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Go to SolutionFrom what I recall, that model number was sold only from 2011 when it was introduced until sometime in 2012 when a later model was issued. I have two of them: one that I bought back then; and one that I recently salvaged from a recycling bin and refurbished. AFAIK, all with that model number have the HM67 chipset.
If you haven't done so, you should open the laptop to clean it and replace the thermal compound and thermal pads. The original thermal compound has dried out and cannot adequately transfer heat away from the processor, and there may be a lot of dust inside the laptop and maybe inside the fan and heat fins. So, your laptop is unable to adequately cool itself. That will cause the processor to throttle (slow down) and can endanger components.
Here's my post with photos of the salvaged XPS 15 L502x when I disassembled it to repair it:
https://www.dell.com/community/XPS/Disassembled-XPS-15-L502x-with-photos-I-salvaged-and-repaired-it/m-p/8334795#M106279Here's my post explaining what I did to my original XPS L502x to clean out dust, clean the fan, clean off old thermal compound, apply fresh thermal compound and thermal pads:
https://www.dell.com/community/XPS/Thermal-pad-thickness-for-11-year-old-XPS-15-L502x/m-p/8284033
filbert
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Posted March 3rd, 2023 14:00
Yes, if you have i5 or i7 processor, it definitely supports 16 GB. I have 16 GB in my L502x. You may use either DDR3 or DDR3L. I cannot recall if the i3 will support 16 GB, but you could look up your processor's specs on Intel's site.
You needn't buy a big brand name such as Crucial. I recently bought a relatively unknown brand, Kuesuny, through Amazon for much less than the price of a big brand name, and I'm happy with it. I ran memory tests for a couple of days to thoroughly test the RAM when I first installed it. It performs well and saved me money.
Whenever touching components or working inside a computer, wear a grounded wrist strap, also called anti-static wrist strap, ESD wrist strap, or ground bracelet. It's a cheap and sensible precaution. Rest the laptop on an anti-static mat or at least a reasonable alternative such as corrugated cardboard.