I recently bought an M6500 off fleaBay for a $300 and proceeded to upgrade the RAM (20G) and SSD - seemed to work great but was still running hot, idling in the high 50s/low 60s, fans running continuously, topping out in the high 80s/low 90s under full load. With the help of your vid I got the box apart, blew a metric ton of dust out of the heatsink fins, and now it idles in the high 40s and tops out in the low 70s under full load. The fans only run occasionally at idle, and at lower RPMs, so the machine is much, much quieter. Really appreciate the effort you put into this vid, it was instrumental in the success of this refurb. ++Thanks!

Thank you very much for this helpful tutorial. I have managed to clean the very clogged vents in my M6500 and now it's working nicely again. I cleaned the fans and refreshed the thermal grease between the CPU and the heatsink. For the inner cover section I did have to remove quite a few more screws than in your video and I'm thankful that when I put it back together I didn't have any spare. In most cases the main screw types are embossed into the plastic and key anchor screws have a P next to them on my machine (I didn't refer to the service manual).

"Then slide your panel off." That's the bit I needed. Thanks.

Overheating solved - I've been managing overheat issues for a while (Shift-Fn 15324 to set fans on highest speed, etc.). I finally took it a part - cleaned and replaced the thermal paste and cleaned the grill on the heatsink (it was completely clogged). It now runs in the 40-50 C range! WOW

i love all the precision model 6400 6500 6800 all big and heavy metal ones

My 8 year old M6500 needed a little bit of cleaning. Still a great help this video. Tnx! Works like a charme again and the coolers a much quieter. :)

Thank you VERY much for that video. I didnt know hot to replace my keyboard on M6400 and you gave me the steps to get there without breaking anything :) Kudos.

Have a M6500, already for 3 or 4 years. Upgraded to 32 GB memory and two SSD's. No repeating problems. But I will do the cleaning process. According to Coretemp, my PC is running in the 40-75 C area. And please... use ESD gear.

Excellent Instructions. Clear, clean and knowledgeable. Thank you very much.

I keep forgetting little things when i take mine apart so I like to check videos like yours! Just moved all my data over to an SSD to speed things up on the old girl, helped allot. Now I am going to format the original hard drive and look into putting it in the 2nd hard drive caddy. It would likely be best if I did a fresh install of Windows..... but it's already a night & day difference in speed! It was becoming a little to painful using a HDD on this laptop.... I've been spoiled by SSD in my main PC, and my old Mac Pro before it broke (salvaged it's SSD for the Dell) Only computer I run on a daily basis without a SSD is this Dell Inspiron Zino HD 410, but i have it running Lubuntu and its so light it does not need an SSD, plus I only use it for general web browsing and videos like this.

The freezing is a problem that exists for long time with M6400/M6500 - there are some forums on this out there. The reason simply is that the first generation FX3800M video card draws too much power in transient states. It gets worse with the electrolytic capacitors aging. Downclocking the GPU helps some weeks. There is a V2 card where those issues have been addressed. It heats up much less than of the old one. Dell has changed mine while the M6500 was still in warranty.

Nice job on the video, but I'd suggest that you not shoot them with the window behind. I know it give you some good light, but it also creates a hazy effect that really messes up the contrast. Otherwise, you are one of the best "take apart" guys I've seen; very clear, and great pacing.

opened my one recently, got it for £62, ended up with 3 extra screws at the end of the upgrading cpu and gpu, I was drinking whiskey whilst doing it because I really don't like taking laptops apart. Also there was heavy black soot dust inside and on the speakers, I touched a speaker lightly and it fell through! xD

I fixed my M6500!! I open it took the video board apart with the cooling system, disassemble the heat sink clean all the old heat sink grey grease, them put a thin layer of new grey grease and come to life again, no problems anymore. For disassemble I followed the instructions here : kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ppelmdyTqKusinU.html. Then you have to took the video apart and disassemble it. NEVER EVER I HAD A PROBLEM AGAIN!!!! The problem is that the grease loose the properties and stop to transfer temp that makes the video becomes unstable and freezes randomly . Thank you Rick for your help

you just saved me about 150 bucks thank you...never again will i take my pc to the shop and get ripped off thanks again

if your mouse pad stopped working plug a usb mouse into it see if it works if it does look under system properties and see if it sees your old mouse if now order a new bezel with a mouse built in

Maybe things have changed but my M6500 required 8 screws to be removed, not 4, to get the screen off and also the palm rest wasn't simply 3 screws but 8 from the top and 4 from below (all marked 'P'), Still, it got me going.

actually are you buying the screen as one in the bezel and all which you should be if you are the inverter is usually built on the screens anymore sometimes not but usually are. but I believe if it didn't come with an inverter it will be different from the LCD to the LED, but some also have micrometer switchs for voltage adjustments.

