Consider comparing a new laptop with repurposing an older one.
Consider comparing a new laptop with repurposing an older one.
Hey, I’m a web developer and project manager who mostly works on my desktop. Last year I built something with 12GB RAM, 64GB of memory, and an external monitor. It’s fine, but it’s not very portable.
Before that, I used a Dell Latitude 5501 (i7-9850H, 32GB RAM, Samsung NVMe, iGPU + MX150). That machine still works, though it gets noisy and hot because of the Intel 14nm++ CPU.
Recently I wanted more mobility and tried using a VPN. I kept my PC running and used a laptop only for remote display – it worked perfectly!
But...
The laptop battery is 68Wh and its wear level is around 33%. That’s noticeable.
It might be that I’ll have to sell my PC this year and move abroad, or at least use only a laptop – maybe always, or maybe just at first. Hard to say.
I’m not sure which option is better: sell the Latitude (I could get it for $400–450 in my country) and buy a new laptop, or go with a 14" HP Elitebook/Probook with Ryzen 5xxxU (good performance, quiet and cold), or maybe a Legion 5 Pro with 12700H (a solid desktop alternative). Depending on what I choose, it could cost $1500–2500.
It’s not a big issue, but maybe... not worth it? My current Dell is in great shape. I like the build quality and experience, so maybe just replace the battery. A 68Wh battery costs about $60–70, while there are cheaper 97Wh options for around $100. It feels like giving the old device a second life, but it still works. The single-thread performance isn’t great compared to new laptops, especially multi-threaded tasks, since Dell’s PL2 specs are quite limited (only 35W). But... how often do I really need that much power? Not often, so maybe it’s not a big deal.
I’m looking for advice and open to other ideas.
In my country Where is this? Have you considered undervolting with ThrottleStop on your laptop to check if temperatures improve and battery life extends? Currently, the specs of your Latitude 5501 should suffice, but the MX150 seems to be the missing piece. To add: https://forums. Your CPU and GPU are permanently attached to the laptop's motherboard or PCB. Upgrading them would require replacing the whole motherboard.
From my own experience, you should aim to locate that battery as an official Dell product with warranty. Often, when upgrading to a bigger battery—especially on newer models that no longer have removable ones—the space required will also increase. I’m not very familiar with the Latitude model you’re using, but it seems worth checking if the larger battery fits in the case or needs a replacement part. Generally, more AH means a bigger battery is needed to accommodate it.
Additionally, most aftermarket batteries I’ve bought for laptops have underperformed compared to the original. Considering the laptop’s value in your market, I think selling it would be a better option and you could look for something newer that offers at least a performance boost over the desktop you can’t upgrade.
I know that replacing cpu or gpu is not possible. Can't unvervolt because dell blocked that in one of bios updates and there is no possibility to downgrade to version with that option unfortunately. I can only disable turbo boost or some of cores
About country, im from Poland