How to Upgrade Your Gaming Laptop: What You Can and Can’t Do

1 April 2025

So, you've been gaming on your laptop for a while, and maybe it's starting to show its age. Games that once ran smoothly are now stuttering, and you're wondering if it's time to buy a new laptop. But wait! Before you toss your old machine aside and shell out for a new one, have you considered upgrading it instead?

Upgrading a gaming laptop is a bit like giving your old car a tune-up. You might not be able to swap out everything, but there are key components you can replace or enhance that could breathe new life into your rig. But here comes the tricky part – what exactly can you upgrade, and what are you stuck with?

In this guide, we’ll break down what you can and can’t do when it comes to upgrading your gaming laptop. So grab a coffee (or energy drink!), and let’s dive in.

Why Consider Upgrading Your Gaming Laptop?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s talk about why you’d even want to upgrade your gaming laptop in the first place.

1. To Improve Performance

The most obvious reason to upgrade your machine is to boost performance. Over time, your laptop may struggle to keep up with the latest games, especially as developers push the boundaries of graphics and processing power.

2. Save Money

Gaming laptops can be expensive. If you’re on a budget, upgrading individual components can be a more affordable alternative to purchasing a brand-new laptop.

3. Extend the Lifespan

Upgrades can extend the lifespan of your current laptop, ensuring that it remains capable of handling modern games and tasks for a few more years.

Now that we’ve established why you might want to upgrade, let’s get into the details of what’s possible and what isn’t.

What You Can Upgrade on a Gaming Laptop

While gaming laptops are generally less upgrade-friendly than desktops, there are still a few key components you can usually swap out or enhance. Let’s explore what those are.

1. RAM (Memory)

Upgrading your laptop’s RAM is one of the easiest and most impactful upgrades you can make. More RAM means your laptop can handle more processes simultaneously, which can help with multitasking and improve game performance.

Why Upgrade RAM?

- Improves Multitasking: If you like to stream, chat, and game simultaneously, more RAM can make all the difference.
- Faster Load Times: RAM helps in loading game data faster, reducing lag and stuttering.

How to Upgrade RAM

Most gaming laptops come with accessible RAM slots, often located on the bottom of the laptop under a panel. Check your laptop's user manual to see the maximum amount of RAM it can support and what type (e.g., DDR4). Swapping out or adding RAM sticks is relatively straightforward – it's just a matter of unscrewing the panel, inserting the RAM sticks, and screwing it back on.

Tip: If your laptop has 8GB of RAM and you're experiencing slowdowns, upgrading to 16GB or 32GB can make a world of difference!

2. Storage (HDD or SSD)

Another component that’s usually upgradeable is the storage drive, whether it’s a traditional hard drive (HDD) or a faster solid-state drive (SSD).

Why Upgrade Storage?

- Faster Boot Times and Load Times: Installing a solid-state drive (SSD) can drastically reduce the time it takes for your laptop to boot up and load games.
- More Storage for Games: If you’re constantly deleting games to make room for new ones, upgrading to a larger drive can solve that problem.

How to Upgrade Storage

Most modern gaming laptops allow you to swap out the HDD for an SSD or add a secondary storage drive if there’s an extra slot. The process usually involves unscrewing a panel on the bottom of the laptop, removing the old drive, and replacing it with the new one.

Keep in mind that you may need to reinstall your operating system after upgrading the storage, so make sure you back up your data first.

3. Thermal Paste

This is one of those upgrades that’s often overlooked but can have a huge impact on your laptop’s performance. Over time, the thermal paste that helps transfer heat away from your CPU and GPU can dry out, leading to higher temperatures and thermal throttling.

Why Replace Thermal Paste?

- Lower Temperatures: Fresh thermal paste can help reduce your laptop’s operating temperature, preventing it from overheating during long gaming sessions.
- Improved Performance: Cooler components perform better, meaning less throttling and smoother gameplay.

How to Replace Thermal Paste

Replacing the thermal paste requires a bit more technical know-how. You’ll need to open up your laptop, remove the cooling system, clean off the old thermal paste, and apply a new layer. It’s not difficult, but it does require precision and patience.

