replacing lcd Panels on new laptops? is it possible?

[AzNPinkTuv]

I recently finished replaced the LCD screen on my e6400 latitude with a manufacturer replacement and this got me thinking.

Alot of the new 14" and 14.1" laptops coming out are at a lower resolution than mine (I have the 1440x900 widescreen LED). Furthermore, my desktop uses a 1920x1200 screen and I've grown to love the resolution and can't really use anything less now because of my heavy uses in excel

If I bought a Lenovo Y470/460 series laptop for example or similar laptops with optimus in the 14/14.1" size(looking at it because of the price/weight/performance/size) with the crappier screen, whats stopping me from replacing the panel with something found in a older laptop such as my Latitude or the T420 by lenovo or the EA Vaio series?

When I took this laptop completely apart and pieced it back together, the screen connectors didn't seem to be anything special and they plugged directly into the back of the LCD panel. Now i understand the backlighting differences with CFL and LED but since the Lenovo uses an LED backlight just like my Latitude for example, and they are both the same size, would this be feasible?

Thanks

 

[corkyg]

Not a wonderful idea. You would also have to replace the display chips on the mobo that drive a specific screen. Why not just buy a Lenovo with 1920x1080 to start with?

 

[AzNPinkTuv]

Because these stupid firms keep offering lowass resolutions for everything under 17". Not to beat a dead horse but 13x7 is just not enough screen space. I barely have enough room with the 14x9 I use on my lattitude.

could you elaborate a little bit more on what you mean by replacing the display chips? Per everything I saw, it was just that there were a few different types of connectors on the market, depending on the manufacturer choice?

 

[corkyg]

Many laptops have the video controller soldered on to the main board. Some have a discrete module or daughter board.

BTW - you can always use your 1920x1200 monitor connected to the laptop. And the Lenovo T520 15.6-in can be had with 1920x1080.

 

[AzNPinkTuv]

you're talking about the GPU right? I know that they are soldered onto the motherboards and are unreplaceable. But I'm failing to see how any changes in the videocard either dedicated or integrated would affect compatibility with any given lcd screen. The video card drivers should take care of that right?

The entire point of this post is I want something sub 14" that has a resolution 1440x900 or greater. It has to be portable and usable so 15" and above is out and I'm not carrying a monitor with me.

 

[C1]

Huh? I dont think so.

If that's true then make your 1920 x1200 display 2560x1600.

 

[AzNPinkTuv]

You're talking about desktop monitors. I'm specifically referencing my laptop screens of the same dimensions just different resolutions

Essentially what I'm asking is can I replace 1 14" panel with another thats the same size.

 

[C1]

Upgrade or downgrade of the LCD screen resolution:

In a nutshell - resolution of the replacement screen must be the same as resolution of the screen which is being replaced.

We advise our customers against upgrading or downgrading of the screen resolution. Our company witnessed several cases where as a result of a resolution upgrade customer's video card had ceased to work properly or became completely unresponsive. A video card operates in a similar way to the CPU, the only difference lies in its purpose. Video card is used solely for image processing. Just like CPU, it can be overloaded when connecting to a screen that has a significantly higher capacity, as it will require more processing power. There are exceptions to this rule. There are some customers who have successfully changed their laptop screen resolution while upgrading their screens. It all depends on the brand and capacity of particular video card. Screen manufacturers will sometimes install different resolution screens with the same video card, although, we would strongly recommend against trying this type of an upgrade as there is a chance of damaging video card and the cost of repairs can be as high as replacing an entire motherboard, if the video card is integrated.

See:
http://www.laptopscreen.com/English...lution. Upgrading from CCFL to LED backlight/

 

[Schadenfreude]

While getting more and more elusive, the rarely-witnessed but oft-talked about (true) high definition (1366x768<) screens for smaller (15">) sized laptops do exist.

Per Corky's post, I'd just say go with the T420 with an upgraded screen. You get better specs plus a wonderful screen, a win-win!

If you're stubborn about the "holy grail" of laptop display upgrades, you'll have to do some digging and it's possible, but it's definitely not pretty. I was exploring that option myself on a new (to me) laptop I've acquired, but only because [thread=2169717]I knew that a display upgrade on the laptop make/model was an option to begin with.[/thread] I guess you really, really need to do your homework on whether the display is compatible, the dimensions will fit your display housing/bezel (unless you think duct tape is a fashion statement) and the connections will even fit/be in the correct spot.

Someone else posted a link to an off-forum thread about replacing the laptop display. Again: possible, but not pretty.

If you do decide to go ahead, I humbly ask that you make a thread detailing your adventure (with pics) and your inevitable failure your triumphant victory.

 

[fire400]

Many laptops have the video controller soldered on to the main board. Some have a discrete module or daughter board.

BTW - you can always use your 1920x1200 monitor connected to the laptop. And the Lenovo T520 15.6-in can be had with 1920x1080.

this sums it up.

also replacing lcd's is not that hard.

but voiding warranties might be a problem on newer machines.

