Replaceable components in the dv6t

Everyone,

As someone who isn't the most tech-savvy person ever...I'd like to know what hardware is replaceable/upgradeable in the hp dv6t-6100 should I choose to do so myself.

On previous laptops I've owned, I've been able to upgrade the RAM and my hard drive. Are these two components easily accessible in the dv6t? What about the GPU? Processor? Motherboard? Screen? Etc...

Again, I'm not tech-savvy, but confident enough with tools and taking apart things to put them back together sans-soldering.

Thanks for your replies!

 

If you're looking for upgradability, stop looking at laptops and get yourself a desktop.

Other than real enthusiast laptops like those from Clevo/Sager, the CPU and GPU are baked onto the motherboard, and all motherboards are custom fabbed for that specific model/chassis design. The next revision of dv6 may have a completely new motherboard design and be completely incompatible. There are no standards here like there are in the desktop world (i.e. ATX, microATX, et al). Screens are reasonably commiditized (only so many manufacturers out there), but cabling to the motherboard is proprietary.

RAM is always really easy to upgrade. Hard drives are usually not too bad, depending on how accessible the manufacturer designed the chassis. Not sure about the new dv6 specifically, but it's usually just a matter of removing the bottom casing, taking out some screws, swapping cables, and putting it back together.

 

everythingsablur, thanks for your response.

Just so you know, my job demands that I have a laptop so the desktop is out of the question.

I do appreciate knowing I can still upgrade the RAM and hard drive if necessary. Thanks!

 

RAM and the hard drive are easy to upgrade -- there's a manual floating around, it has detailed disassembly instructions. The screen can be upgraded (somebody changed the default 1920x1080 screen to one with a higher color gamut), but it is much trickier.

I have not heard of the CPU being upgraded (what's the point -- you can already get the best out there right now), but unless HP did something bizarre, it should be possible. However, don't count on being able to upgrade to Ivy Bridge: that may have a different socket and even if it doesn't, you're probably locked out by HP's stupid BIOS. Incidentally, the BIOS is the reason you can't upgrade the wireless card -- it's physically possible, but it doesn't work. Also, the GPU is soldered to the motherboard and is not upgradeable.

 

That still really irks me and is a reasonably sized demerit point to the dv6 in my notebook comparisons. I have a dual-band N router specifically because I live in an extremely wifi saturated area (downtown condo), and the 5 Ghz band is fast and interference free, unlike the 2.4 Ghz band. It just seems like such a needless and arbitrary limitation by HP. They really had some programmer spend the time to code and implement a whitelist against other wifi cards? Bizarre.

While the point is going to be somewhat moot for me as I am moving to a new house which should be prewired (and ethernet > wifi for everything other than mobility), it still doesn't help as I travel from place to place. <sigh...>

 

I thought the dv6 could support the Intel 6230 though? (up from stock Intel 1000)

 

No one has been able to get one to work. BIOS restriction.