How easy is it to add parts to a laptop?

darksparkz · 10-23-05, 02:49 PM

I'm planning to buy a Dell 700m or 600m, but i want like better HDDs and ram on it. Since most vendors overprice their ram upgrades and stuff, would it be a good idea to get like their cheapest ram combination, ie. 512MB, and just buy 2x1GB sticks of SDRAM or whatever it is and put it in? Also would I have to worry about switching out their HDDS if I wanted to put a 7200rpm one in there? Any chance of buying a laptop video card and installing it myself?

I never opened up a laptop, much less owned one, so I wouldn't really know how easy it is to switch out components in them.

Tebore · 10-23-05, 03:23 PM

Should be fairly simple. It really depends on your laptop though, some require a 80% teardown (a 5 year old sony) before you can change the RAM and some are easy as removing the cover on the bottom marked RAM. Same goes for harddrive swaps.

Xenocide · 10-23-05, 04:08 PM

mine is easy as hell.

cpu is two screws + 4 thumb screws for heatsink.

hdd is 6 screws and slides into a cage.

ram is 2 screws and 2 clips.

acer makes life easyyy.

perfectturmoil · 10-23-05, 07:50 PM

Ram will probably be easy..

The 600m is like.. 1 or 2 screws if I remember correctly.. then its just playing the game of making sure you get compatible parts.. Lappy's sometimes tend to be more picky about what they work with.

Hard drives are also usually easy.

Videocard, almost no chance of upgrading it. Lots are onboard, and the rest I believe are not exchangeable. Regardless, that one will take a complete teardown if it's even possible..

The ram and hard drive should be pretty easy.. key word SHOULD...

darksparkz · 10-23-05, 09:11 PM

Ehh, it's more of a hit or miss. Anyone with experience on the 600m or 700m? It should work the same as most Dell ones though.

Elif Tymes · 10-24-05, 03:59 PM

My 9300 has an easily swappable HDD cage, RAM, Optical, MiniPCI, and battery. All of these are decently labeled.

Slightly more difficult(though not much) is the Video Card/CPU.

Dell has tech documents that tell you how to do ANYTHING to your system. Follow them from step 1-end and you will be able to do anything, even replacing the motherboard.

Heck, I could be a dell tech if all I had was a satalite internet connection so I could check their docs whenever I went on a house call :-p

ozzlo · 10-24-05, 06:06 PM

it's not that hard to really tear down a laptop just a bunch of work is all... I can tear down my laptop in less than 15 minuiets and have over 20 seperate peices all spread out over the table (it's only cause I take my laptop apart all the time)... (actually my laptop is currently in peices lol)

everything pretty much fits only one way and there are even lables inside my laptop of the order to remove and install the screws for optimal removal/installation ease.

Bal`thzar · 10-24-05, 11:22 PM

Dells are extremly modular and are not that hard to Upgrade or mod. You should be fine. Please keep us posted though.

darksparkz · 10-25-05, 06:28 PM

Hmm...I think I might go with the 700m or 600m with just their cheapest HDD and Ram selections, like 256MB and 20GB of HDD. I'd save money AND get better performance by buying my own stuff off vendors.

Now it's just to decide between the 600m or 700m, the 700m would be more portable because of it's 12" screen and smaller size, but I might game a bit, so the 600m's 14" screen would be a tad better.

But I heard their releasing a new notebook early 2006 that has the power of a XPS in a small 12" screen size.

wmiddleton · 10-27-05, 12:32 PM

my gf just bought a 700m... I'll update when I get a chance to tinker on it (hopefully tonight) :-D

Xtreme Barton · 10-27-05, 02:26 PM

make sure you look to see whats the max on ram it can handle..

laptops upgrades are not that bad at all. even the complex ones// just time consuming.

video cards are the crappy part of laptops ... i wish too they were more friendly with upgrades

10-23-05, 02:49 PM	Thread Starter #1
darksparkz Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chicago, IL	How easy is it to add parts to a laptop? I'm planning to buy a Dell 700m or 600m, but i want like better HDDs and ram on it. Since most vendors overprice their ram upgrades and stuff, would it be a good idea to get like their cheapest ram combination, ie. 512MB, and just buy 2x1GB sticks of SDRAM or whatever it is and put it in? Also would I have to worry about switching out their HDDS if I wanted to put a 7200rpm one in there? Any chance of buying a laptop video card and installing it myself? I never opened up a laptop, much less owned one, so I wouldn't really know how easy it is to switch out components in them. __________________ Antec P182 w/ 3 Yate Loon D1SL-12 Intel DG965WH Motherboard Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G.Skill 4x2GB DDR2 PC6400 4-4-4-12 WD Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB OCZ Vertex2 60GB SSD eVGA 8800GTS 512MB Asus DRW-24B1ST Corsair HX520 Scythe Ninja w/Panaflo 120mmx38mm FBA12G12M [Heatware] <---Or rather lack of heatware
	QUOTE Thanks

