How to open Acer Nitro 16 (AN16-42) – disassembly and upgrade options

LaptopMedia.com Guides How to open Acer Nitro 16 (AN16-42) - disassembly and upgrade options

From: Severin Kolakov 01 August 2024 / 13:20 | 0

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Acer Nitro 16

Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS
VideoCard: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (Laptop)
RAM: 32GB RAM
STORAGE: 1000GB SSD

Detailed review

$1299^.00

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Opening the Device

Undo the 11 Phillips-head screws securing the bottom panel.
Hold firmly the two plastic vents on the rear and pop the panel to the level of the LAN connector.
Use a thin plastic tool to pry the rest of the sides and the front to remove the bottom panel.

More info: On the inside of the bottom plate, there is a big dust filter for the two central ventilation grills and a dedicated socket for the battery that secures the unit in place.

Battery Removal

Pull out the battery connector from the motherboard.
Lift the battery to remove it from the device.

Note: The device uses a 90Wh battery, providing approximately 11 hours of video playback. To achieve this, apply the “Best Power Efficiency” preset in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and select the “Eco” and “Optimus” modes in the Acer Nitro Sense app.

Memory Information

Note: The RAM section, the right SSD slot, and the preinstalled NVMe are covered with foil. The two SODIMMs can handle up to 32GB of DDR5-5600MHz memory in dual-channel mode. The CPU can support up to 256GB, so the laptop likely wouldn’t have issues running more than the official manufacturer’s specified limit. A thermal pad beneath the foil also cools the memory module.

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

Storage Upgrade

Locate the two M.2 slots compatible with 2280 Gen 4 SSDs.
Remove the preinstalled SSD and the thermal pad below it, if present.
Install the new SSD in the slot.

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 to the left of the battery.

Cooling System Overview

The cooling system includes a pair of fans, two long heat pipes shared between the CPU and GPU, alongside one more pipe for the processor, and two additional ones dedicated to the graphics card memory and VRMs.
The system also features four heat sinks and two large metal plates, with the taller one on the GPU side.
Ensure all cooling components are clean and free of dust for optimal performance.

Acer Nitro 16 (AN16-42) in-depth review

Acer is one of the manufacturers that offers a lot of Zen 4 laptops in different form factors. The Acer Nitro 16 (AN16-42) is one of the top dogs despite the fully plastic build. This machine has a hefty thermal system that cools AMD Zen 4 Hawk Point-HS CPU and NVIDIA Ada Lovelace graphics cards. The most powerful combo available is AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS plus the 140W RTX 4070. All that is complemented by good upgradability and a nice port selection with five USB connectors. Let's continue with the good news - you also get NVIDIA Advanced Optimus, a MUX switch, and G-SYNC support. The base displ[...]

Read the full review

Pros

Great performance
Covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut and has accurate colors with our "Design and Gaming" profile (AUOCDAB)
165Hz refresh rate + wide viewing angles (AUOCDAB)
No PWM (AUOCDAB)
Very high max brightness of 548 nits (CSW1437)
MUX switch + Nvidia Advanced Optimus + G-SYNC
Five USB ports
Great keyboard
Long battery life (~11 hours of video playback)
Solid base
The CPU and the GPU can maintain high frequencies during full loads (~4.90 GHz / 2640 MHz)
Great "Performance" preset that offers almost the same overall system power as the "Turbo" mode and way less aggressive fans
Very snappy SSD (1TB Micron 3500 MTFDKBA1T0TGD-1BK15ABYY)