MSI PE70 2QE Teardown
Tools
These are some common tools used to work on this device. You might not need every tool for every procedure.
Background and Identification
The MSI PE70 2QE is a 17-inch laptop released in 2015. It has both an Intel Core processor and a discrete Nvidia graphics card inside. The laptop is part of MSI’s “Prestige” series of business laptops, and thus has more high-end features than some other MSI models, the most notable of which would be the 1920x1080 pixel IPS display and the partial aluminum chassis.
Opening the PE70 2QE is relatively straightforward, with the back cover held on by only Phillips screws (admittedly quite a lot of them). Once you’re in, the battery is accessible at the back of the laptop and the two slots for memory expansion are front and center. The laptop comes from the factory with a hard drive populated in its bay, but you can swap this drive with any standard 2.5-inch SATA drive if the original stops working. If you need more storage space, the motherboard also has an M.2 slot for an additional SSD. Bigger components like the fans and heatsink are out in the open if you’re interested in a complete disassembly.
To identify this laptop, look on the bottom for a sticker containing the model number “PE70 2QE.” The laptop is overall black and silver, with the silver portions comprising the back of the display and the area around the keyboard. The back of the display additionally has an MSI logo near the right side.
Technical Specifications
Processor
- 4th-generation Intel Core processor
Memory
- Up to 16 GB total
- Two SO-DIMM slots
- DDR3L at 1600 MHz
Storage
- Hard drive
- 2.5-inch form factor
- SATA interface
- (Optional) SSD
- Uses an M.2 slot on the motherboard
- (Optional) optical drive
- Blu-ray read/write capability
Graphics
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M
Display
- 17.3 inches (43.9 cm) on the diagonal
- 1920x1080 pixels
- IPS panel
Connections
- USB 2.0 port
- Three USB 3.0 ports
- HDMI port
- Mini DisplayPort
- Gigabit Ethernet port
- 3.5 mm headphone jack (with S/PDIF optical)
- 3.5 mm microphone jack
- SD card reader
Wireless
- 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth 4.0
Additional Information
MSI PE70 2QE official support page (with downloads for the manual and drivers)