Aspire E15 - how to upgrade RAM?

derrill
derrill Member Posts: 9

Tinkerer

edited March 2023 in 2014 Archives

I can't seem to figure out how to get the case for this E15 open. There aren't any youtube videos yet, other than a bunch of First Look type videos. The support agent I chatted with said he doesn't have any information on how to open the case up.

«1

Answers

  • derrill
    derrill Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    Yeeeah. Don't try to do this. I was succesful but only because I'm super persistent. I'll post a Youtube video today or tomorrow with directions. "No User Servicable Parts" indeed.
  • SobemNwoko
    SobemNwoko Member Posts: 2 New User
    Hello Derrill, glad you will do the video. I tried to get in the laptop and could not either. Thanks
  • derrill
    derrill Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    I haven't done it yet, I'll get it done today as soon as I resolve some payroll garbage for some of my staff. Stupid accountants ...

     

    I've never done a youtube video for public consumption before, so it is going to be pretty amatuerish.

  • perry4711
    perry4711 Member Posts: 12

    Tinkerer

    The video would be super helpful, I hope you can find the time to do it. Another thread on htis forum references this website http://www.myfixguide.com/manual/acer-aspire-e5-571g-disassembly/ which has some photos from a disassembly procedure. I assume that is basically how you did it? Could you maybe comment on how easy you found it to get the keyboard off, because mine doesn't want to come off in the back, it seems to be somehow locked in place around the battery bay.

  • derrill
    derrill Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    There are two ... uh ... clips, I guess, under the battery. You need like a small screwdriver to get in it.

  • derrill
    derrill Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    Also, I have to get the RAM put into the second one today or tomorrow, so I'll video it then. It will probably be later in the week before I have time to get the video online.

  • SobemNwoko
    SobemNwoko Member Posts: 2 New User

    No problem.  Do it when you get a chance.  Dont stress yourself.

     

    To Acer - you have done something different with this unit and have made otherwise simple processes complicated.  I have bought Acers for years and I dont particularly care this direction.  Adding memory should not be rocket science unless of course there is a reason you dont want us doing these things ourselves anymore.

  • perry4711
    perry4711 Member Posts: 12

    Tinkerer

    You mean these tiny slits on the left and right of the battery bay, directly under the top cover? I can see clip-like structures in there, but didn't want to push too hard, since I wasn't sure what it is.

  • derrill
    derrill Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    I took the best picture I could quickly. The little clips are what I've higlighted in red. This is the laptop upside down, and from the rear, with the battery removed.

     

    Upside down, from the rear, battery removed.

     

    That link one of you guys posted above is basically right but seems to be without much useful detail.

     

    My laptops have DVD drives.

     

    There are little clips inside the case on the sides that you have to release carefully to open the case. Holding the laptop face up (as if you were going to power it on and use it), a very small screwdriver inserted separately on the right and left, almost parralel to the desk but kind of from the top, then slowly, gently levering the screwdriver up should release them.

     

    It is a really strange design for a laptop that is listed as being RAM upgradeable, that's for daggum sure.

     

    When I did this the first time, I had the screen all the way open to be out of the way, in spite of how I've taken this picture.

  • derrill
    derrill Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    So I've recorded the video but MAN I am not good at lighting. You can't see a thing through most of it.

     

    Honestly I blame the admin I dragooned into helping me, because she didn't say a word while we were doing it.

     

    If you are truly desperate, I will share the raw video out right away, because it is really going to be a few days before I have time to work on it. I'm keeping this thread in a pinned tab, and I'll answer any questions that get asked, best that I can.

  • oberon567
    oberon567 Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    Thanks for taking the video, dark or not I am sure it will be helpful when you upload it, but take your time. I know everyone is appreciative.

     

    Here is my question, if you have a moment...

    From the deconstruct guide I have seen online it looks like to access the RAM, located on the bottom side of the motherboard, one has to entirely remove the motherboard, and in order to do that one has to disconnect everything that is plugged into the top side of the motherboard. My question is regarding how much wiggle room you have with the cables and so forth... That is to say, if there are two people working together, can you unscrew and lift up the motherboard enough for another person to access the RAM without disconncting everything? The photos make it look like the RAM is right at the bottom edge of the motherboard, under the track pad, and since one slot is empty it isn't exactly rocket science to install a stick of ram... You would almost certainly have to disconnect the hard drive, but what about the USB ports, the wireless antenna, the fan, and so forth? Is there enough play to leave those connected?

    Thanks!

  • jjmIII
    jjmIII Member Posts: 23

    Tinkerer

    No need to try and "wiggle" anything. Looks like once your to that point remove the hdd, wireless, and fan. There is nothing else to remove at that point. Just lift the mobo out and put in the ram. I'm going to do mine tomorrow. Looks pretty easy once the keyboard is off.

  • derrill
    derrill Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    I had to pull out the HDD. I had to unscrew and disconnect the WLAN board from the MB. I had to remove the fan. The heat pipes and the heat sink remained attached to the MB when I did the RAM.

     

    I left the speakers and the two cables to the screen connected, and turned the MB over carefully, kind of at an angle. The two cords to the screen had to be pulled out of the tracks in the case in order to get sufficient slack to move the MB enough.

