How to upgrade the SSD in a Dell XPS 15 (9570)

Many loftier-terminate laptops come up with very few upgradable features. Simply there is one component you lot commonly can improve: storage. While even the most basic solid-state drive (SSD) outperforms any difficult-disk drive (HDD), you can get even more speed and more than storage past upgrading.

The Dell XPS 15 (9570) is ane of my favorite ultra-powerful, non-gaming laptops. Hither is how to make it even ameliorate by tossing in a new SSD.

Why upgrade the SSD in your XPS 15?

There are two reasons to upgrade your SSD in the XPS 15: more storage and more speed.

Maybe you lot idea the 256GB in your XPS xv would be enough, only now with lower prices for flash storage, a 1TB SSD would be nice and roomy. And even though your electric current drive is faster than an old spinning-disk hard drive, it can load apps and save large files even quicker.

You lot can option up a new 500GB Samsung 970 EVO on Amazon for around $150. Dell charges $200 for an SSD upgrade when yous buy the device, and you don't know which SSD make you get.

Dell XPS xv SSD upgrade options

In that location are quite a few SSD drives on the market these days, simply I'one thousand a fan of Samsung's, for both functioning and storage.

Samsung 970 EVO SSD

A significant step upwardly in performance would be going with the brand-new Samsung 970 EVO with a theoretical 3,500 MB/s and ii,500 MB/s sequential read and write performance. Sizes range from 250GB ($97, 500GB ($150, 1TB ($300 or a huge 2TB ($530.

For the XPS 15 (9570), the 970 EVO is going to be the best balance of size options, performance, reliability, and warranty for the average power user.

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Samsung 970 PRO SSD

Pushing the limits to the farthermost is the current male monarch of laptop SSDs: the Samsung 970 PRO.

The 970 PRO is like to the EVO, including the same read speeds (iii,500 MB/south), but it'southward the write performance that sees a jump from a theoretical two,500 MB/s to ii,700 MB/s.

Samsung's Pro line is too meant for frequent reading and writing to the memory with exceptional reliability. It's certainly a fast SSD, but it's an extra $l for the 512GB model ($230 and $100 more for the 1TB option ($450.

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How to upgrade your Dell XPS 15 SSD

This is everything you demand to know to remove and replace the SSD in your XPS 15, to boost storage and bulldoze speed.

SSD upgrade difficulty rating

Nosotros previously rated the XPS 15 SSD upgrades procedure as unproblematic, just that'southward changed a bit with the 9570. The actual swapping of the SSD is easy, merely removing the bottom cover on the XPS 15 (9570) is harder than it should be for ii reasons:

Dell used very soft Torx T5 screws that strip easily.
Dell used a lite thread-locker, which makes them harder to remove.

Doing this upgrade on our XPS 15 (9570), we concluded up merely stripping out all the screws and using a Torx T6 driver, simply it was tough to remove them. Information technology was arduous, intensive, and if you lot slip, you could scratch the trunk of the XPS 15.

Having a Torx screwdriver is a adept get-go. Yous'll also want to exist patient. Fifty-fifty if you strip out the head of the spiral by using a larger format you can still force the screw off. Simply it can be laborious and stressful.

Difficulty rating: Moderate to difficult.

Backing up your XPS 15 SSD

Macrium Reverberate Free Edition.

There are multiple ways to upgrade to a new SSD with Windows 10 depending on preference and tools available:

Make clean install Windows 10 on the new SSD with the Windows x Media Cosmos Tool.
Copy your current SSD to a fill-in bulldoze (250GB or larger to match the backup) and so copy back to new SSD using third-party software.
Copy your current SSD directly to new SSD using an external enclosure before swapping.

Option number i, the make clean install, tin can be tricky if you exercise not accept all the hardware drivers for your device handy, so contact your manufacturer before you begin. Another good tip is have quick access to some other PC in example you need to get a file or await upward information during this process.

For selection number 2, I utilise the tertiary-party solution Macrium Reflect Gratis Edition. In that location is a pay version of Reflect if you programme to use information technology for regular backups, merely for a one-time SSD swap, yous can utilise the gratuitous one.

Restoring a Macrium Reflect image to a new SSD

You lot just run the software on your electric current SSD and dorsum upward your PC to an external USB bulldoze. After swapping out the SSD, kicking the XPS 15 to the USB drive and restore the image.

For the third option, Samsung makes free Data Migration software for use with its SSD drives. While Samsung's selection is gratis, yous need a fashion to connect the new SSD to the laptop to directly copy its contents. For a laptop SSD, this ways you need to buy an enclosure with a USB connection (yous tin can then repurpose your former SSD as a new external drive).

Tools y'all need to upgrade Dell XPS 15 (9570) SSD

You lot need Torx and Philips screwdrivers and a pocket-sized pry tool to assist remove the bottom cover on the XPS 15.

Y'all may have your own tools, but I picked upwardly the Kingsdun fourteen in 1 Precision Screwdriver Repair Tool Kit on Amazon. Ignore the "for Apple tree" marketing, as this kit has all bits you'll need for this task, including a Torx T5 screwdriver. Information technology was a mere $14 and includes every tool you will demand to work on electronics like a laptop, and it will also likely come in handy in the future.

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You volition besides want a make clean and well-lit workspace, and somewhere safe to put the screws from the bottom of the XPS fifteen. An anti-static wrist strap is not necessary, but it's benign. And information technology costs but $6.

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If you want to purchase some screws in anticipating of having to supervene upon them (not a bad idea at all) this $x kit has the right M2*3 screws (black) that will fit. They're besides regular Philips screws, which volition be more user-friendly later if you need to remove the embrace again.

