Is the Radeon R5 M335 dedicated GPU upgradeable in a laptop?

Rock3t

Reputable
Feb 8, 2016
4
0
4,510
Having read quite a lot of stuff on the web now about whether it is/isn’t possible to upgrade a dedicated GPU in a laptop and finding myself thoroughly confused with all the terminology, I thought I would turn to the experts...

I have a Dell 5559 (15 series) laptop
I7 6550U processor 2.5-3.1GHz
12GB RAM
Integrated Intel and dedicated AMD R5 M335 GPU

Where I am confused:

1. Firstly, is it even possible to replace the R5? I haven’t been able to determine if its MxM or any other technology that allows easy removal
2. Secondly, if it is possible to upgrade, what kind of upgrade would be feasible both in terms of a productive upgrade in power and in terms of technical limitations (processor speed, RAM and compatibility with switchable cards?)

I’d be happy to disable the integrated Intel card if this causes a conflict and just run with a dedicated GPU. I have a reasonable budget allocated to an upgrade but if the only solution is an external card/psu/all that kind of business I wouldn’t bother and just think about maybe a 2nd hand gaming desktop PC (though I would very much prefer to upgrade the laptop if at all possible)

Many thanks
 
Solution
As far as I can tell, the R5 is soldered to the motherboard. http://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/2692/radeon-r5-m335.html doesn't list any MXM options, and I couldn't find a picture of the motherboard to confirm. I did find an image of an Inspiron 15 with an ATI chip soldered to it, but it wasn't your model. Very few laptops actually have MXM slots (and they're mostly beefy gaming laptops) so I'd be very surprised if your Inspiron did have one.

voltoid27

Reputable
Sep 17, 2014
609
0
5,660
As far as I can tell, the R5 is soldered to the motherboard. http://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/2692/radeon-r5-m335.html doesn't list any MXM options, and I couldn't find a picture of the motherboard to confirm. I did find an image of an Inspiron 15 with an ATI chip soldered to it, but it wasn't your model. Very few laptops actually have MXM slots (and they're mostly beefy gaming laptops) so I'd be very surprised if your Inspiron did have one.
 
Solution