Introduction
As games become larger and more complex, the need for larger drives to hold your library is becoming increasingly apparent. The ROG Ally ships with a 512GB SSD, which is quite large, but for many too small to hold their various titles. This guide covers how to disassemble the ROG Ally and upgrade the internal SSD.
What you need
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ASUS recommends draining the battery in the Ally to 25% or lower before disassembly. Power the device off using the power button, and hold for 10 seconds beyond the screen going dark to ensure any residual capacity is drained from the motherboard.
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The next step is disassembling the device. Lie it with the screen facing down, and remove the 5 screws from the back and the 3 screws from the bottom. The top center screw is a captive pop-up screw, which will remain in the plastic backing.
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Insert a prying tool into the gap between the pieces, and gently press up to pop the plastic backing off of the ally. Carefully lift the backing up and out of the way, as there are still ribbon cables attached.
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Carefully remove the battery connector by sliding the metal bracket on the connector out of the way and gently lifting up on the connector. A fair warning: pulling too hard or improperly can tear the connector from the board, pulling the solder pads with it.
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Unscrew the 5 Phillips head screws holding the battery in place, and carefully lift it out of the chassis.
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Undo the screw at the back of the M.2 2280 SSD, it will lift diagonally and can then be removed. In some Ally models, there is a piece of conductive tape lying under the battery, which can be removed.
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Insert the new SSD into the M.2 slot at an angle, and then gently press down. Replace the screw at the end of the drive. Congrats! You've just upgraded your SSD.
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To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