Finally, if you lot are backing up your old SSD using option iii via an SSD enclosure with a USB connection make certain to get one of those likewise.

Opening the Dell XPS 15 (9570)

Before you lot begin, power down (not sleep or hibernate) your laptop and unplug information technology from the ability adapter.

To open up the XPS xv (9570), you should follow these steps.

XPS 15 screws All 12 of the screws holding the XPS xv together

Place the XPS fifteen face down. (I recommend using a cloth to prevent whatever scratches.)
Remove the 10 Torx head screws from the bottom edges.
Remove the ii Philips caput screws from beneath the XPS label in the heart (lift the cover).
Pry the embrace off gently using a pry tool.

The comprehend should click and come off without much strength afterwards all 12 of the screws are removed.

Changing the SSD on the XPS 15

With the brandish hinge oriented away from yous, you'll notice the SSD beneath the exhaust fans and to the left on the XPS 15.

Remove the placement screw at the base of the SSD.
Gently peel off the gum-like insulation textile. (Don't throw information technology away, as we'll be reusing it.)
Gently lift the old SSD at a 20-degree angle and slide it out.
Insert the new SSD firmly into the slot at the aforementioned xx-degree angle.
Lay down the new SSD and replace the placement screw.
Reapply the insulation. (This will help dissipate whatever estrus the SSD generates.)

Reassemble and kick your XPS xv

Position the laptop's base panel in place.
Replace the 12 screws around the edge of the base and under the XPS characterization plate.
Plow over and open up the laptop.
Install the sometime SSD in your external bulldoze enclosure.
Plug the sometime SSD into whatever USB port on the XPS 15.
Press the power button in the meridian right corner to boot the laptop.
Immediately press and agree F12 until the Boot Carte du jour appears.
Utilize the arrow keys to select the USB drive and kicking from the quondam Windows 10 install.
Utilize your option of software to copy the contents of the USB SSD to the newly installed SSD.

Call back, if all else fails, you can merely put back your quondam SSD.

How to switch to AHCI (and why)

Dell ships the XPS 15 (9570) SSD in a RAID configuration for the controller. But Samsung SSDs piece of work better nether Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI). More accurately, if you would like to install Samsung's SSD NVMe driver and Magician software you lot demand to be in AHCI mode set through the XPS 15's BIOS. AHCI delivers a few more than options to the SSD when using Samsung'due south software like TRIM (improved data maintenence), firmware updates, healt tests, and more. So information technology's a adept idea to install it.

The trouble, though, is you lot cannot merely switch to AHCI in the BIOS and and so boot direct to Windows ten – the Os volition non load the driver because it'due south already in use.

To get around this, you demand to follow these steps:

Enable Windows 10 Prophylactic Manner for adjacent reboot.
Reboot the PC and enter the BIOS before Windows 10 Safe Mode loads.
Turn RAID off and enable AHCI in the BIOS.
Kick into Windows 10 in Rubber Fashion and allow it load the right driver.
Disable kick into Prophylactic Mode and reboot into regular Windows 10.

Once those steps are completed, you can install the Samsung SSD driver and Magician software.

To set the PC to go into Safe Mode, follow these steps:

Type cmd into the Start search bar to get to Control Prompt.
Right-click on cmd to run as Administrator.
Blazon into the Command Prompt bcdedit /set {electric current} safeboot minimal and hit Enter.

Restart the computer, only earlier Windows 10 loads, hit F12 when you meet the Dell logo and choose BIOS Setup from the menu.

Navigate to System Configuration > SATA Operation and enable AHCI.

Save and exit the BIOS settings and permit Windows ten kicking into Prophylactic Mode. Only doing this lets Windows 10 switch over its drivers from SATA to AHCI, just nosotros've set Windows ten to only boot into Rubber Way, so we need to un-exercise that. Hither'south how:

Type cmd into the Starting time search bar to get to Command Prompt.
Right-click on cmd to run as Ambassador.
Type into the Command Prompt bcdedit /deletevalue {current} safeboot and hit Enter.

Restart Windows ten and the regular, non-Rubber Mode Windows 10 should kick.

Your SSD is at present running in AHCI mode, and y'all can get ahead and install Samsung's drivers and software

Dell XPS 15 SSD upgrade results

The benefit of updating to a faster (and larger) SSD is credible when you run some benchmarks. Yous can also "feel" the difference in everyday usage, whether loading a giant video game, transferring large files, rendering a video for output, or even but booting Windows.

Here is a directly before and afterward comparison of the SSD the XPS fifteen ships with and the Samsung SSDs, using benchmarks from CrystalDiskMark (higher numbers are ameliorate).

Device	Size	Read	Write
Toshiba XG5 (old)	256GB	2,771 MB/due south	383 MB/s
Samsung 970 EVO	256GB	three,525 MB/s	1,508 MB/s
Samsung 970 PRO	512GB	3,533 MB/s	2,327 MB/s

For those curious about 4K (Q32) random speeds in CrystalDiskmark, we also ran some related benchmarks.

Device	Size	Read	Write
Toshiba XG5 (Quondam)	256GB	260 MB/s	333 MB/due south
Samsung 970 EVO	256GB	342 MB/south	314 MB/s
Samsung 970 PRO	512GB	250 MB/s	212 MB/due south

The most meaning improvement is the sequential write speed. That's of import for many "pro" users out there who demand to return video or do heavy lifting. If you are just consuming media or playing games, you still get a noticeable bump but information technology's not as impressive.

Overall, swapping an SSD on a new laptop can exist a complicated feel, but the rewards may be worth information technology. If, even so, yous are a computer hardare novice and do non feel comfortable with this process, effort to simply buy the appropiate configuration at your time of purchase.

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