Inspiron 15R Special Edition (a.k.a. 7520) - BIOS A06 supports 16GB of memory

Hi innogen,

Inspiron 7520 supports maximum up to 8GB.

I have provided specifications for memory below:

The latest BIOS update available on support site is A04.

I have provided a link for BIOS update below.A06 version is not yet available.

http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19/DriverDetails/Product/inspiron-15r-se-7520?driverId=Y5NFG&osCode=W764&fileId=2999230843

Please let me know if you have any other queries.

To: Rajesh R

Please do NOT post for the sake of posting. It makes you a TROLL.

In my earlier post, I was specific enough to mention that BIOS version A06 does support 16GB of RAM by reporting it correctly.

Moreover in that post, I mentioned that at the time of writing, version A06 is NOT yet available. Why did you see a need to repeat what I wrote? Isn't this an instance of trolling?

Hi innogen,

Thank you for sharing this update with us, since you have successfully updated A06 version BIOS which helped you install 16GB memory, I will forward this case to research team for them to analyze and once confirmed, will get the BIOS version updated on the support webpage.  This is a very valuable update which can help many other customers who may look up the upgrade options.  We truly appreciate your support. 

Hi innogen, Thank you for sharing this update with us, since you have successfully updated A06 version BIOS which helped you install 16GB memory, I will forward this case to research team for them to analyze and once confirmed, will get the BIOS version updated on the support webpage.  This is a very valuable update which can help many other customers who may look up the upgrade options.  We truly appreciate your support.

Yes, please forward this case to Dell's research team. I have been using Kingston's ValueRAM SODIMM DDR3 1600MHz 16GB (2x8GB) since July this year without any problems.

And as you are intending to contact your research team, please let them know that the design of the mainboard/motherboard of Inspiron 7520 "sucks" (lousy). Below are my reasons:

(a) In the BIOS, there are 2 passwords that a user can set: "Admin password" and "System password". If the user forgets either one of them, the whole mainboard has to be replaced which in my opinion is a very costly move. At a time when the US economy is sluggish, the Eurozone crisis is deepening and the world's second largest economy is slowing down significantly, Dell would do well to cut costs wherever and whenever possible. Apart from the CPU (in this case it is Ivy-bridge i7-3612QM) which can be transferred from one mainboard to another, the AMD 7730 video chip and Intel HM77 chipset cannot be transferred. The latter two are soldered on to the mainboard. So when Dell exchanges one mainboard for another especially for the reason that the mainboard is locked down by the user forgetting the password to the BIOS, Dell is in actual fact increasing its operating costs.  I should think that only when the components on the mainboard are "toasted" or "fried" then Dell should exchange mainboards, don't you agree?

(b) The placement of the hard disk drive directly on top of the mainboard shows very poor design. When the laptop PC is running, heat generated by the hard disk drive is transferred on to the mainboard as well. If this goes on for a few months, the components on the mainboard directly below the hard disk drive may malfunction. If you are a technical engineer, you will agree with me that the greatest enemy of electrical components is heat.

The designers of Dell's motherboards should look at how Acer or Asus design their motherboards/mainboards. The location of their hard disk drives is away from the mainboards/motherboards. Heat generated by their hard disk drives will never affect the mainboards.

I would appreciate it if you could forward the above comments to Dell's motherboard/mainboard designers. Please note that my comments apply only to Inspiron 7520.

Innogen, does it utilize this much RAM or just recognize it?  I've heard of computers being able to see the RAM but it actually slowing the computer down because it doesn't utilize that much and it messes up the dual channel stuff.  I've also heard the windows score goes down when such is the case (whatever that's worth).  If it does utilize it, I'm off to go order some 8gb sticks.  My new refurb came with A06 installed.  Crucial's system scanner places still has 8gb as the max for this mobo.  Thanks!

I bought and installed 16GB of 1333 many months ago.  Works well.  I'm able to have more complex scenes open in Blender, but as for day to day use, there is no noticeable difference (day to day use wouldn't fully utilize the stock 6GBs anyway).  Are you sure about RAM being CPU dependent? Certainly it's a factor, but the mobo and mobo firmware must have something to do with it.  Or is that not true?

I received a refurb 7520 Inspiron with the same A06 BIOS. Dell keeps telling me its only good for 8 gigs RAM, they also keep telling me I should update the BIOS to A09.

My biggest issue is BIOS A09 only shows previous versions as A04 & A07. I have been searching for a while and am unable to find ANY good information on BIOS A06 or the download for it.

Even more perplexing is the fact Dell's provided program Dell Support Center shows a max supported memory of 16 gigs.

I'm afraid that updating the BIOS to A09 will restrict my max RAM to 8 and be irreversible.

What do you think? Is this a DELL ploy to profit when they have control over your ability to upgrade?

The translation of "supported" in the Marketroid to English dictionary is as follows:

Supported -> "Make Money From"

When a vendor says something is "supported", that means that they can "Make Money From" that thing.

When a vendor says something is "unsupported", that means that they are not able to "Make Money From" that thing.

Supported/Unsupported has nothing whatsoever to do with functionality or capability, simply the ability of the entity making the claim to "Make Money From" that thing.

In this case, 16 GB of RAM is "unsupported" because Dell cannot "Make Money From" simply selling some memory.  Instead they want to sell you a new computer where they "support" (can "Make Money From") providing 16 GB of RAM.