How to open Lenovo Legion Pro 5 (16″, Gen 10) – disassembly and upgrade options

Power off the laptop and place it on a soft, clean surface.
Remove the 10 screws securing the bottom panel.
Use a thin plastic pry tool to release the clips around the edges. Work carefully so the tool doesn’t dip too far into the chassis and touch internal components.
Lift the bottom cover away from the base.

More info: Once inside, the layout is well organized, with clearly separated cooling, memory, storage, wireless, and battery zones.

Step 2: Battery Removal

Disconnect the battery cable from the motherboard before working on any internal component.
Undo the screws securing the 80Wh battery pack.
Lift the battery out of the chassis.

More info: The battery is an 80Wh unit rated at 15.52V. It is screw-mounted rather than glued in place, which makes future replacement much easier. Lenovo also supports Super Rapid Charge on this platform.

Memory Upgrade

The RAM is located under the EMI shield in the center of the motherboard.
Carefully remove the shield to access the two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots.
Our unit is equipped with two Kingston 16GB DDR5 modules.
Officially, Lenovo lists support for up to 32GB DDR5-5200 in dual-channel mode.
To upgrade the memory, insert the new module at an angle, then press it down until the side clips lock it in place.

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

Storage Upgrade

The laptop offers two M.2 slots for SSDs.
In our configuration, the primary drive is a Samsung PM9C1b 1TB NVMe SSD running over PCIe 4.0 x4.
The second slot is free and ready for expansion.
Lenovo officially lists support for up to two M.2 2242 SSDs, up to 1TB each in standard configurations.
In practice, the chassis can also accommodate 2280-sized drives and capacities above 1TB per slot.

You can buy Gen 4 M.2 SSDs here: Buy from Amazon.ca (#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 uses two fans, multiple heat pipes, and a large rear fin stack connected to a wide rear exhaust.
There is also additional venting on the sides, which helps the laptop handle sustained performance loads.
This is a strong thermal design for a 16-inch gaming machine, while still keeping service access straightforward.

More info: The wireless card is replaceable and uses a standard M.2 form factor with two antenna leads. Depending on the configuration, the laptop may come with either Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.2 or Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4.

More info: RAM, both SSD slots, the Wi-Fi card, and the battery are user-replaceable. The CPU and GPU are soldered to the motherboard.

Lenovo Legion Pro 5 (16", Gen 10) in-depth review

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 (16", Gen 10) arrives with a singular purpose: to deliver the absolute best gaming performance in its class, wrapped in a chassis that means business. It doesn't rely on flashy gimmicks or overly aggressive styling; instead, it lets its benchmarks do the talking. And talk they do - in our testing, this unassuming machine shattered expectations, clocking in as the fastest RTX 5060 laptop we have ever reviewed. But this relentless pursuit of speed comes with a significant compromise that tethers it to the wall. Is record-breaking performance enough to make you overloo[...]

Read the full review