How to open Lenovo LOQ Essential (15″, Gen 11, 15IRX11) – disassembly and upgrade options

Power off the laptop and place it on a soft, clean surface.
Remove the bottom cover screws and carefully release the clips around the perimeter with a thin plastic tool.
Lift the panel away from the chassis.

More info: Once inside, the layout is easy to understand. You can immediately spot the single-fan cooling system with three heat pipes, the 60Wh battery at the front, the two RAM slots under a metal shield, the M.2 storage area, and the replaceable Wi-Fi card.

Step 2: Battery removal

Disconnect the battery cable from the motherboard before touching any other internal component.
Undo the 3 Phillips-head screws securing the 60Wh battery.
Lift the battery out of the chassis.

More info: The battery is one of the first major components you can remove, which is always a good sign for long-term serviceability.

Memory Upgrade

Remove the metal protective cover above the memory area.
You will find two user-accessible DDR5 SODIMM slots.
Our unit has one 16GB Ramaxel DDR5-5600 module installed, while the second slot is free.
Keep in mind that Lenovo officially rates this model for up to 16GB of DDR5-4800 memory in total, and the installed module also operates at roughly DDR5-4800 in practice.

More info: Even though the two-slot layout looks more flexible, anything beyond Lenovo’s official 16GB total specification should be treated as unofficial.

You can buy DDR5 RAM modules here: Buy from Amazon.com.au (#CommissionsEarned)

Storage Upgrade

The motherboard provides two M.2 slots for PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe SSDs.
Our unit ships with a 512GB Micron 2500 drive installed in the primary bay, while the second slot is free for expansion.
Both slots are designed for the shorter M.2 2242 form factor.
Although there is visible PCB space beyond the primary drive area, this unit does not have the far-end mounting post for a longer SSD, so the only storage length we can confidently confirm here is 2242.

You can buy M.2 2242 NVMe SSDs here: Buy from Amazon.com.au (#CommissionsEarned)

Hint: Don’t forget to check out our Top M.2 SSDs Performance Rankings for insights on the best storage options available.

Step 3: Cooling system overview

The cooling system relies on a single fan and three heat pipes shared between the processor and the discrete graphics chip.
It is a tidy, simple solution, but naturally more limited than the dual-fan designs found in higher-tier gaming laptops.
Basic dust cleaning is easy once the bottom cover is removed.

More info: The wireless card is also easy to access and replace, sitting next to the storage area rather than being hidden under the motherboard.

Lenovo LOQ Essential (15IRX11 / 15ARP11, Gen 11) in-depth review

The Lenovo LOQ Essential (15IRX11, Gen 11) wears its name on its sleeve. Positioned as the absolute entry point into Lenovo’s gaming lineup, it strips away the premium frills to focus on delivering a functional 1080p experience at an aggressively low price. But in the highly competitive world of budget gaming laptops, the term "essential" is often a polite way of saying "strict compromises." With a stripped-back single-fan cooling system, a heavily power-limited RTX 5050, and some rather peculiar connectivity choices, this machine forces you to ask a critical question: how much performan[...]

Read the full review