Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 SSD Replacement

Written By: Spencer Day

Comments: 1

Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 SSD Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

20 - 30 minutes

Introduction

Follow this guide to remove, replace, or upgrade the SSD in your Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 laptop.

The ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 uses an M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 solid-state drive (up to 4 TB).

Before replacing the SSD, make a backup copy of all the data you want to keep.

You'll likely need new thermal pads to complete this repair, depending on whether the old pads stay intact and undamaged. The thickness of the pad depends on what kind of SSD you're installing—2.25 mm for a single-sided SSD and 0.8 mm for a double-sided SSD.

For your safety, discharge your battery below 25% before disassembling your device. This reduces the risk of a dangerous fire if the battery is accidentally damaged during the repair. If your battery is swollen, take appropriate precautions.

Tools

Parts

Thermal Pad

Step 1

Shut down your laptop (don't just put it in sleep mode) and disconnect all cables.
Flip the laptop upside-down, and rotate it so the screen hinge faces towards you.

Step 2

Use a Phillips screwdriver to loosen the six captive screws securing the base cover.

Step 3

Press the tip of an opening pick into the seam between the base cover and the bottom-left corner of the frame (near the screen hinge).
It can be tricky to get the pick into the seam for the first time. Angle the pick vertically and press down with firm pressure.
Pivot the pick down and slide it around the corner to release the clips.

Step 4

Slide the opening pick along the left edge to release the clips securing the cover.

Step 5

Press the tip of an opening pick into the seam between the base cover and the bottom-right corner of the frame (near the screen hinge).
Pivot the pick down and slide it around the corner to release the clips.

Step 6

Slide the opening pick along the right edge to release the clips securing the cover.

Step 7

Grasp the base cover along the screen hinge edge and pull up to loosen the cover.

Step 8

Lift and remove the base cover.

Step 9

Because of the battery connector's design, the only way to disconnect the battery is by physically removing it.
Use a Phillips screwdriver to loosen the six captive screws securing the battery.

Step 10

Grasp the top edge of the battery and lift to disconnect it.
You may feel a little resistance from the battery connector as it disconnects—that's normal.

Step 11

Lift and remove the battery.

Step 12

Depending on the model, your laptop may have two SSD slots. The replacement procedure is the same for both of them.

Step 13

Use a Phillips screwdriver to loosen the two captive screws securing the SSD cover.

Step 14

Lift and remove the SSD cover.
You may feel slight resistance, as there's a thin thermal pad between the top of the SSD and the cover.
During reassembly:
Make sure the bottom of the cover has a thermal pad. If the pad remained intact on top of the old SSD, carefully transfer it to the cover.
If you're replacing the pad, make sure the new one is the same thickness as the old pad.

Step 15

Two thermal pads bond the bottom of the SSD to the motherboard. Depending on their age and condition, it may take some force to separate the SSD from the pads.
Grip the SSD by its edges near the screw notch and lift to separate it from the thermal pads underneath—it should pop up at a slight angle.
Lift with gradual force. If the SSD detaches from the pads unexpectedly, you may pull up too hard and damage the socket.
If the SSD isn't budging, try using the flat end of a spudger to pry up the edge of the SSD with the screw notch.

Step 16

Grip the SSD by its edges near the screw notch and pull it straight out of its socket.

Step 17

Check the condition of the two thermal pads under the SSD and replace them if they're damaged. If a pad remained intact on the bottom of the old SSD, carefully transfer it to its spot on the board.
If you're changing the type of SSD (single-sided or double-sided), you'll need to change the pads so they're the proper thickness.
To replace a damaged pad:
Make sure your new pad is the correct thickness and size. Pad thickness depends on the type of your replacement SSD—2.25 mm for a single-sided SSD and 0.8 mm for a double-sided SSD.
Use a spudger or your fingers to carefully remove all of the old pad from the motherboard.
Be very careful not to damage any of the small surface-mounted components on the board.
Use highly-concentrated (more than 90%) isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth (or coffee filters) to clean up any thermal pad residue.
Carefully put the new pad onto the board, making sure it goes into the rectangle marked PAD AREA.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Answers community for help.

Author

Spencer Day

Member since: 14/09/22

95592 Reputation

One comment

Thanks, good piece. It looks like you are installing the SSD in the second slot. And the text mentions that we should check for a thermal pad in the SSD cover. Is there a thermal pad in that cover when it has not been used before? I will install a Samsung 990 Pro 1 TB drive there and I'd like to know what thermal pads to acquire for this.

arlo247 -