Overview:

Performed structural repairs and hardware upgrades on an Acer Nitro 5 AN515-54-54W2 to extend device lifespan and improve performance. The project included repairing physical damage to the display assembly, upgrading RAM, installing dual NVMe SSDs, and migrating the Windows OS using Acronis True Image for Crucial.

The goal was to restore structural integrity, enhance system performance, and transition to a larger, faster storage solution without requiring a full OS reinstall.

Device Info (Before Upgrade):

• Model: Acer Nitro 5 AN515-54-54W2

• CPU: Intel Core i5 (9th Gen)

• Memory: 16GB DDR4 RAM

• Storage: 256GB SK Hynix PCIe NVMe SSD

• Issues: Cracked lid, separating bezel, stressed hinges, loosened internal frame mounts

Steps Performed:

1. Completed Structural Hardware Repair

• Disassembled the laptop to access:

• LCD lid

• Front bezel

• Hinge assembly

• Internal frame mounting points

• Replaced damaged lid and bezel.

• Removed old adhesive and screws from hinge mounts.

• Applied fresh adhesive and resecured hinges.

• Reassembled components, reconnecting display cables, wireless antennas, and webcam.

• Verified:

• Smooth hinge movement

• Proper alignment of lid and bezel

• Display output and peripheral functionality upon boot

2. Upgraded RAM and Installed First SSD for Cloning

• Replaced 2x8GB DDR4 RAM with 2x16GB Crucial DDR4 for a total of 32GB.

• Installed a 500GB Crucial P3 Plus Gen 4 SSD into the secondary M.2 slot (cloning target).

• Booted into Windows and verified:

• 32GB RAM recognized in BIOS and Task Manager.

• Both SSDs detected:

• Disk 0: 256GB SK Hynix (boot drive)

• Disk 1: 500GB Crucial (unallocated space)

3. Cloned OS and Completed Dual SSD Setup

• Used Acronis True Image for Crucial with manual clone settings:

• Source: 256GB SK Hynix SSD

• Target: 500GB Crucial SSD

• Performed proportional partition resizing during cloning.

• After successful clone:

• Removed the original 256GB SSD.

• Moved the cloned 500GB Crucial SSD to the primary M.2 slot.

• Installed a second 500GB Crucial P3 Plus Gen 4 SSD (blank) into the secondary slot.

• Booted system and confirmed:

• Windows launched successfully from the new SSD.

• Both SSDs detected in Disk Management:

• Disk 0: 500GB (boot drive)

• Disk 1: 500GB (blank storage)

• Initialized and formatted Disk 1 for storage use.

• Final storage configuration: 1TB total NVMe storage (2x500GB SSDs).

Result:

• Physical repairs restored structural integrity—hinges, lid, and bezel secure.

• RAM upgraded to 32GB, supporting improved multitasking and virtualization.

• OS successfully cloned to faster, larger SSD without reinstalling Windows.

• System now features 1TB total NVMe storage across dual Crucial Gen 4 SSDs, optimized for daily productivity and technical projects.