Dell Inspiron 1520 Help

Ok, first off I know there are a lot of threads on the 1520, but any that I have found are dated back in 2008 and I am not sure if they are still accurate if there is new information I might find useful. Second off, I am not too computer smart when it comes to hardware so please bare with me.

I have a 17" Dell Inspiron 1520 with the following specs -

- 3GB Ram
- nVidia 8600M GT
- Windows Vista Home Basic 32-Bit
- T7250 2.0GHz

I am looking at doing several things here within the next few months if at all possible and need to know if I can and if so what are my options. Also, I will be upgrading to Windows 7 Home Premium within the next few days.

First - I pay World of Warcraft and am curious as to whether or not I can upgrade my graphics card for playing, and if so, what cards could I possibly upgrade to?

Second - I have seen several forums saying the 1520 should be able to be upgraded to 8GB of RAM even though Dell only supports 4GB. Is this true?

Third - My internet connection seems to have problems dropping itself every once in awhile, but only on this computer. It does it both wired and wireless. Is there something I can do to fix this?

Fourth - If possible to upgrade memory and graphics card, would I need to worry about upgrading anything else along with those?

If anyone could please help me with this I would greatly appreciate it as I know I could just go buy a new laptop but for me to get passed money issues, the only thing I can do is upgrade this laptop at least for the time being.

 

1. Im pretty sure your graphics card, though a independent graphics card, is still integrated into the mother board. Meaning, no it cannot be upgraded. At least not without a complete overhaul of the system, which it would be better just to get a new laptop. However, Im pretty sure your more than ok to play WoW (I dont play but Im pretty sure)

2. A 32 bit OS (any of them) would waste anything past 3 Gigs of RAM. So if you dont plan on going 64 bit, it doesnt matter if you can put 8 gigs in. Im not sure about your Mobo specifically, but I doubt it is capable of 8 gigs.

3. Thats way to generalized to do anything with. First thing you can do is open the start menu and in the search box put CMD and then run the command

ping www.google.com

Do this a bunch of times and see if there is any packet loss. Post results here for analysis.

4. You will most likely have to upgrade MoBo before upgrading any of those things. OS for sure.

Laptops are hard to upgrade. Almost never worth it for all the problems you have to go through. Im not sure you will be able to do what you want. That sucks and Im sorry. But C'est la Vie. Anything else I can help with, let me know. Feel free to PM.

 

1st, you can upgrade your GPU, it's removable. But currently this is the highest you can aim for, the 8600M GT, which you already have it. The slot is Dell designed proprietary GPU slot, and you can't fit any MXM card in there.

2nd, The 1520 is capable of going to 6GB. Not 8. I have tried and tested on separate machines with the same latest BIOS and it failed to boot with 2x4GB sticks. But with 6GB, (2GB + 4GB sticks) it boots.
And yes, the question is, do you really need 6GB? If you're an everyday user/gamer, 4GB coupled with an x64 OS is more than sufficient.

Are you using an 1720 or 1520? Well you said you're using a 17" machine. And the 1520 itself, isn't a 17", it's 15.4" notebook. The Inspiron 1720 is a 17". So I'm confused. But I'm presuming an 1520.

 

Ok, first off yes I have a 1520 and yes, it is a 17". It is a 17" screen, but on the laptop itself, it does say Inspiron 1520. Ok, I guess 4GB would prob be good then, I was just thinking of doing that for the time being, but eventually going higher.

Second question though, is I was reading one forum saying that with the Inspiron 1520, there was a card called the 8600GT that would be better for it. Is that the card I am using or am I mistaken on this, or themselves mistaken on upgrading the card.

Lastly, why would I have to replace the motherboard for any of those? Although, you said my GPU was not replacable but I have now read in many places it is. Also, since my CPU can go to 6GB of RAM it almost seems like you are not to knowledgable on my computer (no offense). Also, why would I need to replace the motherboard to upgrade to 64-Bit Windows 7?? I have never heard of anyone having to basically replace their computer just to upgrade for an operating system.

Thanks for the answers so far though, I really appreciate it!

EDIT: I looked into it more, and am now assuming that the 8600GT is the exact same thing I have and I just wasn't aware that with the 'M' it is still the same thing. The question I have though, is that could I not just get another card with the PCIe slot in it or is it just that the Dell computer is not able to go? I was reading somewhere where some guy said that as long as it is the portable PCIe slot, the graphics card should still fit.

 

Erm... the 1520 was never was, and never a 17" model. You could get a measuring tape and measure across the screen and see it for yourself. But that's not the case here. I am just confused by what you wrote... Do you see a numeric number pad at the right hand side of your keyboard? If so, then you're using an Inspiron 1720. If not and you see a standard keyboard, then you're using a 1520.

Well desktop cards and mobile cards are different. According to your specifications you have stated you have an 8600M GT, once again, that is the highest you can upgrade to. You have an 8600M GT 256MB DDR2 proprietary card installed in your Dell system.

To confirm you have an 8600M GT just go to your device manager or use GPUz and see.

Yep, you don't have to change your motherboard to get 6GB, by default all 1520s are using a GM965 chipset, and A09 (I believe) is the latest BIOS from Dell. Update to that BIOS and your computer will recognize all 6GB, if you have them installed. Windows 7 will also work fine with the 1520. No worries.

I have opened and replaced many Insprion 1520 graphics cards before, and upgraded from an 8400M GS to an 8600M GT. You cannot just stuff any PCIe card into it. Slot differences. This isn't a desktop.

Generally, the 1520 models are configured to have the Intel X3100, 8400M GS and 8600M GT GPU options. If you have an X3100, well tough luck cos' you will need to change the entire motherboard with dedicated GPU support slots. But if you have an 8400M GS you can upgrade to an 8600M GT, the highest for this system.

http://support.ap.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1520/en/sm/graphics.htm#wp1179839

Hope this helps.