles Jefferies)

To remove an existing module, simultaneously button the retainer clips to either side with your thumbs. The module will pop upwards at an bending. Grasp its sides with thumb and forefinger and gently pull information technology out in the management it's angled. Information technology should come up free with minimal effort.

The new modules volition get in the aforementioned way, inserted at an angle. The notch forth the gilded pins lining the bottom of the module only permits insertion one fashion. (Don't touch the gold pins, lest you transfer oils from your fingertips and impede performance.) Push the module firmly but gently into the slot until it stops (the gold pins should exist just visible), then press the elevation of the module downward until the retainer clips concur it in place. Never force anything! Stop if the module isn't going in easily; in that location'due south only ane right fashion to insert it.

After you reassemble your laptop, it may accept a few extra seconds to kicking upwardly (and may beep in the process) as it recognizes the new RAM. Running a pre-kicking retentivity test like Memtest86+ from a wink drive for several hours or overnight is a wise precaution to ensure the new memory is mistake-free. Windows 10 also has a built-in Windows Memory Diagnostic tool; search for "memory test" from the Start menu to locate it.

Give Me Room: Upgrading Laptop Storage (SSDs and Difficult Drives)

Later on adding memory, increasing storage is the next nearly common laptop upgrade. A new storage drive can give you more capacity and functioning for a more than responsive arrangement, peculiarly if you're replacing an old hard bulldoze with a more modernistic solid-country drive (SSD). Indeed, going from a hard drive to an SSD is an virtually certain turbo boost.

Storage drives used in laptops commonly come up in i of four types:

An Thousand.2 SSD that goes into an Grand.2 slot (working over the PCI Express or SATA bus).
A 2.5-inch hard drive or SSD (working over the SATA motorbus).
An mSATA SSD that goes into a now-obsolete mSATA slot (working, as yous might approximate, over the SATA bus).
A soldered-downwardly SSD or eMMC retentiveness (the latter usually found in the cheapest laptops, and neither beingness upgradable).

The stick-of-gum-shaped Thousand.ii format has been common in laptops since the tardily 2010s; the photo below shows an example.

An M.two solid-land drive. (Photo: Charles Jefferies)

M.2 SSDs used in laptops come in sizes or lengths ranging from 42mm (M.2 Type-2242) to 80mm (Yard.2 Type-2280), the latter existence the about common.

The other yet-used format is the 2.five-inch slab, used get-go for spinning hard drives and later for SSDs.

A 2.5-inch solid-country drive with SATA connector. (Photo: Charles Jefferies)

The 2.v-inch drive is largely going away in laptops, since difficult drives are existence phased out as kick drives and M.2 drives have become inexpensive plenty (while taking upward much less space in today'southward slim laptops). The other form gene nosotros've mentioned, mSATA, was a precursor to Grand.two that has not been used in new laptops for some years now, but still shows upwardly in older laptops. (Replacements are still available if your arrangement requires such a drive.)

And then which drive format does your laptop use? The service manual volition tell yous, or you can but remove the lesser panel and take a peek. Note that the drive may exist covered with a heatsink. If you can't readily come across it, there's a possibility the drive may simply be soldered-down fries you can't upgrade, but it could also exist layered under other components. In some models, the motherboard and M.2 slot might be accessible but from beneath the keyboard, non the bottom panel, which is why looking for a service manual or model-specific video tin can save you some trouble. Notation: An eMMC memory boot bulldoze volition never itself be upgradable, so at that place's no bespeak in investigating further if you lot know that is what your laptop has.

If your laptop uses an G.ii drive, verify whether the drive employs the older SATA motorbus or newer PCI Express omnibus, and purchase an SSD of the aforementioned type. The replacement bulldoze you purchase volition besides demand to be of the same physical length. (When in doubt, search for the drive'south model number, which should be printed on it.) One contraction with modern Thou.two SSDs using the PCI Express interface is that you lot'll want to know whether your laptop supports PCI Express 3.0 drives (very probable) or PCI Limited 4.0 ones (much less likely). A 4.0 drive will work in a three.0 laptop, but at slower speeds, and it'due south best to match types. (Run into much more on the topic in our roundups of the all-time overall M.ii SSDs and best PCI Limited M.2 SSDs.)

