When I was in college, most of the notebooks used by students were from Lenovo. The Y470 model was very popular among students. I used a Zhaoyang model, though I can't remember the exact model. In Shandong, companies often preferred Lenovo when purchasing computers, both desktops and branded machines were mostly from Lenovo. It seemed like they were heavily influenced by the brand. So when I bought my own computer, I naturally leaned towards Lenovo as well.
My first desktop was an older ThinkCenter M8200GT, which was considered high-end back then but is now quite outdated. As for my notebook, it was updated twice, so I ended up with a Lenovo Tianyi 310. This laptop was mainly for office use and business trips, so performance wasn’t a big concern. The configuration wasn’t high, but after adding an SSD, the performance improved significantly. I had to replace the original hard drive because it was too slow, especially during heavy tasks like copywriting. After about six months of struggling with the slow drive, I decided to upgrade to an SSD.
Before installing the SSD, I checked the official website to confirm the motherboard's hard disk interface was SATA3, and the optical drive also used SATA. To ensure maximum speed, I installed the SSD on the motherboard and moved the mechanical hard drive to the optical drive slot. The thickness of the original optical drive was 9.2mm, so I made sure to choose an appropriate bracket that would fit. The SSD itself didn’t need to be too thin since the space for the mechanical hard drive was large enough.
For the tools, I used a screwdriver, crowbar, and a small flathead screwdriver. The power was good, reaching around 6kg, which was sufficient for most screws at home. However, it didn’t have a self-locking feature, which could be a bit inconvenient.
I couldn’t find any disassembly guides for the Lenovo Tianyi 310 online, so I contacted Lenovo customer service, but they didn’t have official disassembly instructions either. After some research, I decided to proceed on my own. I started by removing the keyboard using a pad, carefully lifting it from the position shown in the pictures. The keyboard was held in place by several clips, making it easy to remove once I found the right spot.
After removing the keyboard, I used the crowbar to disconnect the cable located in the lower left corner. I had to be careful not to move it too much to avoid damaging the connection. Once the keyboard was removed, I continued by taking off the screws under the keyboard, which were securing the bottom shell. I placed the screws in order to avoid confusion during reassembly.
Next, I removed the back cover, which was attached with a split drive. I replaced the optical drive with a mechanical hard drive, even though I rarely used it. I kept it for burning discs and later converted it into a portable drive. I made sure to keep track of all the screws and used a magnetic suction pad to help with the installation.
Disassembling the C and D shells required patience, as there was a cable connecting them. I carefully lifted the C shell from the front, working my way around the edges. There was a power cable between the two shells, which was soldered in place, so I had to be cautious not to damage it.
The motherboard was located on the left side, and cleaning the back was a bit challenging. I took the time to clean it thoroughly. The motherboard had 4GB of onboard memory, with an additional slot for future upgrades, supporting up to 16GB.
I needed to replace the mechanical hard drive with an SSD. I chose a Toshiba SSD, as it was more affordable at the time. I also used an ORICO HDD bracket to hold the optical drive, which I repurposed into a mobile drive. The SSD I purchased in September was expensive, but now it’s available on Jingdong for just 229 yuan, which is much cheaper.
The ORICO bracket came in two sizes: 9.5mm and 12mm. For thinner laptops, the 9.5mm version was ideal. I made sure to select the correct size and used a small screwdriver hidden on the back of the bracket to install the SSD. The bracket supported multiple hard drive sizes, making it versatile.
After installing the SSD, I tested the performance using professional tools like Red Spider 5. The results were impressive—disk speed increased dramatically compared to the mechanical drive. While the memory was still a limitation, I planned to upgrade it in the future when prices dropped.
I also tested the screen quality, checking color accuracy, brightness, contrast, and uniformity. The results were satisfactory, though not perfect. The Delta E value was within acceptable limits, and the overall display quality was good for a mid-range laptop.
In addition to the SSD upgrade, I also used wireless headphones like Fiil and Sony MDR-1000X, depending on where I was. I planned to compare these models in a future post.
Overall, upgrading my Lenovo Tianyi 310 was a straightforward process. It required some courage and attention to detail, but it was worth it. If you're considering upgrading your laptop, make sure to check if the warranty allows it or consider professional installation if you're unsure. DIY can be rewarding, but it's always good to do your research first.
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