How to open Dell Latitude 3550 – disassembly and upgrade options

Undo the 9 captive Phillips-head screws on the bottom panel. The screws in the top corners will lift the panel slightly, making the disassembly easier.
Use a lever tool to pop the back in the zones behind the hinges.
Fully pry the rear, then continue to the sides and the front to remove the bottom panel.

More info: Here’s how the bottom plate looks on the inside.

Battery Removal

Unplug the battery connector from the mainboard.
Undo the 5 Phillips-head screws securing the battery to the base.
Lift the battery to remove it.

Note: This model has an optional 54Wh battery, while the base model comes with a 42Wh variant. The 54Wh battery provides around 9 hours of video playback.

Memory Information

With a 13th Gen CPU, the two SODIMMs support up to 64GB of DDR5-5200MHz RAM in dual-channel mode. However, the CPU can support up to 96GB, allowing for potential future upgrades.
Core Ultra configurations support faster DDR5-5600MHz memory.

You can buy compatible RAM modules here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Storage Upgrade

There is one M.2 slot compatible with Gen 4 NVMe drives.
The slot supports both 2230 and 2280 form factors, with a metal bracket securing the drive in place.
The 2280 SSDs are cooled by a second thermal pad located in front of the slot, while the preinstalled 2230 SSD has a thermal pad underneath.

Hint: Don’t forget to check out our Top M.2 SSDs Performance Rankings for insights on the best storage options available.

You can buy compatible SSDs here: Buy from Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)

Wi-Fi Card

The Wi-Fi card is located in the lower mid-section of the motherboard.

Cooling System Overview

The cooling system consists of one fan, a decently long heat pipe, a heat sink, and a heat spreader, providing basic but adequate cooling for this business-class laptop.

Dell Latitude 15 3550 (13th Gen Intel) in-depth review

Dell offers a wide range of business machines. The Latitude 3550 isn't among the most expensive ones but it has enough power and features for home usage or hybrid employees who are constantly on the go. You can find this device with 13th Gen U-series CPUs or with 15W Core Ultra chips. If you don't need the NPU unit and the two additional LP E cores, the Raptor Lake processors are still adequate for work and they cost less (or at least in most cases).The presence of a 768p TN display could raise a few eyebrows. Yes, these panels still exist even in 2024. Avoid this screen, unless your budge[...]

Read the full review

Pros

The fan isn't noisy in "Ultra Performance" mode
Solid base
Good input devices
No PWM (AUO3892)
Wide viewing angles (AUO3892)
4x USB ports
Long battery life
Privacy shutter
Fingerprint reader, SIM slot, backlit keyboard, IR Web camera (all are optional)
The CPU can sustain 3.30 GHz / 2.40 GHz P and E-core clock in short loads
2x SODIMMs
Good comfort during max CPU loads