Asus ROG Ally Battery Mod

Written By: Shahram Mokhtari

Comments: 16

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

2 - 3 hours

Introduction

The ASUS ROG Ally was one of 2023's hottest devices but on the go gamers have had one minor complaint: its 2 hour battery life.

A few of us here at iFixit decided to do something about that in this after work hours project.

To complete this project, you'll need access to a 3D printer, some tools, and an Asus A42N1403 Laptop Battery.

Head here to pick up a remix of DarkK3y's excellent 3D scan of the Ally's original back cover. You'll be ready to start this mod once you have your new backplate printed!

Tools

Parts

Asus A42N1403 Laptop Battery

Step 1

Let your device's battery drain below 25% before starting this repair—a charged lithium‑ion battery may catch fire if damaged.
Completely power off your device and unplug all cables.
Consider laying your device on a soft cloth to prevent scratching or damaging the screen during your repair.

Step 2

Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.
Use a Phillips #0 screwdriver to remove the five 17.2 mm‑long screws securing the top edge and bottom corners of the back cover.
Use a Phillips #0 screwdriver to fully loosen the remaining captive screw at the center of the bottom edge. This should create a small gap between the back cover and chassis.
Don't try to remove this screw.

Step 3

Insert the flat edge of an opening pick between the bottom edge of the back cover and chassis, near the captive screw.
Angle the pick upward and push it under the back cover.

Step 4

Plastic clips secure the perimeter of the back cover. You should feel and hear them release during this step.
Slide the opening pick along the bottom edge and around the corners of the back cover to release the clips securing it.
Keep the pick at an upward angle under the back cover to help release the clips.

Step 5

Lift the bottom edge of the back cover off the chassis to release the remaining clips.
Remove the back cover.
During reassembly, lay the back cover onto your device and firmly push down around the perimeter to engage the clips.

Step 6

Use your fingers to peel up and remove the black plastic cover between the fans.
Put the cover aside—you'll use it during reassembly.

Step 7

A metal locking bar secures the top edge of the battery connector
Use the flat end of a spudger to gently push the locking bar away from the connector to unlatch it.

Step 8

Make sure the locking bar is not covering the battery connector at all, or you may damage the socket and the locking bar.
Insert the flat end of a spudger under the center of the battery connector.
Lift the connector straight up and out of its socket to disconnect the battery.
During reassembly, use your fingers or the flat end of a spudger to firmly push the connector onto its socket until it clicks into place.

Step 9

Use a Phillips #00 screwdriver to remove the four screws securing the battery:
Two 9.6 mm‑long screws near the center of the top edge
The screw near the left speaker has a warning sticker on it. Pierce through it with your screwdriver or use tweezers to remove it.
Two 3.4 mm‑long screws at the left and right edges

Step 10

With one hand, hold the ribbon cable that runs along the top of the battery out of the way.
With your free hand, lift the battery straight up and remove it.

Step 11

If your replacement battery doesn't come with a cable installed, follow this step to remove and transfer the old one.
With one hand, firmly secure the outer battery cells.
With your free hand, use the point of a spudger to push on alternating sides of the battery connector to walk it out of its socket.
To install the cable:
Gently push the connector partially into its socket.
Use a spudger to push in the outer edges of the connector until it slides fully into its socket.
Do not push on the cables themselves, as this can easily damage them.

Step 12

We need the cable connecting the battery pouch to the mainboard.
This cable will be destroyed. If you want to preserve your original cable, you can find spare parts online thanks to ASUS's repair friendly approach to this device.

Step 13

Use a bit of heat to loosen the glue around the base of the connector that connects to the mainboard.
Once the glue around the base is soft, pry the glue away.
Most glues will melt at around 100-110F (37-43C). Be careful not to apply too much heat or the plastic connector will start to melt and deform.
Gently lift the small white tabs holding each wire in place and remove the wires one by one.
Save the connector head for step 16.

Step 14

Remove the black tape around the wires on the A42N1403 battery.
Do not use any metal tools to avoid unintentional damage to the battery.
Position your hair dryer in a way that directs heat towards the connector but away from the battery.
Do not apply heat to the battery pack! Ensure that the hot air is always directed away from the battery.

Step 15

Pry away the glue at the base of the connector.
It is possible to remove the glue without applying heat but the risk of damage to the cables increases.
Use a spudger to lift the plastic tabs on the connector and remove the black wires.
Tape the three black wires together.
Make sure the ends of the red wires don't touch any of the other wires. This could damage the battery circuitry.

This is a cool mod! I would love to do this to my Ally, but I'm wondering if modifying the file to enclose the battery inside the device would be worth it?

