Need Help please, never dealt with Laptops before...

[BUrassler]

I just bought an old dell 2650 laptop off a friend to give to my girlfriend for christmas. I know my way around a desktop computer quite well, but have never worked on a notebook before, so I have a few questions. I applogize if these are "stupid" questions:

1) How can I completely open up the laptop to get inside? I removed all the screwes on the back that had a little "P" next to them, but there has something that was still not coming apart.

2) Can upgrades only be made only with "dell 2650 parts" or can i pick up any old ram, hard drive, cd/dvd ect. and throw it in like a desktop?

3) If I put in a new hard drive, will the dell OS/start-up disk install windows on the new drive or will I have to buy a new copy of Windows?

If you can provide any other advise for a first time DIY laptop upgrade on a Dell 2650, I would really appreciate it. Thank you very much!

-Greg

 

[Kaervak]

1) http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/s...ms/ins2600/en/sm_en/remove.htm#1103387 That will take care of everything you want to know. Very handy to have around.

2) Yes and no. I'm unaware if you can upgrade the video card on that model, but if you were/able to that would something you could only get from Dell. As far as RAM, HDD & optical drives, any brand will work. With an exception. Dell uses their own backplanes on their optical/hard drives. You can remove the backplanes from the drives you have and put them on the new ones without a problem. And yet another thing, third party optical drive makers have their own front bezels that probably won't match up with the laptop. You can however remove the bezels from the current Dell drives and swap them to the new optical drives.

3) The Dell Windows disc will install just fine on the new HDD. I've done it before without a problem.


I'm pretty sure on that model you can upgrade the processor too, but for now a simple memory upgrade will provide the best bang for your buck. Hope that helps.

 

[BUrassler]

Thanks for that info! I have to decided to upgrade the ram from 128 to 128+256 for a total of 384. In addition to that I will be putting in a new 40gb 5400rpm Hard Drive. I will be getting the two of them for $95 shipped from Newegg. Sound like a good idea? Anybody reccommend something different?

My Cart: RAM & HDD

 

[cheesehead]

I'd reccomend going with 512mb of RAM in addition, not 256. 512mb of Corsair Value Select is about 45$; it's worth it.

 

[BUrassler]

unfortunately it can only handle sticks of 256. However, I happen to have just bought 2x256 off a fellow Anandtech member, YEA!!