10-23-05, 03:23 PM	#2
Tebore Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Toronto,Canada(I can see you....)	Should be fairly simple. It really depends on your laptop though, some require a 80% teardown (a 5 year old sony) before you can change the RAM and some are easy as removing the cover on the bottom marked RAM. Same goes for harddrive swaps. __________________ UMPC: Asus EEE 701(4G) Laptops: Lenovo T60p Servers: IBM XServ Heatware
	QUOTE Thanks

10-23-05, 04:08 PM	#3
Xenocide Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Charlotte, NC	mine is easy as hell. cpu is two screws + 4 thumb screws for heatsink. hdd is 6 screws and slides into a cage. ram is 2 screws and 2 clips. acer makes life easyyy. __________________ A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
	QUOTE Thanks

10-23-05, 07:50 PM	#4
perfectturmoil Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Hillbillyville	Ram will probably be easy.. The 600m is like.. 1 or 2 screws if I remember correctly.. then its just playing the game of making sure you get compatible parts.. Lappy's sometimes tend to be more picky about what they work with. Hard drives are also usually easy. Videocard, almost no chance of upgrading it. Lots are onboard, and the rest I believe are not exchangeable. Regardless, that one will take a complete teardown if it's even possible.. The ram and hard drive should be pretty easy.. key word SHOULD...
	QUOTE Thanks

10-23-05, 09:11 PM	Thread Starter #5
darksparkz Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chicago, IL	Ehh, it's more of a hit or miss. Anyone with experience on the 600m or 700m? It should work the same as most Dell ones though. __________________ Antec P182 w/ 3 Yate Loon D1SL-12 Intel DG965WH Motherboard Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G.Skill 4x2GB DDR2 PC6400 4-4-4-12 WD Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB OCZ Vertex2 60GB SSD eVGA 8800GTS 512MB Asus DRW-24B1ST Corsair HX520 Scythe Ninja w/Panaflo 120mmx38mm FBA12G12M [Heatware] <---Or rather lack of heatware
	QUOTE Thanks

How easy is it to add parts to a laptop?

Internet Services

Website Development

Tech Hardware

10-24-05, 03:59 PM	#6
Elif Tymes Member Join Date: Dec 2004	My 9300 has an easily swappable HDD cage, RAM, Optical, MiniPCI, and battery. All of these are decently labeled. Slightly more difficult(though not much) is the Video Card/CPU. Dell has tech documents that tell you how to do ANYTHING to your system. Follow them from step 1-end and you will be able to do anything, even replacing the motherboard. Heck, I could be a dell tech if all I had was a satalite internet connection so I could check their docs whenever I went on a house call :-p __________________ Heatware: Trolls: You mess with one of us, you mess with SSS Gamertag: Elif Tymes
	QUOTE Thanks

10-24-05, 06:06 PM	#7
ozzlo Senior whose title will pierce the heavens! Join Date: Mar 2002	it's not that hard to really tear down a laptop just a bunch of work is all... I can tear down my laptop in less than 15 minuiets and have over 20 seperate peices all spread out over the table (it's only cause I take my laptop apart all the time)... (actually my laptop is currently in peices lol) everything pretty much fits only one way and there are even lables inside my laptop of the order to remove and install the screws for optimal removal/installation ease. __________________ . . . . . . .HELP!!!. . . . . . RAWR!!! . . . . . . . . .\. . . . . . . . / __________\0/_____/\__________
	QUOTE Thanks

10-24-05, 11:22 PM	#8
Bal`thzar Member Join Date: Feb 2005	Dells are extremly modular and are not that hard to Upgrade or mod. You should be fine. Please keep us posted though.
	QUOTE Thanks

10-25-05, 06:28 PM	Thread Starter #9
darksparkz Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chicago, IL	Hmm...I think I might go with the 700m or 600m with just their cheapest HDD and Ram selections, like 256MB and 20GB of HDD. I'd save money AND get better performance by buying my own stuff off vendors. Now it's just to decide between the 600m or 700m, the 700m would be more portable because of it's 12" screen and smaller size, but I might game a bit, so the 600m's 14" screen would be a tad better. But I heard their releasing a new notebook early 2006 that has the power of a XPS in a small 12" screen size. __________________ Antec P182 w/ 3 Yate Loon D1SL-12 Intel DG965WH Motherboard Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G.Skill 4x2GB DDR2 PC6400 4-4-4-12 WD Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB OCZ Vertex2 60GB SSD eVGA 8800GTS 512MB Asus DRW-24B1ST Corsair HX520 Scythe Ninja w/Panaflo 120mmx38mm FBA12G12M [Heatware] <---Or rather lack of heatware
	QUOTE Thanks

10-27-05, 12:32 PM	#10
wmiddleton Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA	my gf just bought a 700m... I'll update when I get a chance to tinker on it (hopefully tonight) :-D
	QUOTE Thanks

10-27-05, 02:26 PM	#11
Xtreme Barton Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Omaha,NE	make sure you look to see whats the max on ram it can handle.. laptops upgrades are not that bad at all. even the complex ones// just time consuming. video cards are the crappy part of laptops ... i wish too they were more friendly with upgrades
	QUOTE Thanks

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search