The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 is one of the most powerful laptops in the ThinkPad family, featuring 12th-generation Intel Core H-series processors and up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics. That kind of performance requires a lot of power to run, and the battery inside the laptop isn’t going to last. At some point, it might start to struggle. Batteries wear out over time, but that doesn’t mean the whole laptop needs to be thrown out. If you want, you can replace the battery inside the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5, and we’re here to show you how you can do that.
Replacing a battery requires a few materials, starting with a new battery to put inside the laptop. You can get an official replacement battery through Lenovo’s website, though you might also be able to find it from trusted resellers. You’re also going to need a Philips head screwdriver and, potentially, a non-conductive prying tool to help you open the laptop. You can get both of these with the iFixit Essential Electronics Toolkit using the link below.
Something else you might want for extra safety is an anti-static wristband, which prevents static discharges while you’re working on your laptop. Static discharges happen naturally, and they can damage components, and one of these straps can constantly discharge electricity from your body onto another metal surface.
Preparing to work inside your laptop
Once you have that, you have to formally prepare to start working on your laptop. It’s recommended that you disable the built-in battery before you start to prevent any current from running inside while you work on it. To do this, you’ll first need to disable fast startup in Windows. Here’s what you need to do:
- In Windows 11 or 10, open the Control Panel. The fastest way to do this is to search for it using Windows Search.
- Switch the view mode from Category to either Large icons or Small icons.
- From the list, choose Power options, then look at the left pane and choose Change what the power buttons do.
- On this page, click Change settings that are currently unavailable (this option requires administrator privileges).
- Uncheck the box that reads Turn off fast startup, and click Save changes at the bottom.
With fast startup disabled, you can now enter the ThinkPad menu more easily on boot, which lets you disable the built-in battery. Here’s how:
- Restart your computer and press the F1 key on your keyboard when you see the Lenovo/ThinkPad logo to access the ThinkPad Setup.
- Navigate to Config > Power and select Disable built-in battery.
- Choose Yes in the confirmation window and the built-in battery will be disabled and the laptop will turn off.
- Unplug the laptop from the outlet and wait a few minutes before working on it.
How to replace the battery in the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5
Once all the preparation is done, you can start replacing the battery inside the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5, which is a relatively straightforward process. Here’s how to do it:
- Lay the laptop with the base facing up and the hinge facing away from you. If there’s an SD card in the SD card slot, remove it.
- Use the Philips screwdriver to remove the seven screws holding the base cover in place. There are two screws on each side and three along the middle.
- Lift the base cover starting around the hinge of the laptop, then gradually move around the sides until the base cover is removed. A prying tool may help with this process.
- The speaker assembly is also in the way of the battery, so you’ll have to remove it. Starting by lifting the peel on the right side of the laptop, just above the battery, to disconnect the speakers from the motherboard.
- Remove the speaker cable that wraps around the bottom of the battery from the grips that hold it in place, then lift the speakers with the cable out of the laptop.
- To remove the battery, start by lifting the sticker in the middle, just above the battery, and disconnect the battery’s ribbon cable from the motherboard.
- Use the Philips screwdriver to remove the four screws along the bottom of the battery holding it in place, then lift the battery out of its slot.
- Install the new battery in the battery slot and secure it with the four screws you removed before. Reconnect the ribbon cable to the motherboard.
- Place the speaker assembly back in its place and ensure the speaker cables are all locked using the grips around the battery. The cable should be straight.
- Attach the ribbon cable to the motherboard connector on the right, above the battery.
- Re-attach the base cover in the original position, making sure it’s properly snapping into place around the edges. Secure it with the seven screws you removed previously.
And that’s about all you need to do to replace the battery inside the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5. It may look like a somewhat complicated process, but it should be easy enough to do if you follow these steps carefully.
The last thing you’ll need to do is re-enable the built-in battery. Simply follow the steps we mentioned above to re-enable it. Keep in mind the laptop will only turn on when it’s plugged in until you enable the battery. You may also want to re-enable fast startup. Again, you can follow the steps at the top to get to the right place, but of course, you’ll want to enable fast startup instead of disabling it.
If you don’t have a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5, but you’re on the lookout for a powerful business laptop with an easily replaceable battery, you can buy it using the link below. If you want something a bit different, you can check out other great Lenovo laptops, or maybe take a look at the best laptops in general to see if there’s something else you might like.