Help Upgrading My New Dell Inspiron 15R 7520

Hi Everyone,
Just bought a new Dell Inspiron 15R SE 7520 with the following specifications;

i7 3632 QM
8GB Dual Channel 1600 MHZ Ram
1TB 5400 RPM HDD
2GB RADEON HD 7730M
Windows 8

Just had a few questions.

1) Would it be worth upgrading the RAM to like some Cosair Vengeance memory? (I take it that it can't go above 1600 MHZ?)

2) Does this laptop have SATA II or SATA III compatibility? I know you can use a SATA III drive in a SATA II slot but I know it would be limited to the SATA II Speeds.

3) If I did upgrade the laptop with a 7200 RPM HDD or an SSD, how would I reinstall Windows without having a disc? As I presume I'm not supplied with one?

4) Is there a SATA slot and a MSATA slot on the laptop or just a SATA slot?

5) As its still factory sealed (new) but I bought it off EBAY, can I just register the laptops warranty once I get it or does it not cover me as I'm not the original buyer?

6) Last question, does anybody know if the UK version of the laptop has a backlit keyboard as standard?


Sorry for some of the questions, bought it kind of cheap (new) of ebay and the listing didn't provide much information on the details.

Thanks in advance!

 

1. Upgrading your RAM won't make a jot of difference to your performance. Only AMD does well taking advantage of higher RAM frequencies when available. No changes necessary.
2. Your laptop is definitely SATA III compliant.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...5r-special-edition-7520-a-43.html#post8691683
http://forum.notebookreview.com/del...5r-special-edition-7520-a-46.html#post8700856
3. The method is called HDD to SSD cloning. You will need to have both drives within the same machine to do it. A laptop upgrade kit would include everything you will need. Recommend a Samsung 840/ Pro. Put the SSD in an external drive enclosure if you don't have a second HDD bay and use a Cloning software to transfer the data from the HDD. Please make sure you select the target device is an SSD as the software will make the necessary adjustments to your setup. Or you can burn the recovery media and use it.
4. There is no mSATA slot. Stupid yes, but Dell made it like a premium feature.
5. You can register your product. There should be no issues.
6. Optional.

Review Dell Inspiron 15R Special Edition Notebook

 

Samsung, Crucial, and a couple other SSD manufacturers offer a kit that comes with an SSD, cloning software, and a USB cable to make swapping to an SSD pretty painless.

 

Thanks a lot guys! So upgrading the RAM is definitely not worth it?

 

Yep. You will find multiple resources online talking about this. All you need to do is to search.

 

1600MHz is the fastest RAM supported by the i7-3632QM processor: ARK | Intel® Core

The rule of thumb when upgrading memory is capacity first - I'd think you could get 16GB in your notebook, but check the Dell forum first and see if someone else has done it.

Upgrading to an SSD as noted is a no-brainer.

 

Have to disagree 100% with all the 'don't upgrade RAM' advice...


If you're anticipating keeping the system for the next few years, want to have the most balanced system possible and also have the most responsive and performance-oriented system over the full course of your 'ownership':



See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...m-full-speed-help-screenshots-appreciate.html

See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sol...lash-storage/725520-more-ram-faster-ssds.html



It seems especially with SSD's: more RAM is a requirement, rather than an option (if reliability and dependability with sustained performance over time is the goal).



As for how to put the O/S onto the new storage subsystem?

Setup the new computer (without connecting to the internet).

First thing you do now: create the Restore Disks (probably 6-9 DVD's).

Remove ALL the HDD/SSD's except for the drive you're installing to and install your O/S.

After it is fully installed; add the additional storage devices you want.

An even better way is to do a clean install (and use the 'key' printed on your new system to activate Windows) like so:


See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sol...25562-ssd-optical-bay-laptop.html#post9292763


(Make sure you click on the link included in the link above)...


Good luck.

 

@ tilleroftheearth
I am not talking about more RAM, I am talking about faster RAM. I have no issues with more RAM. I run 8GB on my X200 even though official support is for only 4GB. I have an issue with people spending the extra dough on higher frequency RAM that offer very little performance improvements. Performance scaling isn't great in Intel and isn't worth the extra speed.
If the OP needs a ton of RAM, I would rather buy the same frequency stuff rather than upgrading to higher frequencies.

 

Read the link I provided; I too am talking of faster RAM.

Benchmarks and 'scores' are not the end all and be all of upgrades - sometimes, we 'feel' the difference an upgrade does and that is enough (at least for me).

The name of the 'responsiveness' game is to make the O/S 'disappear' - if I have to pause and wait for the O/S to catch up each time I click - then spending even 50% more on $100 is worth it over the lifecycle of the system in my books... 'easily' worth it.


...