Buyers of ii.five-inch and mSATA drives don't have to worry nearly interface or length, since those drives are one-size-and-ane-interface (SATA) fits all. (For drive recommendations, meet our guide to the best internal SSDs.) If you lot have a 2.v-inch hard drive in your laptop, you can replace it with a higher-capacity ii.five-inch hard bulldoze or a 2.v-inch SSD. The latter should experience far snappier than a hard drive. The only fitment event to check (by and large a not-event with newer laptops) is ii.5-inch bulldoze thickness. Most contempo laptops with a 2.5-inch bay should accept a 7mm-loftier clearance within the bay, and you lot should check that the 2.5-inch drive you are inserting is that peak. Some older laptops may have a roomier 9.5mm-high bay, and you may want a 7mm-to-9.5mm plastic spacer to fill the extra room.

This is a 7mm-thick ii.5-inch SATA SSD, with a plastic spacer attached for 9.5mm-high bays.

Now, onto installation. Replacing your laptop'due south main storage bulldoze ways y'all'll demand to back up its data and reinstall the operating system on the new bulldoze, a task this guide won't encompass. (Start here for some guidance if yous want to copy the whole Windows installation to the new bulldoze beforehand, non reinstall Windows; in addition, know that using a cloud storage service is oft easiest for information backups before a reinstall.)

We'll showtime with 2.5-inch drives (and go to M.ii and mSATA in a moment). These drives will sometimes exist retained in a caddy, which connects at four corners of the drive. The caddy itself may exist screwed into the laptop, in which instance you'll demand to undo those screws beginning. Subsequently you lift the caddy out, the old drive may withal be tethered by its connector, then undo that side by side. Gently pulling while wiggling the connector from side to side should do the trick.

The caddy itself may be attached to the drive via screws, every bit well, so disengage those if present. Fix the old drive aside. And so practice everything in reverse to install the new drive. First past attaching the caddy to the drive, and so plugging in the connector and seating the caddy in the laptop chassis. If necessary, spiral the caddy into the chassis.

Installing an M.2 or mSATA drive is easier. After removing the retainer screw (potentially ii for mSATA drives), elevator the edge of the drive where the screw is located by a few millimeters—the official range is 5mm to 20mm—and gently pull the drive out in the direction information technology's angled.

Removing an M.two SSD: Pull it gently at an angle. (Photograph: Charles Jefferies)

When installing the new bulldoze, insert it at the same bending (5mm to 20mm from horizontal) and gently push it in until the gilded pins at the bottom disappear. (Avoid touching the pins.) So press the tip of the drive down until the servant hole lines up with the screw hole, and supplant the screw(s). That's information technology.

Notation: You'll need a fine-tipped Philips screwdriver for the One thousand.ii screw. A magnetic-tipped i will help a lot with these notorious screws, which aren't much bigger than eyeglass screws and are super-easy to lose in a carpet or inside the guts of a laptop. Be warned, and be careful!

Tin I Upgrade My Laptop's CPU or GPU? (Don't Become Your Hopes Up)

Unlike desktops, laptops since the early 2010s have mostly used soldered rather than socketed CPUs, making upgrades incommunicable. The only exceptions to this dominion are the rare behemoth gaming rigs that utilize desktop processors, such equally the Alienware Area-51m. Apart from them, laptop CPU upgrades are accented non-starters.

Don't believe us? Look up the CPU model and see what socket it uses. If it's a BGA socket, that means it's soldered and can't exist upgraded. (Encounter our guide to choosing a laptop processor.)

As with CPUs, GPU upgrades are also a no-go in laptops, though non for entirely the same reasons. Most ordinary notebooks rely on graphics silicon that is integrated into the primary processor, such as Intel's UHD Graphics or Iris Xe Graphics, or AMD's Radeon Graphics integrated solutions. Upgrading these fries is impossible since they're a permanent part of the processor and thus, the mainboard.

