Lenovo Legion 5 Laptop Upgrade Guide | RAM+SSD

Updated 10/26/2022

Upgrade the RAM and SSD drive in your Lenovo Legion 5 gaming laptop plus check out the specifications of the laptop in this guide.

Yes, upgrading the Legion 5 gaming laptop including part numbers and instructions is in this article, plus specs.

And if you need a new gaming chair and keyboard for your laptop or are looking for other technical information guides, I’ve got you covered with my other articles.

How To Upgrade The RAM And SSD On
Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop

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Lenovo Legion 5 RAM Upgrade – How To

Can RAM be upgraded on Lenovo Legion 5? Yes, the maximum RAM is 32GB for the Legion 5 laptop.

You upgrade the RAM in a Legion 5 laptop by removing the back cover, locating the two DIMM slots, and adding new memory. The RAM slots are under a cover that provides heat dissipation, remove this cover for access. As good practice, disconnect the battery first from the system just to be cautious.

The maximum RAM in the Legion 5 is 32GB across its two DIMM slots.

The Legion 5 laptops have two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots and are dual-channel capable. Buy two of the same memory DIMM to take advantage of the dual-channel capability.

Note that all the processors in the Legion 5 laptops support at least 32GB from the processors themselves, some support even more.

What kind of RAM does the Legion 5 have? See the table below for the specific RAM speed for your Legion 5 model.

Also, notice the memory speed difference between the Intel 10th-gen. and 11th-gen. processors. The 10th gen. CPUs support DDR4-2933.
The 11th gen. CPUs support DDR4-3200.

What RAM Does Legion 5 Use?

Buy DDR4-3200 RAM even if you have the 10th gen. processor. And buy two of them to use the dual-channel capability.

Kingston Technology HyperX Impact 32GB 3200MHz DDR4 CL20 SODIMM (Kit of 2) RAM:

Crucial RAM 16GB Kit (2x8GB) DDR4 3200MHz CL22 RAM:

I created the table below to show the various Legion 5 models and their memory specs.

Legion 5 RAM Upgrade Steps:

1. Make sure the Lenovo Legion 5 laptop is turned off and disconnect the A/C adapter.
2. Close the laptop display and turn the laptop over.
3. Remove the 10 screws that secure the back panel in place.
4. Carefully pry up the latches holding the back cover in place and remove the back panel. (See diagram)
5. The memory modules are in the center of the board and are covered with heat shielding.
6. Remove the heat shielding and the current RAM module(s).
7. Insert your new RAM module(s) and replace the cover.

Note: Insert the notched end of the memory DIMM into the socket. Press the DIMM in firmly and pivot it down until it snaps into place. Make sure the DIMM is installed firmly in place.

Enter The Legion 5 UEFI/BIOS:
Verify the correct amount of installed RAM by turning on the laptop and pressing F2 repeatedly. This takes you into the UEFI/BIOS and displays installed memory.

This is also a good time to upgrade the BIOS on your Legion 5 laptop. Check the Lenovo support page to find and download any updates that apply.

Most Legion 5 laptops ship with just SSD drives but a few do include HDD plus an SSD.

How To Upgrade SSD In The Legion 5 Laptop

Can you add SSD to Legion 5? Yes, there are M.2 2242 and M.2 2280 SSD options to upgrade or add to your Legion 5 laptop.

Upgrading the SSD drive in a Legion 5 laptop is done by removing the back cover and locating the three potential drive locations. Three drive options are available on some Legion 5 laptops, a 2.5″ SATA HDD/SSD, an M.2 2242, and an M.2 2280.

As seen in the diagram above, Legion 5 laptops have two M.2 SSD slots and some also have a slot for an HDD. The M.2 slots are 1x M.2 2242 PCIe NVMe, PCIe 3.0 x4 and 1x M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe, PCIe 3.0 x4 or PCIe NVMe, PCIe 4.0 x4. This varies by model.

SSD Type	Interface	Specs
M.2 2242	PCIe NVMe, PCIe 3.0 x4	Up To 512GB
M.2 2280	PCIe NVMe, PCIe 3.0 x4	Up To 1TB
M.2 2280	PCIe NVMe, PCIe 4.0 x4	Up To 1TB

The specs only show up to 1TB in the M.2 2280 slot but it can hold at least a 2TB drive. See below for options.

