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September 14th, 2025 01:36
XPS 13 9315 USB-C broken - why replace entire motherboard?
My XPS, acquired in May 2023, has one of the two USB-C ports gone. Suddenly stopped working.
I reached out Dell Support <Private data removed from public view. DELL-Admin>, run the checks and the solution given was to replace THE MOTHERBOARD! And at a cost of 50% of a new notebook! (I'm based outside US)
What alternatives do I have?
Having to switch the power cable and my HDMI/wireless Mouse/Keyboard adapters every 1-2 hours is VERY annoying. (Did I say the blue screen popping up sometimes, also?)
My experience with what I though was a top tier Dell notebook is being very disappointing. The laptop was acquired in the US on May 2023.
Reliability and sustainability are important factors to me - and being said that replacing USB-C isn't an option is very irresponsible from Dell hardware design team.
Does anyone have any idea is there alternatives?
I'm in NY and PA this month.
ejn63
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29.2K Posts
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September 14th, 2025 10:53
The answer depends on the cause and on what services are available in your location. It could be the jack needs to be replaced, but it's more likely the Thunderbolt chip needs replacement. For either you'll need to find a repair shop that can do surface mount rework.
LLAbreu
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September 14th, 2025 18:07
According to Dell Brazil (my location), the motherboard needs to be replaced. No other solution.
Is there any Dell repair shop in NYC that I can take the notebook for repair?
It's amazing that a jack/USB-C port replacement, which should cost a few dollars, results in the entire motherboard becoming junk.
ejn63
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29.2K Posts
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September 14th, 2025 18:22
The problem is that the level of skill and equipment required makes the cost simlar to (and sometimes higher than) a board replacement.
I do not know what;'s available in NYC, but parts-people.com (Texas) does board level repair and specializes in Dell systems.
With anything that's soldered to the system board as the jack(s) is (are), surface mount rework is required. This is not a plug-in component that can be changed in just a few minutes of time. The jack is usually soldered on both sides of a multilayer PC board.
If more than one input jack does not function, it's more likely the Thunderbolt control chip that needs to be replaced. This is a surface mount component that will require the same skill to replace as a jack replacement does.
LLAbreu
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September 14th, 2025 23:49
Thanks for the response.
The most effective solution I got, was a suggestion from AI to buy a Dock station that powers the notebook through USB-C, and Dell virtual assistant gave me two options (a) Dell Universal Dock D6000, Around $129.99, Power Delivery: Up to 65W via USB-C, or
(b) Dell Thunderbolt Dock WD22TB4 Price (US site): Around $279.99 Power Delivery: Up to 130W for Dell systems.
Dell, never again buying a notebook from you.