You saved me. Thanks a lot :-)

Could be a driver issue, could be that the mouse just went bad and if thats the case Ebay like 10 bucks

ok managed to figure it out on my own lol thx for helping me i apparently missed some screws

Thank you. Im so stuck right now though Dell Precision M6500

you need to do this tear down the video card is very easy its the board on the top Right of the computer when torn apart

are you talking about the 8MB cache the processor only works as the brain and the more memory you put into the computer can make your brain think faster the processor will run fine with 8 or 32 now depending on the version of windows you have may not allow you to utilize all of your memory

Excellent video and very helpful. I bought a replacement c565c battery but it now flashes the battery light 2/sec and doesn't recognize it. Seems it's a known thing buying an 'incompatible' non dell battery... any idea if it's reasonable to just open it up by force to swap the li-ion batteries around so I've got the official dell electronics and just using new batteries... I know it sounds crazy but £100 down the drain seems wasteful.

try moving your screen back and forth see if the black screen happnes if it does your ribbon cable is bad if you can still see the screen with a light pointing at it then your bulb is going bad behind the lcd for further info sign up to my website

Thank you.. made my life much easier..

Hi Rick, Thanks for your fast reply. I know that the M6500 can hold 32GB physically, but - and correct me if i'm wrong - the 840QM supports only up to 8GB! Cor

Great video, use it to replace my CPU. Thanks

Thanks for the video, it really helped!

Hi Rick, very clear video! I have a M6500 as well. My problem is that I want to upgrade it. Now I have a i7 840QM which supports only 8GB, Do you know if it is possible to upgrade the cpu and because I want to increase the RAM to 12 or 16GB! Thanks in advance for your reply! Cor

Hi Rick, informative vid :) Question... I need t replace the speakers.. Do I have to also remove the palm plate? to get to the underside?

Also getting internal hd not found yet it recognizes it in bios as second hd and if hit f1 it boots to it

Can you make a video on how to dismantle the heatsink in the M6500 and where to apply the thermal paste?

Nice advise David please sign up at my forum could use another Guru like you on my site

Question about the screws that were removed after battery removal: mine has both screws missing, what size and where can I get them? A hardware store perhaps? Or special order from dell?

How do you fit 32GB RAM in the M6500? I have a Quad Core I7. The Dell website says it can hold 32GB and Dell (and Crucial) only carry 8GB cards. I see only 2 slots when I pull off the back plate. Thanks

Saludos tengo una dell 6400 que al encender se apaga, y no funciona. Que podría ser? Greetings I have a dell 6400 that turns off when I turn it on, and does not work. What could it be?

Excellent video!!! After I upgraded my hard drive my status lights and keyboard back-lighting don't turn on any more. This means I don't see the hd, bluetooth, num lock, caps lock and wifi lights anymore. I tried resetting the BIOS by disconnecting the BIOS backup battery for a few seconds. I did this during my hard drive installation to troubleshoot drive recognition failure. I later learned it was a simple mechanical error: I wasn't inserting the new SSD drive correctly since it's less thicker than the original had. I wonder if disconnecting the BIOS battery messed something up. The lights issue came up earlier when I started messing with the drive and then went away. When I switched the drive during another troubleshooting session the status light s went permanently dark. Would changing the BIOS battery have any effect or would I have to change the motherboard. And BTW how do I find the right motherboard for my dell precision m6500? Many thanks, Tahir

Great now my M6500 decided one day to have something muck up on it. My Dell on and off will have the keyboard constantly pressing space like I am holding it down. Or at other times the space bar isn't working when pushed at times.... and ignore all mouse clicks from both the track pad, and the mouse keys to the little nubby thing on the keyboard (Forgot the proper name) while the space bar is acting like I am holding it... I was hoping it could be a bad connection.... but it seems to me that the track pad and keyboard are very separate on there connection to the motherboard. So the fact the issue spreads to both track pad and keyboard is concerning.... Now unless if the Dell is unable to multi task the signals from the space bar and the mouse buttons built into it self.... If I hook up an external mouse it works regardless. Guess I'll just tear it apart and hope I get lucky..... I don't wish to replace this laptop yet. Still suits my needs, and I don't use it often...

Problem is most tricky parts, especially in the beginning, get covered by your hand or the angle of the cam and its hard to see exactly what you are doing? Could you see if that can be improved?

I also have a M6500. I purchased it about a month ago from an online auction. Almost everyday the screen is turning black and computer is freezing. Could it be because of dirt accumulated in or faulty hardware? Thanks

GREAT VIDEO THANK YOU ....SORRY CAPS ON....BAD EYES XOXO HAPPY NEW YEAR...TANIA

I have M6400 is heating last two mouths and the mouse pad stop working. Do you know witch parts I need to purchase? I tried add second hard drive some how I believe miss connector. I have this laptop since 2009 never cost me any problem except screen crack I got essay replacement for it.

