How to Open Dell XPS 14 9440 – disassembly and upgrade options

Undo the 8 Torx-head screws securing the bottom panel.
Use a lever tool to pop the bottom panel in the hinge zone areas near the top two corners.
Raise the central part of the back vent attached to the bottom plate.
Press the chassis with a finger on the left or right to pop the mid-section.
Work your way around the 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

Undo the single Phillips-head screw securing the bracket on top of the battery connector.
Slide the metal cap to the left and lift it away from the base. Use gloves to avoid short circuits.
Detach the battery connector from the motherboard.
Undo the 6 Phillips-head screws securing the battery.
Lift the battery to remove it from the device.

Note: The device uses a 70Wh battery, providing approximately 25 hours of web browsing or 20 hours of video playback.

Memory Information

Note: The memory is soldered. The iGPU-only models can be configured with up to 32GB of LPDDR5x-6400MHz RAM in dual-channel mode. Models with dedicated graphics can have up to 64GB of LPDDR5x-7467MHz RAM.

Storage Upgrade

Locate the single M.2 slot for 2230 or 2280 Gen 4 SSDs.
Undo the single Phillips-head screw securing the metal plate covering the NVMe SSD.
Slide the metal plate to the left to remove it, revealing the thermal pads.
Install the new SSD in the 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)

Cooling System Overview

The cooling system includes two fans, three heat pipes, two heat sinks, and one large central cooling plate.
Ensure all cooling components are clean and free of dust for optimal performance.

Note: The cooling system is adequate for this type of laptop.

Dell XPS 14 9440 in-depth review

Nowadays, offering a laptop with a distinctive design that stands out among the others is a hard job. However, the look of the Dell XPS 14 9440 is for sure fresh and different which is great. The chassis of this fella may be light but there are some powerful internals below the keyboard. We are talking about 28W Intel Meteor Lake CPUs with 16 cores and an optional NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 for gamers in the office. The memory is soldered but the max amount of 64GB should be enough for most people out there.Two 14.5" 120Hz panels are available (yay, no 60Hz screens!). The base one is a 1200p [...]

Read the full review

Pros

Clean minimalistic design
Compact
High P and E core clocks during max CPU load, especially for a 14-incher
The fans aren't noisy
Premium build quality and fresh design
PWM-free (HPXJN-145WU1)
High max brightness + very good contrast ratio and 95% sRGB coverage (HPXJN-145WU1)
Great color accuracy with our "Design and Gaming" profile (HPXJN-145WU1)
Has three Thunderbolt 4 ports
Outstanding battery life
Comfortable keyboard
Offers an optional fingerprint reader and IR camera
Snappy performance