Looking to upgrade my Inspiron N4020

[Afool]

I've had my laptop for about 4 years now and I'm on my fourth hard drive (there have been.....accidents), replaced the screen, and upgraded my RAM within the past couple months.

I've recently ordered a new bottom case for it due to a mistake disassembling it, and now I'm thinking about upgrading the motherboard and/or internal processor(s). The problem is, I don't understand motherboard and processor specs and figured it would be a good idea to ask here about what I should be looking for.

And for the probable response of buying a new laptop, let's say it's cheaper this way and there's some sentimental attachment.

[factotum]

Short answer? Almost certainly not possible. Laptops use motherboards which are specifically designed to fit their cases and there isn't any standardisation there, so you can't just buy a replacement motherboard. The processor is likely to be surface-mounted to the motherboard rather than socketed, so there's no realistic way to replace it without also replacing the motherboard--and see point #1 for the problems there. As attached as you are to your old machine, the only realistic way you're going to be able to upgrade it is to replace it entirely, sorry.

[Afool]

Nothing to be sorry about and thanks for the information! I was just figuring that while it was still disassembled, now might be the best time to look into more upgrades for it. It still runs well (when it's properly together), I was just thinking that I might be able to invest more money in it.

Looks like the next project's gonna be a desktop :smallbiggrin:

[wumpus]

I'd always assume that the motherboard that came with it is the only one that will fit. If you don't have an i3 (did they ship those things with celerys or something?), they claim that [some, likely specific 4 year old] i3s will work (although you would be stuck with the same graphics). NOTE: I am not claiming any knowledge about how Dell laptop motherboards deal with CPUs, except that you probably want the intel VPRO (virtualization) feature to match whatever you exchanged). Presumably anything bigger than an i3 will take too much power (Dell has a tendancy to provide no more than the absolue minimum needed power).

After 4 years (and what sounds like multiple encounters with the floor) it might be time for a desktop.

[Afool]

Looking into it some, an i3 was an optional addition to the laptop purchase, but most likely not one that was picked for the laptop. I'll look into more details once the bottom case comes in. Do you know how I would be able to determine if it's an i3 or not?

The motherboard still works, the meetings with the floor just repeatedly killed the hard drives. The screen loss was due to an incident with my brother (he began to drop it and then caught it with his fist), and the RAM upgrade was a spur of the moment decision to upgrade while I was getting a new hard drive.

[Grinner]

It's possible that the CPU isn't a discrete unit, though. I can't say I'm too familiar with the design of laptops, but having an integrated CPU seems like it would be more space-efficient.


Do you know how I would be able to determine if it's an i3 or not?
Usually the easiest way is to look in the BIOS.

[factotum]

Usually the easiest way is to look in the BIOS.

Every version of Windows since Vista has shown the actual CPU in the System control panel, which is probably even easier...for example, the CPU in the laptop I'm typing this on is an Intel Core 2 Duo U9600 clocked at 1.6GHz.

[Afool]

I should be getting my replacement bottom today or tomorrow (weather permitting) so I'll look at those once I can turn my computer on again. Thanks for all the help you've all given!