I. Introduction
When I decided it was time to purchase a new laptop for college, I spent an hour weighing my options. Eventually, I settled on a Dell XPS model, largely due to its two-year on-site service warranty. My older XPS420 was also experiencing some issues with its graphics card, so I felt confident in Dell’s reliability. Choosing between different brands and models wasn’t overly complicated—though watching reviews and reading evaluations certainly helped. For someone who prioritizes aesthetics and display quality, the XPS series isn’t necessarily the top choice, but for others, it’s an excellent option.
The XPS series has several strong points: sleek design, impressive screen quality, solid customer service, and an overall premium feel. However, the downside is the steep price tag. When comparing prices between Dell's official website (starting at $7,400) and Amazon’s lower-priced $6,099 XPS13 9360, the decision becomes quite clear—especially if you’re looking to save some money. Although I initially hesitated over the 128GB SSD, I ultimately decided it was more important for students to focus on their studies rather than upgrading hardware right away.
Amazon’s delivery times are impressively fast now. My eleventh order arrived within twelve hours.
Second, Upgrading the SSD
It became quickly apparent that a larger SSD would be necessary. With limited space for additional games and files, I knew I had to upgrade. Considering the benefits of NVMe support, I opted for a cheaper 2280 M.2 PCIe SSD. While Samsung offers several budget-friendly options, I chose Toshiba’s XG4 instead. I’d heard that it runs cooler and provides similar performance without the same level of hype, which gave me some peace of mind. Many Taobao listings claim ridiculously fast boot times, but I suspected they were exaggerating.
Opening the XPS case proved challenging since it doesn’t come with standard tools. To access the internals, you’ll need a specialized T5 screwdriver set. At first glance, the price might seem steep, but given the urgency, I didn’t have much choice. Once inside, you’ll find seven T5 screws and one regular cross-head screw securing the back panel. Buying a T5 screwdriver online for a few bucks would’ve been a smarter move.
After removing the screws and lifting the back cover, you’ll encounter a clean interior with minimal labeling. A small plate sits beneath the back cover, holding everything in place. Be cautious when disconnecting the battery cable near the SSD to avoid damaging anything.
Replacing the SSD requires removing the existing one and inserting the new 256GB XG4. Here’s how it looked:
[Image: Replaced SSD]
Third, System Recovery
Recovering the system proved to be more challenging than expected. Initially, I tried using Dell’s built-in recovery software, which promised to restore both the system and data. I followed the instructions carefully, inserting a 32GB USB drive and letting the software run. It took over half an hour, but eventually, the process completed successfully. Unfortunately, after swapping out the SSD, attempting to recover via the USB drive failed. Despite multiple attempts, the recovery process kept failing midway, leaving me frustrated.
Contacting Dell support proved surprisingly efficient. They recommended creating a USB system disk using an ISO image from their website. Following the instructions step-by-step, I downloaded the necessary files and used the provided software to create the recovery disk. After a few minutes, I was ready to proceed.
However, even after reinstalling Windows 10, activation issues arose. Waiting two days yielded no results, so I resorted to a full system reset—a last-ditch effort that finally worked. One minor hiccup involved the SSD not being detected during the initial reinstallation. Switching the BIOS settings from RAID to AHCI resolved the issue.
[Image: BIOS Settings]
Fourth, Conclusion
While the process was far from seamless, the end result was satisfying. Testing the new SSD revealed decent performance, though not as impressive as advertised. Still, the expanded storage capacity met my needs.
If I could do it all over again, I’d likely opt for a higher-capacity SSD directly from JD.com. eBay or Taobao can sometimes be hit-or-miss with refurbished parts. As for choosing between Dell’s official website ($7,499) or Amazon ($6,099), I’d lean toward Amazon’s pricing. The extra $1,400 for a slightly larger SSD simply isn’t worth it.
Ultimately, while the XPS remains a solid choice, the cost-to-benefit ratio left something to be desired.UL Solar PV Cable
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