Gaming laptops and mobile workstations that include a defended AMD or Nvidia GPU are also mostly impossible to upgrade, since the GPU is virtually always soldered to the motherboard. For the rare laptop that does take a modular GPU, changing it out for anything that differs from the original is a questionable prospect because of the potentially different heatsinks, chassis configurations, and/or power demands of other solutions that may accept been offered for purchase at configuration time.

This is true fifty-fifty for laptops that use Nvidia's supposedly modular MXM standard, which has disappeared from laptop pattern. MXM cards came in many formats and board layouts, compatibility wasn't guaranteed across brands, and the cards were prohibitively expensive. They were intended for laptop makers to blueprint around and integrate, allowing for some modicum of configurability at time of sale, not for consumer upgrades, though you could occasionally find them on the gray market.

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That said, you may however exist able to give your laptop a GPU heave if information technology has a Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 port. These let you to connect an external GPU (eGPU) like the Razer Core X Chroma (hit the link to sympathize what those enclosures can and can't do), into which yous install a compatible PCI Express desktop graphics carte du jour of your choice.

Dorsum in Accuse: Replacing the Battery Pack

One time upon a time, more laptops than not had removable batteries that could be swapped without tools. Only a few rugged laptops even so practise, merely battery replacement is all the same possible and can extend the usable life of your laptop.

Notebook batteries typically last for only a few hundred charge cycles earlier wearing out. If yours doesn't hold a charge for as long every bit information technology once did subsequently trying our tips for increasing battery life, information technology might be time for a battery replacement. Ditto if your laptop doesn't accuse when plugged in, and definitely if the battery is starting to swell.

You'll want to endeavour your best to source a genuine, i.due east., original battery from your laptop manufacturer. Third-political party batteries may not be designed to the same standards and may not offer the aforementioned chapters or potency equally manufacturing plant power packs. Paying a little actress for a genuine battery is worth the coin.

As for the replacement process, the batteries in most of today'southward laptops are sealed inside the chassis, which means getting to them requires removing the lesser access console equally described before. The battery should be easy to locate; it spans near of the chassis in the HP notebook in this photograph.

A laptop battery pack should be easy to spot once the bottom panel is off. (Photo: Charles Jefferies)

Advisedly notation how the battery connects to the motherboard, typically through a single connector every bit you lot tin can run into in the photo here. (Notation the handy illustration on how to remove the cable. This tin vary from laptop to laptop, but should requite y'all the general thought.)

Here'due south a closer look at the battery connector. (Photo: Charles Jefferies)

In addition to removing the connector, you'll need to undo any screws that secure the battery before y'all can remove it. (Recollect to isolate these screws from whatsoever others you may take installed, and record them down to a sketch of the laptop interior if they differ in length or girth.) Other wires may besides exist routed around the battery; take care not to pull or stress them. They'll need to go dorsum the mode they were. Taking a before-and-later photo of the interior with your smartphone is never a bad idea.

Installing the replacement battery is a reversal of the removal procedure. Route any wires around the battery, so put the new battery in place, screw information technology in, and plug in the connector. Again, never strength anything.

Subsequently yous replace the lesser console and plug in the laptop, its charging indicator should illuminate. You lot tin start using the laptop immediately. To test the battery, let information technology to charge fully, then use the laptop on battery power until it gives you lot a low-battery warning. Charge it once more and verify that it reaches full capacity.

Kicking Upwards the Connectivity: Upgrading the Wi-Fi Carte du jour

If yous're looking for a new wireless card to pair with your new Wi-Fi half-dozen router, you're in luck: Laptop Wi-Fi cards are mostly modular (non soldered) and can thus be upgraded.

The simplest way to identify yours is to refer to your laptop's service manual or locate the card under the system'due south bottom cover. The wireless menu is usually piece of cake to differentiate from others in your notebook since information technology will have at to the lowest degree one antenna pb; the menu in the HP shown below has ii.

