My Acer Aspire E1-571G Laptop came with an Intel i3 CPU, 4Gb of DDR3 RAM and a 500Gb Hard Disk Drive, as well as a 1Gb mobile nVidia GeForce GT 620M GPU. However, I wanted to upgrade the laptop since it is a few years old and it can use a few faster components. For this, I decided to add another 4Gb Hynix DDR3 Matched RAM module, install a Second HDD caddy and move the 500Gb HDD to where the DVD drive slot is and install an ADATA SU700 240Gb SSD Drive.

Step 1: Remove DVD Drive

The first step is to make sure the laptop is powered off, unplug the power supply and remove the battery. The first screw I remove is the screw that holds in the DVD Writer. For this you need a Philips screw driver. Once the screw is removed, it is easy to slide out the DVD writer unit and set it aside.

Step 2: Upgrade RAM

I then remove the lower panel that covers the Hard Disk Drive, RAM and wireless card. This panel has two Philips screws holding it down. With the screws removed, you can use a plastic spudger or other soft material to pry the cover open. And then simply remove it with your hands.

For the RAM upgrade, I made sure I bought the same type of RAM so that it would match perfectly. In my case, this was a 4Gb module of Hynix DDR3 RAM. The bottom RAM module has to be inserted first before inserting the second module on top.

Step 3: Replace HDD Drive With SSD Drive

With the RAM inserted, I proceeded to remove the Hard Disk Drive.
This is easily achieved by pulling on the plastic tab to the left and sliding the hard disk caddy out. The drive is held by 4 Philips screws which are removed. Once the disk is removed, I set it aside and got ready to install my SSD Drive

For this project, I chose this 240Gb ADATA SU700 Ultimate SSD drive. I screwed it in using the same screws that held the hard drive. The SSD was then inserted into the disk slot in the reverse fashion by sliding it to the right. With that complete, I put back the plastic protection cover.

In order to remove the front bezel panel from the DVD Drive, you need to open the drive. You can try inserting a needle or paper clip in the release hole besides the open button. Alternatively, you can open the drive while the laptop is turned on before turning it off with the drive open. The bezel panel is held in two places, on the left and right. These clips were opened using a flat screwdriver.

I then took out a second SATA hard disk caddy which will go in the
DVD drives place. The DVD bezel panel was then stuck to the second hdd caddy. It comes with a built in small philips screwdriver which also acts to hold down the hard disl. I put in the original hard disk and unscrewed the side screws so it would slide in. I then tightened the screws in reverse so that they will hold the hard disk.

From the DVD Drive, there is a clip which holds it in the laptop case that must be removed. It is on the back of the DVD Drive and is removed by the two screws. This clip is then screwed in to the second HDD caddy and the caddy is slid into the old DVD Drive slot. I then screwed down the hdd caddy with the original screw which once held the DVD drive in place

After this, I connected the battery back and powered on the laptop to check that everything works. In the BIOS, I can now see the 8Gb of RAM, the new SSD drive and the old hard disk working fine.

Step 4: Install Second HDD Caddy Instead of DVD Drive

I then took out a second SATA hard disk caddy which will go in the DVD drives place. The DVD bezel panel was then stuck to the second hdd caddy. It comes with a built in small philips screwdriver which also acts to hold down the hard disl. I put in the original hard disk and unscrewed the side screws so it would slide in. I then tightened the screws in reverse so that they will hold the hard disk.

From the DVD Drive, there is a clip which holds it in the laptop case that must be removed. It is on the back of the DVD Drive and is removed by the two screws. This clip is then screwed in to the second HDD caddy and the caddy is slid into the old DVD Drive slot. I then screwed down the hdd caddy with the original screw which once held the DVD drive in place

After this, I connected the battery back and powered on the laptop to check that everything works. In the BIOS, I can now see the 8Gb of RAM, the new SSD drive and the old hard disk working fine.