Upgrading the SSD on a Razer Blade (pt 2)
Supplies:
- The new M.2 SATA III SSD hard drive
- M.2 SATA III SSD enclosure & adapter
- Macrium Reflect Free
- T5 torx screwdriver
- Compressed air (optional)
Step Four: Installation
Now that you’ve cloned your internal drive, you’re ready to get started installing your new hard drive.
- After your laptop is powered off, you will first need to remove the 10 T5 screws on the underside, shown in the photo below. This is where the aforementioned T5 torx screwdriver will come in handy. I would also recommend keeping the screws in a small empty cup, prescription bottle, or whatever else you have at your disposal, as they are small and you don’t want to lose track of them.
- Next you will want to remove the backplate and identify the where the SSD, located under the ribbon cable circled below in red. To disconnect the ribbon cable, you will want to carefully lift up on the small black tab on its connector, which will release the ribbon cable.
Note: The placement may differ on other laptops, but should be similarly visible.
- You will now want to remove the phillips–head screw attaching the SSD to the motherboard, at which time you will be free to gently remove the hard drive from its connector. Though, when removing the drive be careful to maintain the placement of the sticky pad beneath it, as you will use it to help adhere the new drive to the board.
-
Once the old hard drive is removed, you may now remove your new drive from the SSD enclosure and install it in place of the old drive. First inserting it into the M.2 SATA III connector, then screwing it into the motherboard.
-
You may now reconnect the ribbon cable, placing it inside of the connector and gently pressing down on the tab you lifted earlier to lock it into place.
Step Five (optional): Spring cleaning
While you’ve already got your laptop open, you might as well utilize the opportunity to do a little maintenance. If you already have compressed air on hand, it can be beneficial to blow out some of the dust and debris that tends to collect around your fans and other internals. As a result, your laptop should run cooler, causing its fans to spin up less often.
Also, I must advise that you **[don't use a vacuum]** for this cleaning as it can cause static electricity, which is bad news for the sensitive components inside your laptop.
Step Six: Enjoy!
Fasten the backplate using the T5 screws you removed earlier, boot up your computer as usual, and enjoy your upgraded Razer Blade!