Hello. please I need help.I have an m6700 dell precision. the speakers doesnt works but the headphones works, i believe the speakers are disconected, Itried to open the laptop but i cant remove the narrow upside part wich cover the speakers. can you help me?thank you

how do you replace the video card? I need to replace it

was a bad design but average joe should know how to do this too, so they can save some money

Thanks Rick! Just inherited a 6400 at work and want to upgrade the memory. Would you recommend any memory in particular or any other quick upgrades to extend the life of my new laptop?

Hi Rick, thanks for the video. I've a M6500 covet like yours and today it rebooted with the "TPM could not be initialized" message. After pressing F2 to continue it seems to start up OK but might be a major problem in the future. Googling the message it seems the cause is the motherboard. I dearly love this red machine and would want to repair it. I could pick up a new MB from eBay and was wondering if following your video and delving further into the innards of the machine it might be possible for me to carry out. Have you ever done a MB swap?

Good work , I have lag problems with my video card sometimes when I play Teamfortress2 ... i'm not sure if it's related to the VGA card as it doesn't lag with other games. but i think the one that came with m6500 model is really bad.

Hey Bro!!! very helpfull video, although, I have a M6500 and the latch is damaged. I wonder if you may assist me providing a tutorial or any sort of tips for such issue.

what tool did i need to clean inside m6500 .compressed air?brush?

What size star bits does this take on the side? Nice video.

there is 2 slots under the keyboard and 2 slots on the bottom of the laptop

Thank you!

whats your cpu temps i have one with the 920xm processor and mine idles in the 50'sC and load is high 60's to low 70's just cant find much on this cpu. and i have the ati firepro m7820 which is pretty much a mobile 5870 i think

My palm rest doesn't pop off. I don't know if there's some adhesive that keeps some of it attached and in place, but I'm nervous about forcing it?? Can anyone help me. Should I just apply more force, or go about it some other way?

When I removed my panel above my keyboard, I had a flat wire come undone that appears to have been connected to the golden copper colored sensor next to the power button. What is this component?

Where can I find its coin-cell battery? thanks.

On my M6400 I found that to get the top plastic panel off (you do that after removing the display) I had to take out no less than 13 screws, including 4 longer ones of larger diameter from the back. All such screws are marked P. In your video you only had to remove three screws, from the the top side. I know there have to be differences even though the model name is the same, but this seems a bit extreme. Can anyone explain? It's not really a problem as I just had to look for all the P screws. What is a problem is that I could still not get at the headphone jack receptacle, which is broken (mechanical), that seems to be very hard to get at. Any suggestions? Thanks, Paul P.S. Just consulted the official service manual, section Removing the Palm Rest Assembly, which also mentions 13 screws, exactly as I found.

Pardon me sir, I was wondering if you could tell me something about the M6500. In your video, you mentioned something about an event in which the GPU would be replaced. Something about blinking lights and it automatically turning off right away.... I have a m6500 that I purchased used online from ebay, I got it on a sale and I thought I got a great price for it, for what the specs on it were. Little, did I know, that it actually had an rather severe issue of randomly going to a black screen and staying that way until I reset the comp. (May have also randomly blue screened as well.) However, it did not blue screen or go to a black screen when it was on battery power. (That I know of)0 The company that I had bought it from also deleted their ebay account so I'm stuck with it. The specs are I7 920XM 8 Gigs of ddr 3 RAM (Formerly 16, but there were errors with the other pair of ram sticks) Nvidia FX 3800m Is my problem similar to anything you've seen before? If so, is it the GPU that needs to be replaced then? I've asked a friend who deals with computers and laptop as a sidejob. He said it could either be a IRQ error (Or something along the lines of drivers were installed incorrectly when it was being installed) Or that it was the GPU or MOBO that needs to be replaced. And if it is the GPU.... I would like to know first if it's possible for me to replace the GPU to something else. I understand that these particular models (The M6500 Workstation) can have multiple different GPUs, the FX 3700 and the FX 3800 for nvidia and 7820 and 7750 for ATI. I was thinking of the 7820 if I do have replace it. But there arises the issue of whether there's some special step I need to do when switching amd and NVidia GPUs or.... Sorry to spring this on you, I'm just a bit desperate and I don't really know how to go about repairing this computer properly.

does that Covet model have a backlit keyboard? It looked too easy to remove the keyboard! my Studio 1737 has 2 plugs to unplug for kybrd removal.

Hey Rich, I'm building a m6500 from scratch from parts my buddy gave me and parts I'm buying off eBay. What do you think are my chances that I'll have a working computer at the end of this endeavor? Roz

Bad video if you own a dell precision m6400 17inch. There are more screws and connectors to release than this video suggests. I nearly damaged my Palm Rest assembly because of this.