This M.ii Wi-Fi carte has 2 antenna connectors. (Photograph: Charles Jefferies)

The main factor that affects which wireless carte du jour yous tin can use in your laptop is the interface. Laptops produced from the early-to-mid-2010s typically used Half Mini PCIe, while those made after that likely follow the newer Yard.2 Type-2230 (Primal E) standard. The ii kinds are not interchangeable or cross-compatible. The slots are keyed differently and won't even have a card of the other type.

Disallowment a service manual to tell you about your wireless menu slot, yous tin effigy information technology out just by examining the bill of fare. The ane shown higher up is identifiable as an Yard.2 2230 card by its unmarried centered retainer screw. A Half Mini PCIe card, as shown beneath, has two retainer screw holes, one at either corner.

This is a Half Mini PCIe Wi-Fi card, also with twin antenna connectors. (Photo: Charles Jefferies)

The other factor affecting your wireless upgrade choice is the number of antennas in your laptop. Most notebooks accept two, though even if your laptop has only a single antenna, you lot tin can still install a wireless carte that has two leads. Granted, with just one antenna continued, you won't get the signal-strength benefits of paired antennas. On the other mitt, if your laptop already has two antennas, don't buy a card with just one lead connector; you'll lose a degree of bespeak force.

Sourcing a wireless carte is easy enough; just poke around Newegg or Amazon. One key thing to note, though: Unless your laptop specifically supports Intel Integrated Connectivity (CNVi), which moves much of the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality into the processor itself, don't buy a wireless card with a CNVi characterization; it won't work.

Ready for installation? For Windows laptops, uninstall the old wireless card offset. Open up Device Manager past searching for information technology in the Showtime carte du jour. Expand the Network Adapters listing, right-click your wireless carte du jour, and click Uninstall. Later on, shut down your laptop.

Correct-clicking in Windows 10's Device Manager helps you lot uninstall the sometime card.

Earlier installing the new menu, note how the old menu's antenna or antennas connect, every bit you'll need to reconnect them to the same spot(southward) on the new card. Installing a unmarried-antenna card into a laptop with one antenna leaves no guesswork; otherwise, snap a quick reference photo.

For laptops with ii antennas, one is the primary and the other is the auxiliary. The main connects to the wireless bill of fare's No. two lead (it should be labeled equally such) while the auxiliary connects to No. 1. Sometimes, the antennas themselves are color-coded (black for principal, and white for auxiliary).

To remove the old carte, start by disconnecting the antenna lead(s). Grip the metal function right where information technology connects to the card and tug vertically; it should popular out. (Don't yank the cablevision itself.) Adjacent, remove the retaining screw (possibly 2, if it's a Half Mini PCIe card). Last, pull the card out of its slot past gripping it with thumb and forefinger and, ever then slightly, wiggling it complimentary while pulling horizontally.

To install the new menu, insert it into the slot, then put the screws in place. Accept care not to touch the gold pins along the bottom of the bill of fare. Finally, connect the antenna leads; press them downwards until they snap in. Stash or route the antenna cables every bit they were, so they don't go pinched when y'all replace the bottom panel.

The laptop's operating system should recognize the new card when you reboot and install it automatically.

Summing It Upwards: What Can I Upgrade?

Despite the modern motility towards soldered components, most laptops are at least in part upgrade- and repair-friendly. Adding memory, a larger and faster storage drive, and a fresh battery can revitalize your laptop and give it several more years' lease on life. In our experience, the most immediately impactful upgrades are moving from a platter hard drive to an SSD of any type, followed by installing more memory.

Processor and graphics upgrades are a no-go in 99.ix% of cases, but if those components no longer meet your needs, it's probably time for a new laptop anyway. And with that, nosotros wish you happy and successful upgrading! Drop your own upgrade tips and experiences in the comments below.

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Source: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-upgrade-your-laptop-a-part-by-part-guide

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