Want a laptop that you can upgrade in the future?

ancient_mariner

ancient_mariner

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It's not cheap, but the new Dell XPS 15 is still almost entirely repairable/upgradable: https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/17/ifixit_dell_xps_15/

All the stuff you might want to upgrade or replace over the years is easy to access, and at a time when some makers are soldering or gluing stuff in, this ultrabook is still very owner-friendly. In another couple of years I might well replace my present XPS with another one.
 
ancient_mariner said:
It's not cheap, but the new Dell XPS 15 is still almost entirely repairable/upgradable: https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/17/ifixit_dell_xps_15/

All the stuff you might want to upgrade or replace over the years is easy to access, and at a time when some makers are soldering or gluing stuff in, this ultrabook is still very owner-friendly. In another couple of years I might well replace my present XPS with another one.
Click to expand...

Nice to see. Personally, I do like the appeal of longevity, in the same way its nice to have an item for years and continue its use for the memories etc. One of the keys on my MacBook Pro (2018) are already becoming pretty intermittent, which is a sign of things to come.. Just out of Apple Care, it looks to be a slightly bumpy ride for the next few years... !
 
HP boasts that all its laptops are upgradable and publishes the technical/repair manuals for them. The new HP Envy 15 is well worth considering as an XPS 15 alternative. I was trying to decide between the two as a replacement for my XPS 13 but got diverted by a Lenovo Ideapad 5 which should arrive tomorrow.
 
The LG17 Gram I've been using for the past couple of weeks is similarly maintainable / and upgradable. It weighs 700 grammes less than the Dell but has a bigger screen. Comparing the build quality with the two Dell laptops we have here, the LG seems just as good. Performance and usability meet my needs well. For the same specification the LG appears to be about 25% cheaper than the Dell.
 
stickytape said:
Nice to see. Personally, I do like the appeal of longevity, in the same way its nice to have an item for years and continue its use for the memories etc. One of the keys on my MacBook Pro (2018) are already becoming pretty intermittent, which is a sign of things to come.. Just out of Apple Care, it looks to be a slightly bumpy ride for the next few years... !
Click to expand...

Apple have a keyboard replacement scheme for those - the problem was so common that there was a major outcry over it.

Keyboard Service Program for MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro - Apple Support

Keyboard Service Program for MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro
support.apple.com
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
The LG17 Gram I've been using for the past couple of weeks is similarly maintainable / and upgradable. It weighs 700 grammes less than the Dell but has a bigger screen. Comparing the build quality with the two Dell laptops we have here, the LG seems just as good. Performance and usability meet my needs well. For the same specification the LG appears to be about 25% cheaper than the Dell.
Click to expand...

I wonder how they got the weight down? My XPS15 weighs about the same as my late 2008 Unibody Macbook 13, but that has a CF base.
 
ancient_mariner said:
I wonder how they got the weight down?
Click to expand...
The case is made from something called "Nano Carbon Magnesium" which seems to be marketing speak for one of the new polymer plastics. Despite the claims of some of the online reviewers, it seems fairly rigid, possibly because of the light weight. (It weighs almost exactly the same as my 2018 13" MacBook Pro)

Battery life is very good. They claim 18 hours per charge and that is reasonably true. When I start compiling code it drops nearer to half that, which is still a whole working day.
 
I'm not great fan of upgrades.
By the time you would notice a substantial improvement tech has moved on. Cpu pins wont fit m/b, new memory not compatible. Power supply not up to it.
 
I bought my current Dell XPS 15 secondhand back in 2012 from a member of this forum, since then I have upgraded the RAM, replaced the main drive for a SSD and added a second drive to the DVD caddy. It's running the latest Win 10 and is used extensively for Photoshop & video editing etc and generally works very well.
Rather then hardware issues the only real problem is the vendor inability/unwillingness to update some software/drivers meaning that certain new programmes cannot run. This hasn't affected my 'productivity' at all but it has limited my ability to experiment with various software trials.
 
Have you seen the Alienware Area 51 - desktop in a laptop - very upgradable and very fast, albeit damned expensive !
Intel 10th Gen i7 cpu, upto 64Gb fast memory, 1TbM.2 system + 2Tb SSD data, 17.3 screen + Nvidia GTX1660 or better all for a small mortgage
 
I have been buying & upgrading DELL laptops (mainly Precision, Latitude & Vostro) models for years, a lot (hundreds) when I managed a school network before I retired. Replacing HDD with bigger HDD or SSD, memory, keyboards, wireless adapters are a piece of cake on these and even the product specific parts (plastic mouldings screens etc) are readily available. I made the mistake of buying a Samsung laptop for personal use, I was dismayed to discover I needed to replace the main system board when one of the mouse buttons started sticking..... never again, I will stick with DELL or possibly Lenovo as they have a similar attitude to upgrading & parts availability.
 
Cockney said:
I'm not great fan of upgrades.
By the time you would notice a substantial improvement tech has moved on. Cpu pins wont fit m/b, new memory not compatible. Power supply not up to it.
Click to expand...

It may be less of an issue now, especially if you can afford a fully spec'd machine, but sometimes it's still really helpful. So in 2014 this XPS came with a 1TB HDD + 32GB cache mSATA drive & 16GB RAM. I've not needed to change the RAM, but have done the storage twice, going first to 1TB SSD, then 1TB mSATA + 2TB SSD. If I keep it another couple of years then may well double the HDD again - it's a shame mSATA is a dead technology.

Dell didn't make a version with 3TB storage, and I couldn't have afforded it then anyway.
 
The last few laptops (& desktops) I have bought have been 'light' on storage and memory because that helps keep the cost down, especially if buying DELL factory refurbished systems. I open them up and reconfigure them myself. The factory refurbished i5 Vostro I am typing this post on came with 4gb memory and a 1tb HDD, I swapped the memory for 16gb and added an M.2 SSD alongside the HDD, saving £200 against a new factory order with the same config. My Vostro came with the balance of the factory 3 year onsite warranty (33 months).
 
Cockney said:
I'm not great fan of upgrades.
By the time you would notice a substantial improvement tech has moved on. Cpu pins wont fit m/b, new memory not compatible. Power supply not up to it.
Click to expand...
With computers I totally agree, though the ability to add a hard drive or more RAM should always be there.
I did go through a stage of rolling upgrades to my desktop PC, over the years fitting 2 new motherboards/chips, 3 power supplies (one as a free direct replacement for a faulty unit) & at least 6 hard drives to the same case. I think this took me from 486 era (AMD) to a twin core (Cyrix)
Subsequently theres been too much changing at the same time to be worth it.

My latest change has ditched windows & gone with a Rasberry Pi 4 instead. Much more robust, but doesn't have the range of photo editing options.
 
Have had a few dells over the years, usually buy from outlet and try and find a friendly student for 15% off
 
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