Dell laptops do NOT have a tie in to the BIOS on the hard drive. The OEM install medium will check if the BIOS is a Dell before installing Windows, but that is simply a check.

Dell’s new OptiPlex 7090 Tower and Small Form Factor PC is one of the first available with closed-loop recycled aluminum used in the hard drive.

I'm trying to replace a hard drive in a Dell XPS T500 P3-500 system. The hard drive is mounted in the oddest place. It is placed vertically flat right up against the bottom front of the case.