How to open Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i (14″, Gen 9) – disassembly and upgrade options

Undo the six Phillips-head screws securing the bottom panel of the laptop.
Pop the bottom panel near the hinge cover, starting from the top two corners.
Use a thin plastic tool to carefully pry open the sides and front, leaving the rear for last.
Gently remove the bottom panel to access the internals.

More info: The inside of the metal bottom plate includes preinstalled thermal pads for the SSD and a large SMD power inductor on the motherboard.

Battery Removal

Caution: Handle the battery with care to avoid damage or electrical hazards.

Disconnect the battery connector by unplugging it from the motherboard.
Undo the three Phillips-head screws securing the 73Wh battery to the chassis.
The battery is also secured with a small double-sided adhesive pad on the right side. Apply gentle force to lift and remove the unit from the chassis.

More info: The 73Wh battery provides approximately 10.5 hours of video playback, making it suitable for extended use.

You can find compatible batteries here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Memory Upgrade

Note: The memory is soldered and not user-upgradeable.

More info: The laptop comes with 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5x-7467MHz RAM, operating in dual-channel mode. Be sure to choose a configuration that meets your current and future needs.

Storage Upgrade

Hint: Handle SSD components carefully to avoid damage or data loss.

Locate the M.2 slot, which varies depending on the laptop configuration:
- Machines with OLED panels have one 2242 and one 2280 M.2 slot.
- Machines with IPS displays boast two 2280 slots.
The NVMe drive is covered with a Mylar heat shield. Remove the shield carefully to access the SSD.
Insert the new SSD into the slot at a slight angle, ensuring it is securely seated, and replace the heat shield.

More info: Thermal pads are included for improved cooling performance.

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

Wi-Fi Card

More Info: The Wi-Fi card is on the left below the cooling.

Cooling System Overview

Two large fans ensure efficient airflow across the system.
A pair of very long heat pipes are shared between the CPU and GPU for effective heat dissipation.
Two heat sinks and two sizable heat spreaders complement the cooling design to maintain low operating temperatures.

Tip: Regularly inspect and clean the fans and heat pipes to maintain optimal cooling performance.

Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i (14", Gen 9) in-depth review

Lenovo positions the Yoga Pro 7i 14 as a "14.5" studio-grade creator laptop". That sounds logical since this machine can be found with 28W Meteor Lake-H CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 4000 graphics cards with modest TGPs.Also, the display department impresses with its three Dolby Vision-certified models. You can choose from two IPS panels—a 1600p 90Hz variant or a 1920p 120Hz touchscreen. Plus, there's a 120Hz 1800p OLED unit with HDR capabilities—this one might just be our favorite.Keep an eye on the specs before buying because the devices with a dGPU have just one M.2 slot while the iGPU-on[...]

Read the full review

Pros

Solid aluminum build
Great overall performance for a 14-incher
The fans aren't too noisy under full CPU loads in "Performance" mode
404 nits of max brightness in SDR mode (LEN8AC1)
Comfortable viewing angles + 16:10 aspect ratio (LEN8AC1)
100% sRGB and DCI-P3 coverage + accurate colors with our "Design and Gaming" profile (LEN8AC1)
Infinite contrast ratio (LEN8AC1)
Good audio quality
IR Web camera with an E-shutter shutter
Modern port selection with two Type-C ports
The CPU can sustain high P-core and E-core clocks in long loads (~2.80 GHz / 2.40 GHz)
Comfortable backlit keyboard + big and smooth touchpad
Up to 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM
The bottom panel is easy to open
The iGPU-only laptops have 2x M.2 slots
Pretty snappy NVMe (1TB SAMSUNG PM9C1a)