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Dear Lifehacker, I have a laptop-it's not too old-and I love it, but I'm thinking I could use a bigger hard drive, or maybe some more RAM. I wouldn't mind upgrading it myself, but I don't want to undo all of these screws just to find out the RAM is soldered down or the hard drive is under a bunch of delicate wires. How can I find out whether I can upgrade it before I crack it open?
Sincerely, Hesitant Tinkerer
Dear Hesitant Tinkerer, You're right-more and more laptops, phones, and other devices (even some desktops!) these days aren't meant to be serviced at all by individual owners, which makes hacking and upgrading our gear that much harder. Some laptops are a mess of glue and solder, with tons of tiny, specialized screws that make it impossible to open unless you have the right tools. Others are still user-friendly, and designed to give you access to RAM, hard drives, optical drives, and so on, if not for you to upgrade, then at least for technicians to service.
Luckily, there are plenty of places to turn to see if you can do. Here's how you can figure out what is and isn't in your wheelhouse before you buy the components to do the job.
Inspect Your Device: Does the Job Look Easy to You?
The first thing you should do is give your laptop or phone a once over. Does it look like it's something you can get into easily? Are there any hatches or doors that are easily opened, either by hand or with the right screwdriver or tool? If you can easily identify a way to open your device or access its components, you're probably looking at a service bay for memory, a hard drive, a battery, or some other removable or replaceable component. After all, most companies design electronics with a way for their technicians to get into the device and do their own repairs (assuming we're not talking about something that's throwaway in the eyes of its manufacturer.) That doesn't mean however that because you don't see an obvious way in that there isn't one. You still have options if it looks like your laptop is a uni-body model, or your phone doesn't seem to have seams anywhere.
Check the Manufacturer's Support and KnowledgeBase Pages
The first place to look if you want to see what you can and can't do-at least from a manufacturer's perspective-is the company's help pages. They may have detailed instructions on how to upgrade the RAM in your laptop or change the battery in your phone or tablet. For example, Apple has an entire knowledgebase section just on upgrading memory in its various laptops. A little digging for your laptop, desktop, or other device's model number will usually turn up documentation by the manufacturer that provides specific disassembly and upgrade instructions. Sometimes that documentation is meant for service professionals, but if they can do it, you probably can too-as long as you're comfortable with the job.
Similarly, search and ask around on support forums. If you're just thinking about upgrading the RAM or hard drive in your laptop, or you're curious how hard it is to replace a battery in your cellphone or tablet, or you're thinking about adding a new hard drive to your old game console, ask on the manufacturer's forums. There are probably other people who have done it, and can point you to detailed instructions elsewhere on the web. They can give you an idea of whether or not the project is something you'd feel comfortable doing, and whether or not you'll void your warranty. Keep that in mind though-some things, like a RAM upgrade, for example, usually won't void your warranty, but replacing a battery in a tablet that's glued shut or upgrading the hard drive in your game console very well may.
Head over to iFixIt for Teardown Instructions and Tools
If voiding your warranty is no issue, iFixit is one of the best resources available. If you have a relatively late model laptop, appliance, game console, or almost any popular phone or tablet released in the past few years, the folks at iFixit have likely figured out how it's assembled, broken it down into its components, and written a repair guide that will show you how to fix or upgrade it. They're incredibly detailed, with tons of photos to help you through each step of the process.
If your device requires specific tools to open, iFixit likely has them available for sale in their store. If they don't, they'll tell you exactly what type of tool it is so you can get it elsewhere. If you don't find a repair guide for your device on iFixit, all isn't lost. You may also find upgrade or repair instructions at sites like Instructables. Similarly, while you won't find specific instructions, the Fixit subreddit is a good place to post your DIY queries to see if anyone's been in the same boat and has guidance to help you. Depending on the thing you want to upgrade, there may be even more specific subreddits to check out (for example, the Consolerepair subreddit or a specific console's subreddit if you want to upgrade your gaming console, or the TechSupport subreddit if you have a PC question or problem.)
Weigh The Upgrade Value Versus Your Time
While we're all about DIY here at Lifehacker, there is a point where the time you would invest in an upgrade may not be worth the energy or the money you'd put into it. If you're looking to extend the life of a phone by installing a new battery, consider the cost of the battery and the tools you may need to open it as well as the time it'll take you to pry the thing apart. Consider the risk that you may damage it, and the time you'll take installing the battery. You may be better off just selling your phone and getting a new one, especially if it's your daily driver and you don't want to be without it.
When it comes to a laptop, the costs are higher, so it may make sense to spend a few hours trying to upgrade it yourself. However, if you find RAM soldered to the board, or an SSD that's not upgradeable, the time and energy it would take (not to mention the expertise) to replace those components in a way that won't permanently damage your laptop just may not be worth the hassle or the risk. Again, you may be better off backing up your data, selling it, and using the money towards the purchase of a newer laptop with the storage and specs you really want. Don't forget that your time and energy are valuable, and while getting your hands dirty is always fun, it may not always be the most efficient thing to do.
Hopefully we've given you some resources to use to see if your device is upgradeable, and how much hassle you're in for if you choose to do it. Worst case, if it's over your head or just too expensive (or too much trouble), you have a way out as well. Good luck, and happy upgrading!
Sincerely, Lifehacker
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