How to open Acer Aspire 16 (A16-51GM) – disassembly and upgrade options

Undo the 10 Philips-head screws securing the bottom panel.
Lift the top two edges using a thin plastic tool, keeping the plastic inserted into the chassis.
Raise the zones behind the hinges with a lever tool and then proceed to pry the back, sides, and front to fully remove the bottom panel.

More info: Here’s how the bottom panel looks on the inside.

Battery Removal

Pull out the battery connector from the mainboard.
Undo the two Philips-head screws that secure the battery to the base.
Lift the battery unit to remove it.

Note: This laptop has a 53Wh battery, providing approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes of video playback with the “Battery Saver” preset in Windows enabled.

Memory Information

The RAM section is protected by a metal shroud with a thermal pad on the inside. Lift the shroud with a lever tool to access the memory.
Up to 8GB of RAM is soldered, but the laptop includes a SODIMM slot for dual-channel mode.
The SODIMM slot supports up to 16GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM sticks, but the CPU can handle up to 96GB.

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

Storage Upgrade

There are two M.2 slots for storage expansion: the right slot is for Gen 4 SSDs, and the other is for Gen 3 SSDs.
After undoing the single screw that secures the NVMe drive, push the plastic hook in front to release the SSD.

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

You can buy compatible SSDs here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Wi-Fi Card

The Wi-Fi card is located below the right cooling fan.

Cooling System Overview

The cooling system features two fans, two heat pipes, one long top-mounted heat sink, and two heat spreaders, ensuring sufficient cooling for an entry-level dedicated GPU setup.

Acer Aspire 16 (A16-51GM) in-depth review

In 2024, the market is literally flooded with budget machines which is a good thing for end users who need inexpensive daily drivers. The Acer Aspire 16 (A16-51GM) doesn't cost an arm and a leg but this fella is also an entry-level gaming device thanks to the 40W RTX 2050 under the bonnet. The notebook may be not so costly but it's future-proof because of the SODIMM and the pair of M.2 slots. The port selection is also adequate for the class. You can also choose from two 15W Intel Raptor Lake-U Refresh processors. They aren't too thirsty and offer enough power to not bottleneck the modest grap[...]

Read the full review

Pros

Adequate battery life given the modest 53Wh unit - 7 hours and a half of video playback
Decent input devices
Fair price
Decently solid build quality
Metal lid with a lever design
Light for a 16-incher with a dGPU (1.88 kg)
PWM-free (LGD079B)
Wide viewing angles +335 nits of max brightness (LGD079B)
Decent port selection for the class with a Thunderbolt 4 and an HDMI 2.1
Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3
The fan isn't too noisy during gaming
The Core 7 150U can maintain ~4.00 GHz / 2.90 GHz P and E-core clock in short CPU loads
The RTX 2050 sustains a 39W TGP in "Silent" mode and 40W in "Performance"
Fast SSD for the class (Micron 2550)
SODIMM slot for memory in dual-channel mode
2x M.2 slots
1080p@60FPS Web camera