How hard is it to upgrade ram/cpu/gfx on dell laptops?

DanTheMan

DanTheMan

DanTheMan

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If at all possible, how much of a task is it to upgrade ram/cpu and gfx on dell laptops?

xps m17 and studio 17 mainly?

Cheers
 
AFAIK, it's easier to upgrade the XPS series than the Studio series as Dell 'expected' the end-user's to have knowledge of computer hardware.

As for the Studio, I really don't know. I'm guessing it would be fairly easy to upgrade the RAM + CPU, but the GPU might be a solder job.
 
Upgrading RAM is easy. Although i've never known anyone upgrade their CPU/GPU.

There may be issues with heat and size especially with the GPU.
 
I've upgraded laptops' CPU a few times.
It's not too hard, not as easy as popping in RAM, but just remember to check:
a) Your motherboard supports the processor
b) The laptop can dissipate the heat efficiently
c) You apply a fresh layer of Artic 5 (or your favourite Termal Paste) to the new CPU.
 
DanTheMan said:
If at all possible, how much of a task is it to upgrade ram/cpu and gfx on dell laptops?

xps m17 and studio 17 mainly?

Cheers
Click to expand...

I'm certain that you can upgrade the CPU and GPU on the XPS M1730 series. You pretty much have to dismantle the whole laptop to do it though. The GPU's connect to the MB using Nvidia MXM daughterboards, so can be swapped out. I remember seeing some videos posted by an English guy on Youtube on how to do it.

However, the replacement daughterboards themselves are really hard to get hold of as manufacturers don't sell them to the public directly. I remember seeing a couple of 8800m gtx's on ebay earlier this year, but they were £500.... each

I'm not sure whether upgrading is possible on the Studio, but the fact that they only come with integrated graphics or an ATI 3650 suggests that the gpu is hardwired to the motherboard.
 
I bought a 7900 gs from a well known auction site and installed it myself in my inspiron 9400 (this was 2years ago now) - saved me £300 off the dell customiser.

Unlocked the bios on it and ran it at 7900gtx speeds!

Is fiddly but can be done!

Give me a pm if you need some info on where to find guides etc
 
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