 

AnandTech | Sandy Bridge Memory Scaling: Choosing the Best DDR3
Results: 3DMark And Aliens Vs. Predator - Memory Scaling, AMD's Trinity APUs, And Game Performance
AnandTech | Memory Performance: 16GB DDR3-1333 to DDR3-2400 on Ivy Bridge IGP with G.Skill

The 15R SE already comes with 1600MHz RAM which is fast enough. I don't see the OP getting any better experience when switching to 1866MHz or higher frequency RAM. I don't believe the chipset will support it.

On a system with an SSD, I actually never found any difference. More RAM did improve my system responsiveness though. I definitely agree with that. My experience with faster RAM modules has been meh at best. I have seen them downclock to a lower frequency when there was no support.

Let me put it this way, if the OP wants to test it out and finds an improvement, that is well and good. I like to stick within boundaries set by my hardware and I like it that way. Sport is the only place where I am willing to push past the limits. I am conservative and a miser.

 

Yes, faster RAM will downclock - but hopefully with a decrease in latency too (which is what I must have felt in that other thread I linked to which (it seems) you still have not read).


Being conservative and a miser is alright!

But once in a while, when a 'no restocking fee', 100% return policy allows you to take a no risk chance of finding out if 'your' specific hardware and 'your' specific workflows and perceptions benefit from wacky suggestions on the 'net - at 'this' specific price point at this specific time...


Why not?

 

If this is the case, I have no arguments. I still find the benefits to be minimum to invest in. But I will leave it to the OP. I am on the other side of the fence on this matter. :hi2:

Just my opinion.

 

Being on different sides of the fence is alright with me (seems we're still walking in the same direction...).

 

See I know the RAM would be at the same clock speed, I just didn't know if the RAM that came with the dell was good or bad, not clock speed wise but all the other "technical stuff" so didnt know if it would be worth it or not.

I presume there are more factors than just clock speed?

Which alternative hardrive should I go for?

SATA III 7200 or 10,000 RPM Drive or a SSD?

and which brand / version do you guys recommend?

 

I suggest the Samsung 840/Pro. Have it, use it and love it.
For the budget conscious
Amazon.com: Samsung MZ-7TD250BW 840 Series Solid State Drive (SSD) 250 GB Sata 2.5-Inch: Computers & Accessories
For the performance oriented
Amazon.com: Samsung Electronics 840 Pro Series 2.5-Inch 256 GB SATA 6GB/s Solid State Drive MZ-7PD256BW: Computers & Accessories
And for the most affordable enterprise solution on the planet
Newegg.com - Intel DC S3500 Series SSDSC2BB160G401 2.5" 160GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - Internal SSD
SSDs are miles ahead of any mechanical HDDs on the planet. They are fast, quiet and power efficient.

 

Not going to have much room for stuff though, seen as I can only have one hard drive in there right?

 

Unfortunately yes. I would not suggest a hybrid drive as its advantage over a normal HDD is small. You can always go in for a large SSD some time in the future and convert your existing drive into an external drive using one of the cases available on Amazon. I would suggest you pick up a large drive when an offer is available. It doesn't have to be right now. You will need to keep 25% of the drive aside to maintain system performance. You won't have to bother about it on the Intel drive, but Samsung SSDs and other commercial offerings do require it.

I have learned to keep my data off site. I wanted an SSD real bad and modified my data handling habits.

 

I wouldn't own a computer these days without a SSD. Once you get one you'll know exactly what all of us are talking about when it comes to load times alone, not counting how fast it works when transferring large files all the time.

As for RAM, I would look into upgrading 16GBs if you really feel the need, if not I would save your money.

 

Noted!

Thanks for all your help guys!

 

I agree on getting a SSD, it is the upgrade that will give the most improvement in responsiveness. If you have money afterwards to upgrade the RAM, why not go for it, but focus on the SSD first. I have a hybrid drive in one of my notebooks and to be honest, the benefits are only marginally better than a standard 7200 RPM drive.

 

is it worth going from a 5400 RPM drive to a 7200?

Would like the SSD but not sure if I can warrant spending that much on the space I want xD

 

Yes it is too, the jump won't be as drastic as HDD to SSD, but personally, I can't stand a 5400 RPM drive as a system drive.

 

I would recommend this drive. Amazon.com: Seagate Momentus XT 750 GB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s 32 MB Cache 2.5 Inch Solid State Hybrid Drive ST750LX003: Computers & Accessories

Best of both worlds.

 

What exactly is a hybrid drive?

 

A hybrid drive is a normal hard drive either 5400rpm or 7200rpm (the link above is 7200) with some NAND storage onboard (usually 8GB ).

A hybrid drive "learns" what programs and data you usually access and copies it to the NAND, so for example after a few reboots, it will put a good chunk of Windows into the NAND cache making startup about as fast as an ssd.

Games also benefit from hybrid storage when you load the same thing (quite noticeable in MOBAs such as DoTA and LoL that have few maps).

Sent from my SGH-I717D using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

That sounds perfect as im a WCG LoL Player