Inside Acer Predator 17 (G9-791) – disassembly, internal photos and upgrade options

    We just love tearing down high-end models because most of the time they offer so many interesting details regarding the hardware. The Acer Predator G9-791 is no exception here and you’d be pleased to know that you can play around a lot with this big guy. And on top of that, the teardown is fairly easy, but it takes time.

    You can check the current price of Acer Predator 17 here:
    http://amzn.to/21rbrAo

    1. Removing the main service cover

    The main cover can be removed without any hassle. There are only two screws holding the lid and after removing it, you will have access to two RAM chip slots, one 2.5″ HDD/SSD slot and two M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD slots. Yes, that’s not a typo. Acer has provided one standard M.2 PCIe NVMe 2280 SSD slot with “M key” edge connector and right next to it is a rather rare type of SSD – 22110, again with “B key” edge connector. It’s quite hard to get a hold on a 22110 M.2 SSD in some regions because a really small portion of the notebooks on the market use this size. MacBooks, however, use the 22110 key. We are yet to see if the system supports two M.2 SSDs simultaneously.


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    2. Removing the lower casing

    In order to do so, you have to unscrew all the bolts around the back panel and the screws found under the main service lid. You will also want to remove the additional fan module/optical drive because there are two more screws beneath it. After all the unscrewing has been done, you can proceed with popping out the back cover. It’s relatively easy, but if you find it difficult, a small plastic tool or a credit card should do the trick. We’ve noticed something interesting – the bottom cover is rather sturdy and can’t be bent or twisted. It seems to be reinforced with a thick layer of aluminum and plastic on top.


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    After you’ve removed it, you can see the motherboard and the two main fans with the easily distinguishable “Dust Defenders” by Acer. We will address this in our thorough review. You can do all the spring cleaning here, but the Predator has one more trick up its sleeve. The notebook supports 4 RAM slots – two of them are found under the main service cover, but the other two are located under the motherboard. You will need to do some more unscrewing, then carefully remove all the cables, and finally the motherboard itself.


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    3. List of hardware found inside

    • Samsung M.2 NVMe SSD, 2280 “M key”
    • 4x 16384MB DDR4 2133MHz SKhynix RAM chips
    • 2.5-inch Samsung 2TB HDD
    • Sanyo Li-Ion battery rated at 88.8Wh (6000 mAh)

    While waiting for the full review, you can check out our first impressions and this article regarding the cooling system.

    You can check the current price of Acer Predator 17 here:
    http://amzn.to/21rbrAo

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    Kevin
    Kevin
    9 years ago

    Nice short review. Can’t wait for the full one. Could you also please review the new Acer Aspire V Nitro? Would appreciate it if you guys could. Cheers

    mario
    mario
    9 years ago

    Intresting inside, Acer is scoring up: i like that access to everything (almost besides the hidden ram slots) :), were are the dust defenders? and what it is that little interconnector between motherboard and optical drive? PS. On the list of hardware inside there is two times samsung 2tB mistake?
    Sorry if I made mistakes in english;), Greetings for other readers from Poland
    Mario

    Ian Paling
    Ian Paling
    8 years ago

    Does the smooth rubber coating cover the entire underside of the G9-791 as well as the top and sides?m

    Arttury
    Arttury
    8 years ago

    I wonder if the CPU is replaceable or soldered on the MB? How about the GFX card, is it MXM and replaceable?

    Dartagnan
    Dartagnan
    8 years ago

    Cpu can be replaced by newer ones.

    ssoul
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Dartagnan

    So, i can use a i7 6700hq as upgrade?

    Cody
    Cody
    8 years ago

    where is the battery located?

    Simeon Nikolov
    Admin
    8 years ago
    Reply to  Cody

    There it is:
    Predator battery

    aliebrahiemm
    8 years ago

    what kind of ssd can i buy as an upgrade and how many hdd can it hold what’s the maximum potential and if you can guide me to a link on amazon that would be great i already purchased an ss5 512gb but it was to short i had to fix it with a sticker 😀 is that bad ??
    the ssd is transcend 512 gb sata 3 mts600 60 mm M.2

    Dimas Saputra
    Dimas Saputra
    8 years ago

    is the gpu replaceable?

    Dark Leviathan
    8 years ago

    I’m guessing the triangle heatsink is the CPU?

    Андрей Данилюк

    Hi! What is the maximum 2.5 hdd height?

    Dexter
    Dexter
    8 years ago

    Where is 4x slot ram? I see only 2x.

    comment image

    Lan314
    Lan314
    8 years ago

    Where is the 5.25 drive?

    Eduardo Isaac Pinto Gamboa

    what is the button next to the RAM memory slot?