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Is the new Dell XPS 15 9500 more repairable than its predecessor?

Is the new Dell XPS 15 9500 more repairable than its predecessor?. (Image source: Dell)
Is the new Dell XPS 15 9500 more repairable than its predecessor?. (Image source: Dell)
Is the new Dell XPS 15 9500 more repairable than its predecessor? It is not a straightforward answer. In some senses, the XPS 15 9500 is more repairable than the XPS 15 7590. However, the latter has the advantage of a removable Wi-Fi card.
XPS Windows Laptop

There is no escaping that the XPS 15 9500 looks more modern than its predecessor. The front-firing speakers, smaller bezels and larger trackpad are all improvements over last year's XPS 15, as internal upgrades like Comet Lake-H processors and the more powerful NVIDIA GTX GPU. However, Dell has soldered the Wi-Fi card to the motherboard, something that it did not do with the XPS 15 7590.

So, is the XPS 15 9500 less repairable than its predecessor? Well, not exactly. Arguably, it has a more modular construction the XPS 15 7590. Below is a table of the parts that can be replaced or upgraded on both models. This is by no means an exhaustive list as it does not include the chassis, display or trackpad, but it does represent most of the parts that could be reasonably replaced when your device is out of warranty.

XPS 15 7590 XPS 15 9500
Replaceable parts 56 Wh or 97 Wh battery
SO-DIMM RAM
2x fans
Heatsink
Motherboard
2x speakers
1x M.2 2280 SSD
1x M.2 2230 Wi-Fi card
 56 Wh or 86 Wh battery
SO-DIMM RAM
2x fans
Heatsink
Motherboard
2x speakers
1x M.2 2280 SSD
1x M.2 2280 or M.2 2230 SSD
I/O board
Headphone jack

So, the XPS 15 9500 retains the replaceable RAM and M.2 2280 SSD of its predecessor but adds a second replaceable M.2 2280 or M.2 2230 SSD. The I/O board and headphone jack are now replaceable, the latter of which Dell contains within the bottom cover.

In short, the XPS 15 9500 is repairable in ways that the XPS 15 7590 is not. That still does not excuse Dell soldering the Wi-Fi card to the motherboard, though.

Sale off - Buy Dell XPS 15 7590 now on Amazon

A look at the XPS 15 9500 with its bottom cover removed. (Image source: Notebookcheck)
A look at the XPS 15 9500 with its bottom cover removed. (Image source: Notebookcheck)
A look at the XPS 15 7590 with its bottom cover removed. (Image source: Notebookcheck)
A look at the XPS 15 7590 with its bottom cover removed. (Image source: Notebookcheck)

Source(s)

Dell (1) (2)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2020 05 > Is the new Dell XPS 15 9500 more repairable than its predecessor?
Alex Alderson, 2020-05-28 (Update: 2020-05-29)