How to Assemble a Modular Laptop Kit, Step by Step

In short: Clear a table, touch something metal, fit the memory at an angle until it clicks, seat the M.2 drive and fix its screw, close the chassis, slide in the port cards, then install an operating system from a USB stick. Expect the first boot to sit on a black screen for a minute or two while new memory is trained.

A DIY kit from us contains the same parts as an assembled laptop, each in its own box, checked against your order before it ships. This guide takes you from the boxes to a working machine. Read it once before you start; the whole job usually takes about an hour.

Before you start

A clear, well-lit table. A tray or a mug for screws saves a search under the sofa.
A small screwdriver that fits the screws on your chassis. Use the right size: a slipping driver is how screw heads get stripped.
A USB stick of 8 GB or more and another computer, to prepare the operating system installer.
Discharge static. Touch a bare metal surface, such as a radiator or the back of a desktop case, before you handle the mainboard, memory or drive. Avoid working on carpet in socks.

Unpack everything and lay the parts out. Compare them with your order page: the chassis, mainboard, memory, storage, screen, keyboard, port cards and charger you chose should all be there. If anything is missing, stop and email us with your order ID before you open anything else.

1. Open the chassis

The bottom cover is held by screws that usually stay captive in the cover, so loosen each one a few turns rather than removing it completely. Lift the cover from the edge the screws were on. Lay the chassis on a soft cloth so the lid and top case do not scratch.

If your mainboard ships separately, it goes in first: line it up with the standoffs and port openings, then fit its screws loosely, and tighten them only once every screw has started. Connect any cables shown in the chassis documentation before the board is fixed down.

2. Fit the memory

Laptop memory slots take modules at an angle of about 30 degrees.

Line up the notch in the gold contacts with the key in the slot. It only fits one way round.
Push the module firmly into the slot at that angle until the contacts disappear.
Press the module down flat. The clips on each side snap into the notches with a click.

With two modules, fill both slots. A pair runs in dual channel, which is noticeably faster than a single module of the same total size. The builder will already have matched the memory type to your mainboard, so a module that does not fit the slot is a sign it is upside down, not the wrong kind.

3. Seat the storage drive

An M.2 drive also goes in at a slight angle. Slide it into the connector until it seats, lower it flat, and fix it with the small screw or latch at its far end. Do not overtighten: the screw only holds the drive down, it does not need force. A drive that is not fully seated is the usual reason an installer later reports "no disk found".

4. Screen, keyboard and the top case

If your screen and keyboard deck arrive separately, connect each one's cable to its connector on the mainboard with the board facing you, then fold or lower the part into place. Connectors only go in one way; if one resists, check the orientation instead of pushing harder. Close the bottom cover and tighten its screws in a cross pattern, a little at a time.

5. Add the port cards

Each expansion card slides into a bay on the side of the chassis until it clicks. Put the cards you use most on the side where you sit: USB-C for charging on the side nearest your socket, for example. They come out again with the release on the underside, so you can rearrange them whenever you like.

6. First boot

Connect the charger and press the power button. New memory has to be trained on its first start, which can leave the screen black for one to two minutes. Leave it alone during that time; switching it off and on again restarts the training.

When the firmware setup screen appears, check that it shows the memory size and the drive you installed.

7. Install an operating system

A kit ships without an operating system. On another computer, download the installer for the system you want, write it to the USB stick with a tool such as balenaEtcher or Rufus, then plug the stick into the laptop and choose it from the boot menu. Follow the installer, and choose the M.2 drive you fitted as the install target.

Once the system is up, install its updates, then confirm everything works: the screen at full resolution, the keyboard, the trackpad, Wi-Fi, sound, and each port card.

If something is not right

No power at all: try the charger on a different port card, and make sure the charger is the one from your kit; the builder sized it for your configuration.
Power, but nothing on screen after three minutes: reseat the memory. It is the most common cause of a silent first boot.
The installer finds no drive: the M.2 drive is not fully seated. Open the cover and press it into its connector again.
Still stuck: email us with your order ID and a photo of the inside. A person who assembles these machines every week will look at it.

Prefer to skip all of this? Every configuration can also be ordered assembled and tested, with the operating system installed. Either way, it starts in the builder, and the parts guide explains how to choose memory, storage and a charger.