Add Webcam To Dell Precision 7510/7520

[Dellicious]

I want to buy a manufacturer refurb Dell Precision 7510 or 7520 without a webcam and add one to it. Reason is the ones with webcams available are either priced high due to way more capacity than what I need, or they are the newest slim ones with no LAN ports and generally less rugged. Does it just require installation of the webcam, a cable, and a new bezel, or might it require installation of a new motherboard, a new graphics card, etc. Buying refurbished from Dell's store means you can not find the serial number first and verify before purchase, so I am trying to find if anyone knows about the possibility of doing so with this product line generally.

 

[root]

Hi @Dellicious - welcome to CF.

It would be hard to say without access to the parts list for this machine, but generally speaking the webcam will connect to a header on the mainboard so it should be possible to install one. The mainboards tend to be common across models - as the machines are usually customised after manufacturer for special order, in fact now removing parts can cause machines to cost more.
I generally work on Latitude machines and I expect it will be the same on the Precision line.

With that said, it's a lot of effort for a brand new machine. It might be worth holding out to see if there are refurbed models with the webcam already installed or seeing if other lines feature one - it's more common for a webcam to be included than for not to be. I know for the current Latitude 72xx/73xx and 54xx series there's a webcam by default, which comes with a privacy slider. Last year's models also had one so it might be worth seeing if there are any of these available through the refurb program.

Sorry I can provide a less than clear answer on this one - Dell themselves would be best placed to offer advice, but getting through to someone who knows what you're talking about can be a challenge if you're not spending a fortune with them.

 

[Dellicious]

Yes last time I bought a refurbished unit directly from Dell it had a lot more than they advertised. I wonder if it actually has one but they just didn't have the time to sort them out.

 

[root]

Yes last time I bought a refurbished unit directly from Dell it had a lot more than they advertised. I wonder if it actually has one but they just didn't have the time to sort them out.

It might be worth the punt - I imagine the default build of these machines will have the webcam, then there's an option to remove it when configuring (which might even cost more) for organisations that need it physically removed for any reason, though in a post-covid world I imagine most corporate buyers like having webcams.