How to open Acer Aspire 5 (A514-55) – disassembly and upgrade options
Step 1: Accessing the Internal Components
- Ensure the Acer Aspire 5 (A514-55) is powered off and placed on a soft, clean surface to prevent scratches or damage.
- Remove the 10 Phillips-head screws from the bottom of the laptop.
- Use a plastic tool to gently pry the bottom panel off, starting from one of the upper two corners.
Hint: Be careful during this process to avoid damaging the internal clips or the laptop casing.
Step 2: Removing the Battery
- Disconnect the battery by removing its connector from the motherboard.
- Undo the two Phillips-head screws securing the battery to the laptop’s chassis, then lift the 54.6Wh battery away from the device.
Caution: Handle the battery and its connector with care to avoid any damage.
More info: The 54.6Wh battery provides up to 8 hours and 20 minutes of web browsing or 6 hours and 40 minutes of video playback, offering a decent battery life for daily tasks.
Memory Upgrade
- Identify the SODIMM slot for memory expansion. The laptop comes with 4 or 8GB of soldered DDR4 RAM, and the SODIMM slot can accommodate up to 16GB of DDR4-3200MHz memory.
- Upgrade the memory to achieve a maximum of 24GB in dual-channel mode for improved performance.
You can buy DDR4 RAM modules here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)
Storage Upgrade
- Locate the M.2 slot compatible with Gen 4 NVMe SSDs for a high-speed storage upgrade. Additionally, there’s a SATA slot for adding regular SSDs or HDDs for extra storage space.
- Consider upgrading both storage options to enhance the laptop’s storage capacity and performance.
You can buy Gen 4 M.2 SSD modules here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)
Examining the Cooling System
Review the cooling system, which includes one fan, one heat pipe, a single heat sink, and a heat spreader, designed to manage the thermal output of the device efficiently.