In this guide, I will disassemble a Lenovo ThinkPad T480 laptop. I will remove the bottom case to upgrade the RAM, SSD, and HDD for my T480.
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Its disassembly method is very simple, just like the ThinkPad T470, you only need to remove the external battery first, and then remove all the screws on the bottom case. Use the guitar pick open the bottom case slowly, and there are many snaps on the back cover to securing the case to the laptop body. Be careful do not to break the snaps.
With the bottom case removed, you can get access to the internal battery, M.2 SSD, RAM, CMOS battery, hard drive, Wi-Fi card, heat sink, cooling fan, and motherboard.
Lenovo ThinkPad T480 has two available RAM slots, each supporting up to 16GB of DDR4-2400 memory, which means you can upgrade the RAM to 32GB. The unit we’ve tested comes with one 8GB DDR4-2400 RAM from Samsung.
Amazingly, it is equipped with a 2242 PCIe NVMe 128GB M.2 SSD from Toshiba with a part number of KBG30ZMT128G, Lenovo P/N: 00UP650, SSSOL24702.
The laptop also comes with a 500GB mechanical hard disk; if necessary, you can replace it with a larger capacity hard disk.
Here’s the internal battery, 11.4V, 24Wh, Lenovo FRU: 01AV489.
Update
Another version of ThinkPad T480 has an M.2 2280 SSD and installed via an adapter. Please see the ThinkPad T480 review here.
Related Parts:
Genuine Backlit Keyboard for Lenovo ThinkPad T480 – 01HX419 01HX459 01HX499
Genuine WQHD Screen for Lenovo ThinkPad T480 T480s – 00NY664 LP140QH2-SPB1
Does this one have the nvidia dGPU?
Yes, the laptop with a NVIDIA GeForce MX150.
Two things:
1. you should disguise at least your serial number (S/N: PF-xxxxx at two places 1. at where also the CE logo is 2. at the sticker between RAM 1 and RAM 2) in the inside under-the-hood view photo, so it is no more public visible. 🙂
2. here my inside under-the-hood view photo of my T480 i5 MX150 campus model with pre-installed WWAN antennas, for the comparison: https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/83838h/inside_the_german_t480_i5_mx150_campus_model/
At my T480 the Samsung PM981 512 GB SSD with the part number MZVLB512HAJQ in the 2282 M.2 format is located inside the 2.5″ slot with a proprietary M.2 NVMe adapter.
Yes, If a T480 with a M.2 SSD and without 2.5″ HDD, the laptop will comes with a M.2 2280 SSD.
And how can one order this laptop with both the 2242 m.2 ssd and 2.5″ HDD? There isn’t any “second hard drive” option on lenovo’s website when purchasing T480.
This is because the version is different. The laptop I disassembled is bought in China.
I was wondering if this T480 is mounting the MX150 25W (1D10 version) instead of the Max-Q version (1D12).
Hi
I have Lenovo t580 and I am looking for adapter NVME.
Do you think is the same like t480?
Thanks for help
I’m falling back to options for the T480 because of this year’s disaster of a design T490.
On Lenovo web site, I see T480 with two separate drive slots
1. traditional 2.5″ slot for magnetic hard disk or M.2 2280 SSD.
2. M.2 2242 SSD.
How would I know, if I first buy it with a traditional disk, then replace it later with a M.2 2280 drive, that the adapter cable will be there? Or do I have to source for that cable component separately?