PC World - USA (2020-06)

86 PCWorld JUNE 2020

FEATURE IS UPGRADING A LAPTOP’S SSD & RAM WORTH IT?

Luckily if you’re here to swap RAM, Dell

labeled everything for you. DIMM A and B are

covered by a thin black sheet. Lift it up and

you’ll see the existing 8GB stick, which is

easily freed by pressing down the little clips

on either side. Line up your replacement RAM

with the slot, press it in (firmly), then lower it

until it clicks into place.

Keep in mind: You ideally want RAM to

match. Tempting as it may be to buy

one 8GB stick and pair it with the

existing one, you’ll typically find better

performance (and fewer headaches)

buying a 16GB set instead. We stuck

with 16GB because it’s what we had

on hand, but you could go higher if

you’d like.

Dell’s provided plenty of storage

options. In the bottom left corner (if

the hinges are facing down) you’ll see

a big, silvery panel attached by a

single screw. Lift it, and you can install

a standard 2.5-inch HDD or SSD. Hard drives

are pretty cheap nowadays, offering massive

amounts of storage space—assuming you

don’t care about speed.

Those with a bit more spending money

can add a second M.2 SSD—or replace the

existing SSD, or replace and add. You’ve got

a lot of options here.

Adding an M.2 drive is the most

You’ll need to lift the silvery panel in the bottom left corner

before you can install a new SSD.

Out with the old... ...and in with the new.