Dear MSI, thank you for leaving the solder pads for the 2nd m.2 location on my laptop...... PS, you're cheap, and F warranties!

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Mar 9, 2018
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Couldn't find the modding section, I might be getting old.

Laptop: MSI GL65-Leopard 10sek-022
Came with 1 m.2 socket and a 2.5 SATA bay with solder pads for a 2nd one that MSI left bare since this is on their lower tiers, but they left the BIOS enabled for also.

1 m.2 socket
10 capacitors
and a
2.5mm m.2 stud later.......
for a 2TB NVMe.

20220501_142015.jpg


Now hopefully those 4 0201 caps I lost aren't floating around inside....... :( lol

I forgot to take some after pics, but will snap some when I swap drives later.

Before:
IMG_20210702_121115.jpg

IMG_20210714_131614.jpg
 
Refreshing to see some real [H] modding for a change, great job! Like the difference between old school case modding (dremels etc) and the ' Is this rgb fan better case mod than this fan' stuff lol.
 
This is great - as an EE that focused on electronics and computer theory/repair doing all sorts of solder work in the classroom and as a hobbyist at home, this warms my [H]eart.
 
Do we get an "After" pic? Thought you just hadn't posted it yet, so I decided to wait, but...

Edit: Ah, just saw your note in the post. Carry on! :p
 
Last edited:
Do we get an "After" pic? Thought you just hadn't posted it yet, so I decided to wait, but...

Edit: Ah, just saw your note in the post. Carry on! :p
Whenever I feel like opening it up again, AKA, insert the trademarked "SOON".
I adding on some heatsinks to the SSDs, not sure if I want to keep them on or off since I live in Florida and use my LT outside. Have the 512GB as my OS and programs, and the 2TB as my game drive, no real writing loads on both once games are installed. The 2TB spinner is for bulk and media.
 
Do we get an "After" pic? Thought you just hadn't posted it yet, so I decided to wait, but...

Edit: Ah, just saw your note in the post. Carry on! :p
Here's are before pic for my next project, replacing the 40pin DIP connector on the main board in my Redmi Note 9S, because I waited too long to replace the bloated battery, putting strain on the socket. Shame it wasn't on the ribbon cable side..... :(
The connector is about 1CM long with 20 pins on both sides. lets see how many of the 4 I use. Hopefully just one since I have 138c low melt solder paste and a a reflow gun. I don't think any of the pads got ripped off, which is nice.

20220401_172644.jpg


20220401_172840.jpg
 
nice job on that phone but i dont see what we're supposed to be seeing in the first post...
 
Want to try your hand at soldering something for me? A Garmin smart watch. I'll pay shipping both ways and $40 for trying, $100 if you get it. Super small work.
 
Want to try your hand at soldering something for me? A Garmin smart watch. I'll pay shipping both ways and $40 for trying, $100 if you get it. Super small work.
Lol, no. Best to get a pro like Louis Ros, or NorthridgeFix. I was going to mail the phone to Northridge, but they said they couldn't work on it, maybe they couldn't find the connector which AliExpress had or what not. I had a hard time searching DigiKey for it and gave up there.
Took me 6 hours for the laptop and the 40 pin for the phone is far smaller. Hopefully the plastic on the connector has a high enough temp resistance, the m.2 one was rated at 245c, well above the minimum 200c of my iron and 138c of the solder paste.
ah, so completed this section.
View attachment 470507

pics still coming, op?
fine fine, let me power off......ugh.
 
A bit wonky on the solder work, but.....
20220505_105038.jpg


I didn't want to lose any more of those 0201 sized caps, ordered 12, needed 8, lost 4.
I should've solder on the connector 1st then the data caps. C1570 and C1571 were for the power and the easiest at 0402 and 0603
20220505_105112.jpg


This was the 2nd attempt to add the m.2 slot, 1st attempt was a few months ago. Melted a few pins on the m.2 socket, and solder flowed up the standoff preventing me from screwing in the screw, then I lost the standoff trying to clear it.
Shame DigiKey didn't sell the metal screws, they only had nylon ones, so I had to order a standoff kit on Amazon for them.
20220505_105124.jpg


Oh hey, MSI, no one case about your bottom design, it sit on a desk, hidden from view so you might want to make it simple so we can pop on some folding feet! HINT HINT.
20220505_105911.jpg


Also while we're at it, let's not design the vents so they stick out from the rest of the body so when you place it in a bag where it sits on those side, the weight of the laptop won't break them...... m-kay!?
Rear vents......
20220505_105212.jpg


Left vent......
20220505_105229.jpg


Also, please, most of the world is Right-handed, like the vast majority, the rest are Wrong-handed. While the power plug is passable, the 2 right front USBs are a problem. Best to most of the USB ports on the left and just lease one toward the back-half for the corded mouse folks out there.
While it's nice to have a SD slot, it's best to make it full depth so people can leave the card in and have the laptop sit on that side in a bag.
20220505_110115.jpg


Last bit, downward facing LED activity light......FFS, why!? How are we going to see them? Should we sit under a glass desk while our hands reach up to control the computer? Come on!
20220505_110254.jpg
 
You're lucky you have a HD light. Dell removed it completely from the work laptop I use (G5 SE w/AMD 4900H). Had to download a HD activity indicator app that sits in the taskbar icons list to see drive access.
 