 

[AzNPinkTuv]

While getting more and more elusive, the rarely-witnessed but oft-talked about (true) high definition (1366x768<) screens for smaller (15">) sized laptops do exist.

Per Corky's post, I'd just say go with the T420 with an upgraded screen. You get better specs plus a wonderful screen, a win-win!

If you're stubborn about the "holy grail" of laptop display upgrades, you'll have to do some digging and it's possible, but it's definitely not pretty. I was exploring that option myself on a new (to me) laptop I've acquired, but only because [thread=2169717]I knew that a display upgrade on the laptop make/model was an option to begin with.[/thread] I guess you really, really need to do your homework on whether the display is compatible, the dimensions will fit your display housing/bezel (unless you think duct tape is a fashion statement) and the connections will even fit/be in the correct spot.

Someone else posted a link to an off-forum thread about replacing the laptop display. Again: possible, but not pretty.

If you do decide to go ahead, I humbly ask that you make a thread detailing your adventure (with pics) and your inevitable failure your triumphant victory.

This has probably been the better of the responses I've received. I'm going to be looking into detailing my endeavor in replacing the screen.

On the other hand, I just saw the announcement of the LG P330 and If that arrives before Mid Sept, I'm totally jumping on that instead.

 

[Schadenfreude]

. . .

On the other hand, I just saw the announcement of the LG P330 and If that arrives before Mid Sept, I'm totally jumping on that instead.

I saw that announcement as well. But keep in mind that IPS != high-resolution;

. . .offering the sweet nectar of a 1366 x 768 IPS display

 

[AzNPinkTuv]

yea. But at 13.3 its a lot easier to deal with/more acceptable to have a lower res display in my opinion and also the IPS panel would be enough benefit for me to get over the low resolution. Having used an Old Vaio SZ series at 13.3 and having that resolution, it was ok because while i had less real-estate to use, The added portability was a lot greater.

Any idea if those LG p330's are gonna hit Stateside though?

I have never seen any LG laptops being sold, including the P310 which was supposed to have retailed in the US?

Anyone know where I would beable to get my hands on one when it releases in september?

All in all, I'm looking for a 13.3-14.1" laptop that has optimus/ati hybrid, 1440x900 or above resolution or a quality IPS panel. Preferably with an i7-2630 and a gt 550m or above for some gaming possibilities.

 

[Schadenfreude]

. . ..

Any idea if those LG p330's are gonna hit Stateside though?

. . ..

All in all, I'm looking for a 13.3-14.1" laptop that has optimus/ati hybrid, 1440x900 or above resolution or a quality IPS panel. Preferably with an i7-2630 and a gt 550m or above for some gaming possibilities.

What, you don't have a Korean buddy who could hook you up? In all seriousness, it looks like LG hasn't really entered the US market yet, which is a shame. I'd love to see that system making the rounds here (not that it matters in particular to me, since I've got a new XPS :awe.

Anyhow, the T420 has an option for 1600x900 resolution display and discrete graphics. Not exactly what you're looking for as far as specs go, but hey, you can get the base-model for $700, which is smoking hot IMO. Looks like the dGPU option (NVS4200M) is the consumer equivalent of the Geforce 520M, so you're not looking at the upper-echelon stuff here, but it might do.

Just an FYI, I have the standard-model XPS 15 (i5-2410/GT 525M), only upgrade is the display; it plays most games (Left4Dead, Starcraft 2, etc.) just fine on the medium settings. Did you have a particular game or activity that requires a higher-end setup?

If you NEED mid/upper level GPU gaming-on-the go on a 14' form factor with a core-i7 Sandy Bridge CPU, there's also the Alienware M14x, the Sony Vaio S, or the Sony Vaio C.

The next few options may or may not fit what you're looking for, but you may be able to;
- Find a (used) Envy 14 with a 1600x900 radiance display on Ebay or the F/S forums
- Or if you keep your eyes open on the outlet website for vendors (Dell or Lenovo come to mind) you might be able to score a sweet deal.

Once again, this is a general recommendation I've made before and will probably make again: The other systems I've mentioned may be an option for you if you have the money, but if you're looking for a well-rounded 14" system, the T420 is a hard value to beat. More importantly, it may not be a bad idea to wait a few months until AMD's Llano chipsets come out:
- It's no gamer-centric chipset, but it supposedly offers more in terms of graphics capability and it may be a beast when paired up with a dGPU.
- We still have yet to see the laptop makers announce systems using it, they may come out with a sexy piece of kit yet.
- Admittedly, a lot of the speculation is based on hype and it may bomb, horribly so. But the fact of the matter is, if AMD indeed does come out with a blazing hot performer, it means current bleeding-edge is old hat (and their prices changing proportionately so), and there's a new standard-bearer set for all us geeks to drool over. If not, Intel-based products aren't going anywhere and the prices won't really rise; if anything, with the upcoming back-to-school sales and just the hype of the release alone, you might still see some blazing deals showing up soon.