I know the battery has its own casing, but I'm a bit skeptical as it currently stands.

Blix -

What happen to the battery if the red cable just accidentally touch other cable like merely half second? No spark or sound. The battery still usable?

Blyce - 02/09/24

Step 16

Remove the remaining wires and discard the connector.
Retrieve the connector head you salvaged from the ROG Ally and place it with the row of small white tabs facing up.
Attach the red wires first and glue them in place with an adhesive of your choice (I used this).
Attach the orange/green and blue wires, followed by the three black wires as shown in the picture. Glue them all in place.
Make sure you place the wires in the correct order otherwise your ROG Ally won't power on! Starting with the first red wire in the far right socket, proceed to insert each wire in the same order they extrude from the battery.

Step 17

It's a good idea to run pilot holes through any screw pillars before proceeding further.
Make sure to grab the light blocker from the original back cover and place it in the new shell.
This piece of foam covers a light sensor on the ROG Ally mainboard. If the sensor is not covered, the system will not boot.
Transfer the paddles and triggers from the original cover over to the newly printed back plate.

Step 18

Pass the battery cable through the opening in the new back plate.
Turn the connector head 180 degrees so the small white tabs are facing towards the mainboard.
Ensure the battery is correctly positioned and firmly press down on the base of the battery pack until you hear a click.
Check to ensure both case clips are engaged against the battery clips.
With the back plate loose, you need to carefully connect the battery connector and slide the metal bracket into its locked position.
This step is a bit fiddly but take your time and you'll get it to work.

Step 19

You can replace five of the original six screws used to secure the backplate.
Use two of the screws from the original battery pack to further secure the new battery.
Plug in your ROG Ally to its power supply.
The ROG Ally will not power on after the battery has been disconnected without mains power.
Your ROG Ally should now be able to run off the new battery pack.

Step 20

You can check the status of your new battery by opening PowerShell in Admin mode and typing: powercfg /batteryreport /output "C:\report.html". The report will be saved to your C: drive with the given filename.
OEM battery pack capacity.
Upgraded battery pack capacity.
Game on.

Step 21

For the terminally curious, this is a shot of the BMS board.
If your ROG Ally doesn't power on, check:
Did you install the light blocker on your new back cover? Did you try taping the light sensor over with black tape?
Did you plug your Ally into mains using the original charging brick?
Double check to ensure your cable is properly seated on the mainboard. The margins are tight and it can pop out easily.
Double check that the pins on the connector head are inserted fully. You should be able to see the copper tabs through the white plastic.
Check your wiring. With the connector heads little white tabs facing up, you should have 3 red wires on the right and 3 black wires on the left. When connected to the mainboard, you should have 3 red wires on the left and 3 black wires on the right.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

14 comments

Ich würde gerne diese Mod machen, aber ich kann die Batterie nicht nach Deutschland bestellen. Gibt es da eine Möglichkeit?

Prezly -

The batteries should be available from third party sellers on other platforms. Our EU store doesn't currently stock this battery.

Shahram Mokhtari -

I'm the creator of the original battery mod. It's so cool to see ifitit do their own spin off!

I'll need to add this to allymods.com

Tekgnome -

Glad you liked it! Feel free to refine it further, there's always room for improvement :)

Shahram Mokhtari -

And how much battery time did you actually won with this mod?

Donjon Hawadoo L -

In theory the overall capacity is more than doubled so we're looking at 1.5x to 2x.

Shahram Mokhtari -

Hello, is there any chance this could be shipped to Canada? I am hoping to create a video tutorial for this mod.

OKestGamer channel -

I’m very surprised Ali express or someone else hasn’t just developed a kit for this mod. I know I would buy a complete kit that was plug and play

James Norman -

I just finished up my mod thanks to your guide. I had been staring at this for weeks debating. I ordered a battery and it took no time to swap over the cable headers and get it working. It's clunky but until we get the Ally X battery mod this will do just fine. Especially for $28 I spent on the battery.

Wanted to say thank you for posting your findings.

Quadzilla -

Our genuine pleasure, I’m glad you found it useful!

Shahram Mokhtari -

Please do it for lenovo legion go please

Jesus peña -

Hi there—I wanted to print the 3D file at a local makertspace and they were saying the stl file is a bit too large? Any recommendations for printing?

Darvé Robinson -

Hi Darvé,

You could try splitting the model in half (or into smaller pieces), printing the two halves, and then gluing/epoxying them back together. You could also get the part printed by a 3D printing company.

Chayton Ritter -

I really like this! Is it safe to leave the battery exposed like that? Because I was thinking about 3-D printing a piece to cover that part

Snowycaptainrex -