The Asus TUF Dash F15 TUF516PE-AB73 is one of the most popular gaming laptops in the market thanks to its balanced features and affordable price point. However, it does lack in a couple of key areas: RAM and Storage.
We've already covered how to perform a RAM upgrade on the Asus TUF Dash F15 TUF516PE-AB73 and today we're going to take you step by step on the process of upgrading the storage on the Asus TUF Dash F15 TUF516PE-AB73 through the available M.2 slot. Don't worry, it's a pretty easy process.
How to Upgrade the Storage on the Asus TUF Dash F15 TUF516PE-AB73
What type of storage do I get?
Before getting your screwdriver you need to know the type of storage unit this laptop accepts. Specifically, the TUF516PE-AB73 has an available M.2 slot that supports a PCIe Gen 3X4 M.2 2280 storage unit.
There are several units available in this form factor and generation. However, for a significant upgrade, we would be remiss if we didn't recommend the Samsung 970 Evo Plus, one of our favorite units and that offers capacities from as little as 250 GB up to 2 TB.
How Do I Perform the Upgrade?
Assuming you've already got a Philips screwdriver, you're also going to need something to pry open the laptop, you could use a credit card, but something more sturdy like the items in this kit would be ideal. We would also urge you to wear antistatic gloves when performing this type of procedure.
Step 1: Make sure the TUF516PE-AB73 is turned off and disconnected from the power supply. Once that's done, place the laptop upside down and remove the 15 screws located at the bottom. They're not all of the same sizes so I would urge you to draw up a diagram to remember where each screw goes for when you re-assemble the laptop.
After removing the screws you need to go ahead and use the pry to open the laptop up with attention and care, you don't want to be brute about it.
Step 2: Once the laptop's lower cover has been removed it's good practice to disconnect the battery to avoid any electrical activity. To do so simply pull the metallic clip outwards and remove the connector. Then place the laptop right side up and press the power button for a good 5-10 seconds to make sure any residual electricity has left the laptop.
Step 3: Now that you've disconnected the battery you can see that right next to the connector there's a slot that says SSD 2. That's where you're going to insert the NVMe SSD unit. You need to remove the holding screw located on the right to be able to insert the module.
Step 4: Insert the PCIe NVMe module at a 45-degree angle, making sure the pins are properly aligned. This is what that should look like:
Step 5: Now you're going to go ahead and press down on the storage module and use the holding screw to attach it properly to the motherboard. Connect the battery again, place the lid back on and place the screws again in the proper order - here's where that diagram I recommended will come in handy -. Now simply turn your laptop on and once you make the partitions and format the drive you're done!
As you can see I didn't lie when I said it was a pretty easy procedure. I'd also seriously encourage you to upgrade the RAM, I did a tutorial about this that I linked to in the introduction. Once you've upgraded the memory and the storage you've got yourself all the ingredients for a powerhouse laptop that's ready to take on anything you throw at it.