How to open Dell Latitude 5550 – disassembly and upgrade options

Undo the 8 captive Phillips-head screws securing the bottom panel.
Pry the areas behind the hinges with a lever tool to create gaps around these sections.
Work your way around the rear, sides, and front with a thin plastic tool to remove the bottom panel.

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

Battery Removal

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

Note: The laptop is equipped with an optional 54Wh battery, with the default model having a 42Wh capacity. The optional battery provides approximately 8.5 hours of video playback.

Memory Information

Note: The two SODIMMs support up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM in dual-channel mode. The CPU can support up to 96GB, so the laptop likely wouldn’t have issues running more than the official manufacturer’s specified limit. Core Ultra-based machines use 5600 MHz memory, while others use 5200 MHz modules.

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

WWAN Slot

The WWAN slot for optional LTE or 5G connectivity is located to the left of the memory slots.

Storage Upgrade

Locate the two M.2 slots compatible with Gen 4 NVMe SSDs – one for 2230 or 2280 and one for the shorter 2230 SSDs.
Remove the metal shroud covering the left slot by undoing the two Phillips-head screws.
Lift the shroud to access the small thermal pad beneath it.
Install the new SSD in the appropriate slot.

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 above the SODIMM slots.

Cooling System Overview

The cooling system includes one fan, a pair of long heat pipes, one side-mounted heatsink, and a heat spreader.
Ensure all cooling components are clean and free of dust for optimal performance.

Dell Latitude 15 5550 in-depth review

The Dell Latitude 15 5550 is a business machine that is very similar to the Precision 15 3590 in terms of design and specs. The 5550 version can be found with twelve different CPU versions (yes, 12!). So, you choose among a plethora of chips including 15W Raptor and Meteor Lake-U, or 28W Meteor Lake-H series processors. The 4GB GeForce RTX 2050 is the only dGPU variant. The upgradability is great, you get a pair of SODIMMs and Gen 4 NVMe slots. The port selection is modern, you can rely on four USB connectors alongside HDMI 2.1.Just like many other Dell office machines, tons of goodies are[...]

Read the full review

Pros

The fan is near-silent during long CPU loads
Decent build quality
Comfortable keyboard
PWM-free (LGD0764)
Wide viewing angles (LGD0764)
2x SODIMMs + 2x Gen 4 M.2 slots
Modern port selection with 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports + HDMI 2.1 and a MicroSD card slot
Good battery life
Web camera with a privacy shutter
Fingerprint reader, IR camera, SmartCard reader, NFC, Nano SIM slot (all are optional)
Good comfort under max CPU stress
The CPU can sustain decently high clocks in longer loads - 2.15 GHz for the P cores
The bottom panel can be easily opened