4. Battery

Yes, you can upgrade (or replace) your laptop’s battery. If your gaming sessions are being cut short because your battery no longer holds a charge, it might be time for a replacement.

Why Replace the Battery?

- Better Battery Life: A fresh battery can extend the amount of time you can game without being tethered to an outlet.
- Improved Longevity: Replacing the battery can extend the overall lifespan of your laptop.

How to Replace the Battery

Most gaming laptops have user-replaceable batteries, though some models might require a bit more disassembly. Check your user manual for specific instructions.

What You Can’t Upgrade on a Gaming Laptop

Unfortunately, not everything in your gaming laptop is upgradable. Here are a few components that are generally soldered onto the motherboard and can’t be swapped out.

1. CPU (Processor)

Unlike desktop PCs, where the CPU is usually housed in a socket and can be easily swapped out, most gaming laptops have the CPU soldered directly onto the motherboard. This means you’re stuck with the processor your laptop came with.

Why You Can’t Upgrade the CPU

Laptops are designed with thermal and power constraints in mind, and upgrading the CPU would require a complete overhaul of the cooling system and power delivery. It’s simply not feasible in most cases.

Tip: If you’re buying a new gaming laptop, invest in a model with the best CPU you can afford – you won’t be able to upgrade it later.

2. GPU (Graphics Card)

The GPU is arguably the most important component in a gaming laptop, but it’s also one of the most difficult to upgrade. Like the CPU, most gaming laptops have the GPU soldered onto the motherboard, making upgrades impossible.

Why You Can’t Upgrade the GPU

Laptops are designed with a specific thermal envelope in mind, and upgrading the GPU would require a complete redesign of the cooling system. Additionally, the physical space inside a laptop is limited, so there’s no room to add a larger, more powerful GPU.

Tip: If you’re serious about gaming, consider buying a laptop with a high-end GPU at the time of purchase, as it’s not something you can upgrade later.

3. Motherboard

The motherboard is the backbone of your laptop, connecting all the components together. Unfortunately, it’s not something you can upgrade. If you want a new motherboard, you’ll need to buy a new laptop.

4. Display

While you can’t upgrade the internal display of your laptop, there’s a workaround: you can always connect an external monitor to your laptop for a better gaming experience. However, the built-in screen is fixed and not upgradable.

External Options: Workarounds for Non-Upgradable Parts

Just because you can’t upgrade certain components doesn’t mean all hope is lost. There are a few external solutions that can help enhance your gaming experience.

1. External GPUs (eGPUs)

If your laptop’s GPU is starting to show its age, you might want to consider an external GPU, also known as an eGPU. These are external enclosures that house a desktop graphics card and connect to your laptop via Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C.

Benefits of an eGPU

- Boost GPU Performance: An eGPU can give your laptop desktop-level graphics performance, allowing you to run the latest games at higher settings.
- Easy to Upgrade: Unlike a laptop’s internal GPU, an eGPU can be easily upgraded without replacing the entire laptop.

2. External Monitors

As mentioned earlier, if your laptop’s display isn’t cutting it, you can always connect an external monitor. This is especially useful if you want a larger screen or higher refresh rates for gaming.

When to Upgrade vs. When to Buy New

So, how do you know when it’s worth upgrading your gaming laptop versus buying a new one? Here are a few things to consider:

- Age of the Laptop: If your laptop is more than 5 years old, it might be time to consider a new one, as the technology in it is likely outdated.
- Cost of Upgrades: Add up the cost of the upgrades you want to make. If the total is close to the price of a new laptop, it might be better to invest in a new machine.
- Performance Needs: Think about the games you want to play. If your current laptop is lagging behind even with upgrades, a new laptop with a more powerful GPU and CPU might be the better option.

Final Thoughts

Upgrading your gaming laptop isn’t as straightforward as upgrading a desktop, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. By focusing on components like RAM, storage, and cooling, you can extend the lifespan of your laptop and improve its performance without breaking the bank.

However, it’s important to have realistic expectations. You won’t be able to upgrade everything, and in some cases, buying a new laptop may be the more practical solution. But with the right upgrades, you can keep your gaming laptop running smoothly for years to come.