Does upgrading hardware invalidates warranty? Latitude E-6520 question.

I just made a purchase order for Dell Latitude E6520. I decided to not take any upgrade options thru DELL because they are very expensive.

For example : upgrading from 320G to 500G is 160$ where as I could get the 500G from outside for less than 100$.

Memory from 4G to 8G is 160$. It's available online/and some shops around 50$ (not exactly but close).

1. Is it advisable to upgrade the memory ? I need 8G memory as I am planning to install vmware and multiple linux nodes and build a cluster on it.Do I loose any warranty if I add more memory thru comusa or bestbuy? I am getting 4G ram with 1 dimm so the addition of additional dimm 4G should be simple.

2. I need to upgrade from 320G to 500G. I am wondering how I can transfer the OS to the new drive? I am ordering recovery disk so is it as simple as putting the recovery disk for windows 7 with xp mode and install it on the new hard drive? Also is any issue with warranty if I fiddle with hard drive.

3. I just ordered it yesterday so I have an option to take 3yr accidental warranty for 100$ as it already comes with 3 year basic warranty. Is it recommended? My last dell inspiron e1505 started loosing pixels and having lines on the screen after 2-3 years.

4. I was told that the max capacity for e6520 is 500G. Is it true? I can see that compusa has 2.5" sata drives that are 750GB capacity.

5. If I upgrade my hard drive to 500GB, the hard drive that comes default with 320GB will be wasted. Can I use it in the e-module bay. Is there any easy way to do.

Thanks to all GURUs in advance for the advise. I can play with software but never been a hardware guy so your advises/comments/suggestions are very valuable to me. I know it's a lengthy question but I put all my doubts in one post.

Thanks.

 

You don't lose your warranty through upgrading the RAM or the hard drive. In fact, I was on the phone with a dell rep earlier and they told me even if I upgrade the CPU I can still put the old one back in and use the warranty.

 

Thanks. ed1754. Also, how do I replace the hard drive and keep the same OS? compusa wants 100$ for transferring the contents of hard drive. Can I do with recovery CD or it is more complicated?

 

You can use software like Acronis or Ghost to "image" a drive.

CompUSA probably just migrates data, OS will not be reinstalled.

Upgrading customer replaceable parts (RAM, HDD) will not void the warranty UNLESS improperly installed. Also Dell will not cover the replaced parts.

 

Upgrading your system does not violate the warranty unless you damage something. But it can make warranty claims more complicated since Dell does not warranty your upgrades. Sometimes one might choose to hold the original Dell component in reserve for use to resolve a warranty claim.

1. If you need RAM, add RAM. It is advisable to add matching DIMMs. This is easist to do by ordering the smallest amount of RAM from Dell and then replacing it with your matched DIMM upgrade. Check newegg.com and amazon.com for pricing. Check the Dell documentation online for memory spec.

2. Users fiddle with the OS and hard drive from the moment they get their system, So Dell is not too concerned with this warranty-wise... unless you abuse them with your negligence. Your options are to clone the OEM drive to your upgrade drive, or clean install the OS and drivers on the upgrade drive. I prefer the later approach... it keeps your OEM drive in reserve and gives you a known current stable image.

3. The accidental is cheap insurance. Your call. I would put it on a highly mobile key system.

4. The hard drive capacity limitation is historically legacy controller and OS related. I don't know of any such limitation on current SATA controllers and Win7.

5. There is a sticky thread in this forum about adding a second drive. Dell offers a second drive for the E6x20s. You'll have to investigate the size and assembly constraints. Would displace your optical drive and increase the weight.

GK

 

Thanks a lot for your reply.