Does the HP Spectre Notebook (13.3 inch, 2016 model) have a removable wireless LAN card?

[JoshAtie]

I have an HP Spectre Notebook (2016), and I am trying to connect an eGPU to it. I have all the components ready to do so, but I wanted to know if the Wireless LAN card is removable, or soldered. I can't find any information about the device anywhere else, as it isn't a widely used device.

Here is a review of it by the time magazine: https://time.com/4449311/hp-spectre-laptop-review-2016/

(The above is so you can see the exact laptop)

Please tell me if you know anything, Thanks.

 

[Aranarth]

Google for the repair or service manual for the laptop.
It probably does as most still do.

 

[neeyik]

Hewlett Packard have the best support systems of any PC manufacturer, and they provide a service manual for the Spectre x360:

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c04807803

Page 30 documents how to service the WLAN module.

 

[PenguinHugger]

It depends on how far you're willing to go for "removable". It's a separate board which is soldered onto the main board. It's not a traditionally removable card. It's the second most annoying thing about this laptop (which I've had since Feb 2016 and am generally very happy with). The most annoying thing is the embedded RAM, but I digress.

If you _need_ to remove the WLAN card and you're good with a heat gun (or know someone who is), then it's reasonably feasible to do without damaging the device. Be aware though, the WLAN chip also controls the Bluetooth, so you'd be removing both.

 

[Aranarth]

It depends on how far you're willing to go for "removable". It's a separate board which is soldered onto the main board. It's not a traditionally removable card. It's the second most annoying thing about this laptop (which I've had since Feb 2016 and am generally very happy with). The most annoying thing is the embedded RAM, but I digress.

If you _need_ to remove the WLAN card and you're good with a heat gun (or know someone who is), then it's reasonably feasible to do without damaging the device. Be aware though, the WLAN chip also controls the Bluetooth, so you'd be removing both.

Looking at the manual provided, its a separate board that uses a standard edge connector slot. The slot is soldered, the card is not. This is pretty much the same as every business class laptop I've worked on the last 10 years weather is be HP, Dell, or Lenovo.
The only one I can thing of where it might not be is the Lenovo Carbon series.

4GB of Ram is soldered but there is also a sodimm slot which will take a 16gb sodimm.

(Note the wife has this model from late 2019 or early 2020 with a ryzen 4700.)

Very nice laptop.

 

[PenguinHugger]

Well, I opened mine up last night (the first time in years), and it turns out I was absolutely wrong. I remember thinking when I got the laptop that it was disappointing that it was soldered. I also got a NUC with a similar chipset about a month before getting this laptop; that *does* have a soldered wireless card, which may be why I was confused. Anyway, thank you for correcting me.

 

[Aranarth]

No problem at all! I've seen a few of this wireless nics burn out so having them replaceable is nice. PLUS the slot is mostly standardized meaning you can usually upgrade your laptops wifi!