I'm in love with this big guy :)
And here are the upgraded components:
- 1080P IPS Screen
- 512GB SSD
- DVD caddy replaced by a HDD caddy (intalled an additional 512GB SSD)
- Processor upgraded to an i7-4712MQ
- Grizzly Kryonaut thermal paste upgrade
- US keyboard replaced by another one with Spanish layout (original, found on eBay)
- RAM upgraded to 12GB (enough for me)
- Brand-new original 9-cell battery (also found on eBay)
I don't think I forget anything... well maybe the best upgrade: I use Arch, btw!
It's fairly safe process and teaches lots of new skills for you. You can use even Raspberry Pi 1 for it. Just build the image with computer and not RasPi.
The guide is just 12 mins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqjsM18pKCE&pp=ygUXQ29yZWJvb3QgVGhpbmtwYWQgVDQ0MHA%3D