Legion 5 SSD Upgrade Steps:

The following steps show how to upgrade the SSD drive in your Legion 5 laptop. Ensure you disconnect the internal battery prior to removing or replacing any component.

1. Make sure the Legion 5 is turned off and disconnect the A/C adapter.
2. Close the display and turn over the laptop.
3. Remove the 10 screws that secure the back panel in place.
4. Carefully pry up the latches holding the cover in place and remove the back panel. (See diagram above)
5. The drive locations are on the lower left and right side of the board, above the main battery. (See diagram below)
6. Unscrew the existing drive and add your replacement. You can add an M.2 2242 or M.2 2280 in either slot. Some models have the option for an SDD or HDD in the 2.5″ slot.

Note: Remove the M.2 2242 drive and also remove its standoff to add an M.2 2280 drive in its place.

If you have the option to install an HDD drive it will interfere with the M.2 slot right above its location. In this case, you can only have one M.2 drive and the 2.5″ HDD drive.

Keep something in mind: if you do replace your drive, either clone your current drive or re-install the operating system and all your data and programs. Many drives come with software to help you clone your computer.

And if you are having issues with your SSD drive, I have an article I think will help you solve the issues. It goes through a few steps to get it recognized by the laptop.

I listed some compatible SSD drives below.

Samsung 980 PRO SSD 2TB PCIe NVMe Gen 4 Gaming M.2 SSD:

SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB – M.2 NVMe:

Crucial P5 Plus 2TB PCIe 4.0 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD:

Change Legion 5 Laptop From HDD To SSD

If your model came with a 2.5″ HDD, then yes, you can replace the standard 2.5″ HDD in a Legion 5 laptop with an SSD drive. The current HDD is SATA and so will be your replacement. You should already have the HDD drive ribbon cable so all you need to do is swap the drives.

Check out my article on ordering Lenovo parts: How To Find Lenovo Parts (2 options)

Does The Legion 5 Laptop Have WiFi 6?

Yes, the Legion 5 laptops do come with Wi-Fi 6 or 802.11ax 2×2 capability on an M.2 card. This also includes Bluetooth 5.1 as well.

The 2×2 means there are two data streams and it can run at either 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz (160Mhz).

There have been a lot of issues with the WiFi 6 dropping connections. Know that a 5Ghz connection has less range than a 2.4Ghz connection. If this is happening to you, try the following:

• Under Power Management > untick “Let the computer switch off this device to preserve energy”.
• Check wireless adapter settings and power-saving settings
• Upgrade to the latest wireless driver, this has helped some users.

Legion 5 Laptop Thermal Performance

The Legion 5 laptop is installed with Lenovo Vantage software that allows you to choose your desired thermal mode. The options are Performance mode, Balanced mode, and Quiet mode.

Use balanced mode for normal day-to-day usage of the laptop. Performance mode is for heavy use such as playing games. It will be louder as the fans run at high speeds.

It has large intakes on the bottom with big exhaust openings on the sides. 2 fans, three heat pipes, and thermal plates all over.

Legion 5 Gaming Laptop Specifications

I created a table below listing some of the popular Legion 5 model types and their specifications for your reference. These are some of the top-selling in the US.

Model	Processor	Graphics	RAM	SSD
15ACH6 82JW0010US	AMD Ryzen 7 5800H	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6	2x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200	1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
15ACH6 82JW0011US	AMD Ryzen 7 5800H	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6	2x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200	1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
15ITH6H 82JH0005US	Intel Core i7-11800H	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6	2x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200	1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0×4 NVMe
17ACH6 82K00000US	AMD Ryzen 7 5800H	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6	1x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200	512GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
16ITH6 82JF0000US	Intel Core i7-11800H	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6	2x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200	512GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
16ITH6H 82JD0005US	Intel Core i7-11800H	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6	2x 16GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200	2x 1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe
82JD0003US	Intel Core i7-11800H	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6	2x 16GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200	1TB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe

Get a new Legion 5 laptop directly from Lenovo using my affiliate link:

Summary

This guide was written to show you how to upgrade a Lenovo Legion 5 laptop’s RAM and SSD drive. I also listed some of the top-selling model configurations to help you find your laptop. Upgrading the RAM and SSD is pretty easy by simply removing the back cover. Add more memory to your gaming laptop to improve performance. Have any questions? See my article covering the Legion 5 laptop.

Shop Lenovo Products:

These monitors are on the Lenovo website as part of their gaming accessories. Check them out through my affiliate link if you need a new monitor.