A bit wonky on the solder work, but.....
View attachment 470647

I didn't want to lose any more of those 0201 sized caps, ordered 12, needed 8, lost 4.
I should've solder on the connector 1st then the data caps. C1570 and C1571 were for the power and the easiest at 0402 and 0603
View attachment 470649

This was the 2nd attempt to add the m.2 slot, 1st attempt was a few months ago. Melted a few pins on the m.2 socket, and solder flowed up the standoff preventing me from screwing in the screw, then I lost the standoff trying to clear it.
Shame DigiKey didn't sell the metal screws, they only had nylon ones, so I had to order a standoff kit on Amazon for them.
View attachment 470650

Oh hey, MSI, no one case about your bottom design, it sit on a desk, hidden from view so you might want to make it simple so we can pop on some folding feet! HINT HINT.
View attachment 470654

Also while we're at it, let's not design the vents so they stick out from the rest of the body so when you place it in a bag where it sits on those side, the weight of the laptop won't break them...... m-kay!?
Rear vents......
View attachment 470651

Left vent......
View attachment 470653

Also, please, most of the world is Right-handed, like the vast majority, the rest are Wrong-handed. While the power plug is passable, the 2 right front USBs are a problem. Best to most of the USB ports on the left and just lease one toward the back-half for the corded mouse folks out there.
While it's nice to have a SD slot, it's best to make it full depth so people can leave the card in and have the laptop sit on that side in a bag.
View attachment 470655

Last bit, downward facing LED activity light......FFS, why!? How are we going to see them? Should we sit under a glass desk while our hands reach up to control the computer? Come on!
View attachment 470656


Hi! I`m just noticwd that my situation have exactly the same as yours! But I still wondering about capacitors... Can you tell me which did you use? I know about data link caps (8x 0201 220uF) but I still haven`t any info about two power caps (0402 and 0603). Do you remember which did you use? Or at least where did you find info about caps props? (I thing you have DigiKey order summary in your mailbox)
Thanks for help!
 
You have the same laptop?
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/kemet/C0402C104K8RAC7867/789652
Power cap 1 x1
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/jae-electronics/SM3ZS067U410-NUT1-R1200/5955846
m.2 standoff x1, could use something else like a clip-in. You also need a screw for the standoff, DK only had a nylon.
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/te-connectivity-amp-connectors/1-2199230-6/4731766
M.2 socket x1
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/tdk-corporation/C0603JB1A224K030BB/3947990
Data caps x8
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/tdk-corporation/C1608JB1C105K080AA/3948453
Power cap 2 x1

You might want to order 3 of each for the power caps, solder on standoff, and the m.2 sockets, also maybe 16 of the data caps just in case you damage them.
 
You have the same laptop?
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/kemet/C0402C104K8RAC7867/789652
Power cap 1 x1
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/jae-electronics/SM3ZS067U410-NUT1-R1200/5955846
m.2 standoff x1, could use something else like a clip-in. You also need a screw for the standoff, DK only had a nylon.
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/te-connectivity-amp-connectors/1-2199230-6/4731766
M.2 socket x1
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/tdk-corporation/C0603JB1A224K030BB/3947990
Data caps x8
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/tdk-corporation/C1608JB1C105K080AA/3948453
Power cap 2 x1

You might want to order 3 of each for the power caps, solder on standoff, and the m.2 sockets, also maybe 16 of the data caps just in case you damage them.
Yeah, I have MSI GL65 10SDR and it have exactly the same "issue". I spend about 3 hours to surfing socials and forums to find did anyone try it. Thanks for help. BTW I saw couple discussions in reddit with similar ideas but it was almost cleaned. MSI really don't want to give us such chance to mod laptop.

Anyway thanks for help! Hope I'll send my results soon!
 
Those SM caps are a pain to work with so friggen tiny.
Had to use 30 mag classes. lol
Yeah, I have MSI GL65 10SDR and it have exactly the same "issue". I spend about 3 hours to surfing socials and forums to find did anyone try it. Thanks for help. BTW I saw couple discussions in reddit with similar ideas but it was almost cleaned. MSI really don't want to give us such chance to mod laptop.

Anyway thanks for help! Hope I'll send my results soon!
Make sure your BIOS still sees the 2nd m.2.
And make sure you're skilled enough, I also used a reflow gun and low temp solder for the m.2 connector.
Be careful around the monitor connector for the standoff, it takes a lot of heat. You might want to use a rubber insert for the standoff instead, I didn't they existed.
Shield off around the area you work with campton tape.

Might have been my posts, Reddit banned me for "hate speech"......
 
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