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March 18th, 2025 08:17
Motherboard Swap for my Dell 5548 From i5 5200u Intel to i7 5500u Nvidia Graphics
Sorry for this lengthy post !
Hello Tech Geniuses, I wanted to upgrade my 5th Gen 5548 i5 5200u processor to i7 5500u so this can be done only by swapping motherboards and luckily I might get one. What are the additional parts/ things I should be keeping in mind to make this upgrade a successful one.
Please correct me below if I am wrong.
- As both 5200u and 5500u share the same socket so It's not a problem swapping the motherboard but for this I might need heat sink assembly because 5500u comes with nvidia graphics card and 5200u had intel graphics card and I want to swap old 5200u with new 5500u ....If above statement is Correct which heat sink model or can you share the link so to have a look into please ?
- I might also need 90w or more Dell OEM power adapter only which will be ideal for 5500u as it needs now more power than its predecessor 5200u
- Do I also need to buy DC power input Jack .. this is also imp for me... if you can share link plz I would truly appreciate it.
- Lastly not sure if Bottom base is required or not.. if yes please suggest as well..
I understand replacing these parts will cost me more instead I can easily go for a i next Gen laptop with better processor but trust me I don't want to sell/keep it ideal as i am getting a good deal when upgrading it.
Any other advice if i May have missed anything else will be welcomed ?
ejn63
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March 18th, 2025 12:37
This system does not have an nVidia option - it's either integrated or AMD Radeon. To replace the former with the latter, you need the heatsink below.
https://www.parts-people.com/index.php?action=item&id=22293
ejn63
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March 18th, 2025 10:57
1. Neither CPU is socketed - they're both soldered to the board.
2. The only reason a 90W adapter would be needed is if you install a board with a discrete GPU in place of one that has only an integrated GPU (and you'll also need a new heatsink-fan assembly)
3. Not unless the existing one is faulty.
4. No.
Before buying parts, bear in mind the entire system with an i7 CPU is worth about $50 -- you can find complete, working systems for less than you'll spend on parts alone.
AfroPutt
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March 18th, 2025 12:33
@ejn63 thanks so much ! Taken a note of that.
with all said above I think then I can go ahead with the swap and need not to worry about the new motherboard 5500u nvidia graphics (which comes with integrated with i7 ) just buy it and simply replace with the Older i5 which too had integrated intel graphics).
Intitially I was planning to disable the nvidia graphics card Coz at that time I didn't had sources to fetch me heat sink assembly + fan.. But now I think there is no need for all those things when I going integrated to integrated. Right ?
Thanks again for giving me clarity on this one.
ejn63
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March 18th, 2025 17:14
No Intel CPU has ever had integrated nVidia graphics -- there was one line a few years ago with integrated AMD GPU but that was sold only in the XPS 9575 model.
If you're seeing a seller with specs indicating an nVidia GPU in a board for this model, they do not know what they're selling. Buy elsewhere.
If you really want to upgrade, you are almost certainly going to come out ahead buying a newer used notebook than this model.