     

    The USB ports and such are connected to the MB, and I don't know how one would remove them without causing damage. You have to manuever gently to get them out of the side of the case when you go to turn the MB over.

  • jjmIII
    jjmIII Member Posts: 23

    Tinkerer

    derrill,

     

    I did it exactly as you describe.

     

    I will add: When you disconect the keyboard ribbon, the connector slids apart to relaese the ribbon cable.

    When you release the other ribbon cables, the brown part of the connector flips up to release the ribbon cable.

     

    I found the front right corner the best spot to start prying the chassis apart after you remove all the screws from the back. Work your way across the front and a little down each side until the keyboard releases. I was glad my finger nails needed trimmed for once!

     

    Not that hard with the pics here: http://www.myfixguide.com/manual/acer-aspire-e5-571g-disassembly/#comment-165

     

  • derrill
    derrill Member Posts: 9

    Tinkerer

    Mmmm, your are reminding me of things, JJ.

     

    The USB and HDMI port on the left side of the machine are attached to the MB. I don't remember having to do anything with the two USB ports on the right side, so I am supposing they are attached some other way.

     

    There is a catch centered between the two USB ports on the right side of the laptop. I broke that little plastic catch both times, the second time because I didn't remember that is where it is. That may be another good place to pry at, to hopefully avoid damaging that particular catch. The case didn't seem loose or anything after I put it back together, so hopefully I got away with that mistake.

     

    I found a very small flat-head screwdriver - not quite so small as for eyeglass repair - to be very helpful; I had just trimmed my nails before getting into this project.

  • oberon567
    oberon567 Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    Thanks, that is exactly what I wanted to know. So removing those three (HD, fan, wireless) and being careful with the few remaining wires/cables is what one needs to do.

     

     

  • jjmIII
    jjmIII Member Posts: 23

    Tinkerer

    Thought I was doing great, but the new Kingston 4gb stick is not recognized!

     

    It's alot of disassembly to try different sticks!

     

    Acer sucks for not putting a simple access panel on the bottom of the laptop like the rest of the computing world!!

  • oberon567
    oberon567 Member Posts: 11

    Tinkerer

    Kingston should work, I have used it with Acer products in the past... maybe the stick is a dud?

    Also, jjmlll, what exact model are you opening up? I don't have the E15, I have a E5-571-5552 which is a similar in build but not identical. The reason I ask is because the pics from fixmyguide look like there is an empty and waiting SATA connection on the mobo next to the gaping hole where the optical drive is not. But that is a different model, too, a 571g, so I am not sure everything on the mobo is the same... If it is, I will want to buy a drive before I start taking everything apart, to hopefully only have to do the whole thing once (unless something beyond my control goes wrong, like what happened to you.... sorry!)

     

    My laptop is actually in a different country from me right now... I bought it because it is was on sale, and a friend is holding it for me until I get home in a few weeks, and that is when I will rip it apart...

  • jjmIII
    jjmIII Member Posts: 23

    Tinkerer

    oberon567

     

    If you can return the laptop new, I would strongly consider it. I have worked on PC's since 1999, and this model is a needless pain!

     

    As far as the optical drive bay, I'm pretty sure all E5-571-XXXX have the same chassis. I have a E5-571-588M.

     

    You can add an optical drive easily when ever you want with out taking the machine apart. It is the ONLY easy upgrade on this thing! You remove the one screw on the bottom behind the drive bay and the blank slips out. If you find the right drive it slips in, connects to the power/sata, and you put the single screw back in to secure it. Sounds easy, BUT you have to find a drive with a bezel that matches the chassis, AND has the tab on the back of the drive that the single screw fastens through.

     

    Pull the blank out, and it's pretty easy to see what I mean.

     

    I have a thread on the ODD bay here: http://community.acer.com/t5/Notebooks-Netbooks/optical-drive-e5/m-p/277016#U277016

     

  • perry4711
    perry4711 Member Posts: 12

    Tinkerer

    Ok, so I also finally got it open and replaced hdd and added RAM. The hardest part is definitely to open the case, but it should work once you know where to push and disengage the thing. I broke off five tiny plastic pieces in the process, three of which were those "clips" above the battery bay that derrill mentioned. These things are very fickle and break as soon as you touch them with the screwdriver. But after closing everything up again, it seems to be solid enough, so it looks as if these plastic things are not so essential. I also put a deep scratch in the surface near the power button when I slipped - since this is all plastic despite its solid look, working on it with a metal tool is almost guaranteed to leave traces somewhere.

     

    And after all the work, I now find like jjmlll that it does not like my Kingston 4GB PC3-10600 CL9 stick either (I assume, the BIOS does not actually say which of the two sticks it recognizes). I'm beginning to hate this thing. Both the Corsair and the Kingston memory finders suggest DDR3-1600 (= PC3-10600) CL9 RAM modules, so I don't know what's going on here. Maybe some models have an artificial max. memory limit of 4 GB?

     

    For those who were successful, could you post which memory type you used and which exact E 15 series model you have? Mine is an E5-571-33PR.