Thanks first for this super good Video! I have a question about changing the Video Card of M6500, what should I never do, and not Forget bevore I put in the new one?Greetings from switzerland

Thank you, I've watched this video primarily to get into the internals and try to clean, as my processors are really heating up. Especially the GPU. I have windows 8.1 running on it but lack of drivers for my ATI FirePro M7740 are outdated and I cannot find any new ones. When watching a video in IE, it shows a green screen and freezes. Some other apps that show Video freeze as well. I can only watch video's in Chrome. Is there a way to fix this? What other GPU's can be installed and used in Win 8.1?

Hi. i need help maybe somebody know if they starts without Battery i have one m6500 but without Battery only flashes 3-4 times Baterry light. I need Battery or something another is Problem tnx.

Rick great video, but I have a question. My wife spilled some soup onto the keyboard of her Dell M6500, and ever since the computer won't even come up to the Dell Logo. Do you think it's just the video card that's shorted out, or do you think the motherboard, video card, and who knows what else are probably trashed. Do you think it's worth trying to save it? It sure was a damn nice computer before the spill.

Why the hell did I buy one of these? I just wanted to put thermal paste on the cpu is all! I did it, but still. That was a pain in the ass.

Thank you :)

can you tell me where the bluetooth card goes on a 6500, mine doesn't have one so I am trying to install one, also can you replace the original keyboard with a backlit one on the 6500

My second hard drive has a panel over it after I remove the cover?

ok got the screen off now stuclk at middle part

I need a link to buy the secondary adapter to use in a SSD card. But, I don't find It. How its adapter is called?

I've just installed an Ati Firepro 7740m and is working flowless.

Where would I clean if I’m having issues with the keyboard? (Already checked keyboard drivers, software, and replaced with a new one today). Also, you didn’t show how to clean here. What would be best to use?

It is not cleaning but completely dismantling THE LAPTOP, not recommended for everyday users who are not technicians - MOVE AHEAD WITH CAUTION OF NOT ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER

Hi, do you happen to know where can I purchase a new GPU for my Dell Precision m6500? I tried everywere but I can't find it. My current GPU is a Quadro FX 2800M, I wouldn't mind upgrading it to a 3800M as long as I can replace it. Thank you!

Hello, You said the if the display flickers and gets black the video card has problems. I have experienced this problem since september 2013. First i thought that is a driver problem but now the black screen occours more often than ever. Is this a cooling problem or is just a faulty video card and has to be replaced? If i'll have to replace it tempted to buy another video card but not an 3800m. Do you know what video cards are compatible with the mobo on M6500?

Let me ask you about the second hard drive, what kind of hard drive it is?? can you give me a link of this kind of disk. I see it has another way of being conected... you pulli it upwards insted of doing backwards like the primary Sata! Thanks!!

Do i have the only 6500 with screws holding the keyboard from the bottom?

I have one of these. When I am working for maybe 10-15 min. the screen will go black. If I do a hard shutdown it will come back but this keeps happening. Do you think that it is the video card? I have never taken one of these apart before.

How did you get it red?. I have the same computer.

16gb no problem the M6500 will hold 32gb

Any one tell me what is problem?

thx bro

Hello all, I have a Dell Precision M6500 with that well-known faulty video card Quadro Fx 3800M. It does BSOD when browsing, streaming, cad working when it's connected to the charger. I intend to change this crap video card with Ati firepro M7740 or M7820. The biggest question is if it's compatible with my machine? This is a printscreen from CPUZ oi58.tinypic.com/zx31ci.jpg Thank you in advance for your answer!

can i upgrade the processor to a I7

and who is that

The average joe was never meant to work on these laptops. Manufacturers would prefer you let them work on it. Yes, it costs more, but they can control the experience that way. It's just the way it is. Calling it the "worst designed laptop ever" is a bit emotional, the smaller laptops are much harder to work on. This really is a masterfully designed laptop and as close as Dell gets to Apple fit and finish in my opinion.

I know a dude you know.. how wack is dat? btw you really need to clean his m6500 fo realz

Doing all this for the average joe is ridiculous! This is the worst designed laptop ever..

You've got to be kidding. This rubbish laptop, I bought 3 of them for nearly £6,000 in 2010 and it was a total loss. All did not last 2 years. Poor support from Dell UK. The replacements I got from another manufacturer were cheaper and problem free.It runs horribly on all video cards, crash, freeze system. Cannot even watch a decent movies on 1 without it crashing. No HDMI. Vga output poor quality. Selling cheap on ebay now, but even if you pay £250 now, thats £250 you can kiss goodbye.

i bought a replacement speaker bar. that goes on the cover under the keyboard? do i NEED to take off the screen to replace it?