Precision 5520 i5-7300HQ question

Why do I need to pair this CPU with the dGPU?

The only way to get a system with no dGPU is to select the i5-7440HQ, which does not make sense to me since all the chips should have Intel HD Graphics 630.

And since it's the same price to take the i5-7300HQ and the dGPU as it is to take the i5-7440HQ with no dGPU, I'm considering taking the it-7300HQ - and hopefully Nvidia optimus will work to keep the battery use down.

EDIT: Since I've already got this thread going...I'm planning to order the base RAM and HDD and replace both myself. Any reason not to do so on this model?

And finally, how's the coil whine?

 

Since both the CPU and GPU are soldered on the board and are not interchangeable, it probably has to do with which motherboard combinations Dell decided to produce. The NVIDIA GPU will be powered off when not in use, and you can force it to never be used by disabling it in Device Manager if you so choose.

You can swap out the RAM and HDD if you like. Keep in mind that if you plan to add an M.2 SSD aftermarket, you won't be able to get the larger battery without purchasing it separately, because you must order the system with the M.2 drive to get one. (It shares space with the 2.5" drive.) Also, you'll need a tiny torx screwdriver to open the system (T5 I think).

 

Yes, it's a T5 (but also two Philips scres under the service tag flap). My impression from the manual is that the M.2 slot and 2.5" bay do not overlap but the 2.5" bay does use the same space as the larger battery option. I would expect the M.2 slot to be present on all board versions and only a screw would be needed to fit an SSD (although a PCIe / NVME SSD should be given a thermal pad).

I have a 5510 with dGPU and I can confirm that Nvidia's Optimus technology does an excellent job of managing it so there's no need to get a version without the dGPU unless there is a cost saving. Note, however, if you are concerned about run time on battery then the bigger battery option offers several more hours run time. If you get this you then need an M.2 SSD. Also note that the DIY battery upgrades aren't easy as the higher capacity batteries are hard to find as spare parts (and IIRC people have discovered that the 5520 won't recognise the 84Whr battery offered with the 5510).

You didn't mention the display option. I'm very happy with the FHD panel and consciously avoided the UHD as it increases the battery drain and could also create scaling problems with older software. I've never heard any coil whine on my 5510 but maybe my old ears aren't sensitive enough.

John

 

Awesome, thanks.

I'm going FHD and larger battery. Would rather invest in a good 4k or ultrawide screen for the $400 Dell is charging for the screen upgrade.

 

So, to clarify, both the XPS 15 and the precision are equally upgradeable with aftermarket RAM?

I was largely ignoring the XPS 15 since most configurations don't offer more than 8GB, but if there's no problem adding more later, I might go that route.

 

Yes. DDR4 SODIMM. 2 x 16GB is definitely OK. I think Kaby Lake is happy with 2.4Ghz RAM - best read the discussion for the XPS15 9560 as it's much more active than the discussion for the Precision 5520. Both computers are essentially the same except for the dGPU.

John