Laptop Upgrade (Inspiron N5010)

Whitzer

Honorable
Jun 26, 2013
3
0
10,510
Hi, I was wondering if it is possible to upgrade my laptop to make it faster and better for gaming. Or would it be better to buy an external graphics card, and would this work with my system? Thanks

Current Specs:
i3 370m (2.4 ghz)
HD 5650
4GB Ram
500GB Hard Drive


 

Whitzer

Honorable
Jun 26, 2013
3
0
10,510
Ok, thanks. Would it be possible to upgrade the CPU myself or would I have to take it to a shop? And how much would it cost approximately. I've seen videos and ram looks easy enough to upgrade.
 
Yeah, RAM is easy to replace - just make sure the manufacturer of RAM is compatible with your model laptop (some laptop manufacturers will release a qualified vendors list - or QVL - so you can be sure before you upgrade).

As long as the CPU is pga type socket - which yours should be - then it's pretty simple and you can do it yourself, but BE CAREFUL! You should ground yourself to avoid ESD damage, and don't set your components on a surface that is likely to hold any static charge.

Albeit setting his stuff on what looks like a bed sheet, here's a thorough video on CPU replacement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=I9a0hIPdVmc#t=183s

Then you're just looking at the cost of a new CPU and thermal compound - if you don't already have some.