F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop The XPS 17 9700 motherboard is no longer available. Installing an XPS 17 9710 motherboard might be feasible.

The XPS 17 9700 motherboard is no longer available. Installing an XPS 17 9710 motherboard might be feasible.

The XPS 17 9700 motherboard is no longer available. Installing an XPS 17 9710 motherboard might be feasible.

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Suthurnbel
Member
182
09-06-2021, 02:58 AM
#1
My GPU stopped working on my XPS 17 9700. Since I mainly use the laptop for editing and gaming, it no longer feels useful. I was thinking about getting a new 9700 motherboard with the same CPU and GPU setup, but I found an XPS 17 9710 model featuring an 11th gen CPU and an RTX 3060. It’s priced similarly to the 9700 board I’ve been considering. That made me wonder—can they be swapped? All other components are on the new board, except for the battery, keyboard, screen, and touchpad. If the sizes match (it should fit in the case), should it function properly? From what I know, Dell XPS 17 series usually uses identical chassis and dimensions, so it might work.
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Suthurnbel
09-06-2021, 02:58 AM #1

My GPU stopped working on my XPS 17 9700. Since I mainly use the laptop for editing and gaming, it no longer feels useful. I was thinking about getting a new 9700 motherboard with the same CPU and GPU setup, but I found an XPS 17 9710 model featuring an 11th gen CPU and an RTX 3060. It’s priced similarly to the 9700 board I’ve been considering. That made me wonder—can they be swapped? All other components are on the new board, except for the battery, keyboard, screen, and touchpad. If the sizes match (it should fit in the case), should it function properly? From what I know, Dell XPS 17 series usually uses identical chassis and dimensions, so it might work.

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xTepazPvP
Junior Member
8
09-06-2021, 06:00 AM
#2
Order a new Ryzen 7735HS laptop. It’s roughly 600-700$ quicker and matches the price of the board in the XPS. You could resell the XPS for parts. Dell doesn’t let you swap boards from their latest models into older chassis, even if dimensions and connectors are the same. The firmware differences make it very unlikely everything will work properly.
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xTepazPvP
09-06-2021, 06:00 AM #2

Order a new Ryzen 7735HS laptop. It’s roughly 600-700$ quicker and matches the price of the board in the XPS. You could resell the XPS for parts. Dell doesn’t let you swap boards from their latest models into older chassis, even if dimensions and connectors are the same. The firmware differences make it very unlikely everything will work properly.

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twhitford
Member
117
09-07-2021, 08:48 AM
#3
I've read a discussion on Reddit about someone using a 9710 board with a 9700 machine and it functioning properly. It's unclear what might be blocked there. The only connected components are the screen, touchpad, keyboard, and battery. Are these elements enough to prevent any kind of bypass in such a scenario?
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twhitford
09-07-2021, 08:48 AM #3

I've read a discussion on Reddit about someone using a 9710 board with a 9700 machine and it functioning properly. It's unclear what might be blocked there. The only connected components are the screen, touchpad, keyboard, and battery. Are these elements enough to prevent any kind of bypass in such a scenario?

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D3monicWarrior
Junior Member
16
09-07-2021, 01:55 PM
#4
It's very simple for them to exclude items. One person on Reddit isn't a solid reference. Of course you could attempt it, but it would cost a lot of money if it fails. A whole new set of laptops would be needed.
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D3monicWarrior
09-07-2021, 01:55 PM #4

It's very simple for them to exclude items. One person on Reddit isn't a solid reference. Of course you could attempt it, but it would cost a lot of money if it fails. A whole new set of laptops would be needed.

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Ravi
Member
65
09-12-2021, 10:33 AM
#5
I agree with your perspective. Talking to someone who swapped his board showed it worked fine, just needed a different cable and heatsink. It seems Dell isn't enforcing any specific rules. For my needs, I won't have to change anything since 9700 and 9710 boards are the same. I think I'll go with what's available right now—this laptop is great enough for me, even though your advice makes sense long-term.
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Ravi
09-12-2021, 10:33 AM #5

I agree with your perspective. Talking to someone who swapped his board showed it worked fine, just needed a different cable and heatsink. It seems Dell isn't enforcing any specific rules. For my needs, I won't have to change anything since 9700 and 9710 boards are the same. I think I'll go with what's available right now—this laptop is great enough for me, even though your advice makes sense long-term.