M11x Stock 11.6" LCD Panel Upgrade

since alienware hasn't (yet) offered up an option themselves, have any brave M11x owners out there attempted an upgrade such as this on their own - is it even a possibility? if so, what improved lcd display did you find compatible?

(not suggesting the stock M11x isn't viable, but rather exploring any future options for 'perfectionists', lol )

 

I would suggest getting a professional calibration done on your current display before trying to replace it. Use a professional company like Avical and not Best Buy.

My display had to be replaced due to dust under the glass on the first one. The replacement had been tested and calibrated and the PQ has doubled on this new one.

If your concern is the hinge issue, I asked the tech when he was replacing the display if he could do anything about it and he looked it over carefully and said that there's a design flaw in the whole case and he couldn't do it. It needs a redesign.

I've basically kept the little cotton keyboard and screen insulator that is sandwiched between the two for shipping and basically just put it back every time I close the unit, until the figure out a fix.

Hope that helps

 

yeah I just got my mx11 and noticed every time I open it there are marks on the screen from the keys! especially bad on the left side but also goes across the whole screen. this is for sure a design flaw and it seems like one that should have easily been fixed with the R2! Also would have loved the SD card slot to go flush into the laptop like my wife's Dell 6410 does, I mean no CD drive meaning most of us will be using jump drives or SD cards, they could have made it flush...

As for the screen and calibration, I have the XRite 2 and it looked HORRIBLE after calibrating with it so I left it at default, it did point out a good brightness level as the 4th highest (3 down from brightest...) I also used the laptop setting when calibrating but like I said it looked bad. I used the same device for my ISP monitor and the calibration came out great... I guess I won't be editing photos on my laptop

 

you can use the built in tools in windows/nvidia to check calibration... for ME this helped a little but the bad part was it steered me toward dimming the screen which worked well for some things but for the most part I prefer it bright.

 

design flaw, huh? perhaps it's a new marketing gimmick for us to buy an extended warranty.

 

If yours looked worse after calibration then something went wrong. Try it again - dark room, screen cleaned. The difference is night and day.

 

Bottom line is calibration will still leave you with the same crappy screen. I would probably have purchased an R2 if there had been a screen upgrade option as it is the only thing about the system that I am not 100 percent happy with. Compared to netbooks, the screen is nice. Compared to real laptops, the screen is crap.

 

Im not unhappy with the screen... a "better" one would have raised the price. To all things there is a downside.

 

I agree that the panel they chose for the M11x is pretty ho-hum, but that has nothing to do with the benefits of calibrating it properly.

 

This thread is not about calibrating your screen properly, its about a possible Panel Upgrade. Something the system could really use....

 

I really think the glossy finish ruins the screen. It has soo much glare. Even if you put a matte screen in there the alienware cover that goes over the screen is glossy. Otherwise perhaps the B116XW02 from Gateway might fight. Also since the alienware head on the M11x is lit by the LCD itself it might be a proprietary LCD so the LED shines through to light the head. It might be a lost cause. Just hook it up to external monitors. I have mine hooked up to 2 - 28" monitors. I even tried those antiglare overlays on my previous M11x R1 and they are horrible. Waste of money don't do it.

 

So had anyone replaced the screen themselves? I'm trying to look around now on the net for replacement panels mainly out of curiosity but it's hard to know which ones will be any good, and would any 11.6" panel fit the M11x?

 

anyone brave enough to try:

11.6 Inch WXGA HD LED LCD screen for Dell Alienware M11X series laptop 16:10 - US$0.00 : pcwith.com


Size 11.6 Inch
Resolution WXGA HD16:9
pixels 1366X768
Surface Finish Matte
Backlight type LED BlackLight
Grade Grade A+ 100% NEW NOT Used !NOT Dead Pixel! NOT SPOT !Tested Fine !
Aspect ratio Wide screen 16:9 cutting ratio
Screen Type Thin Film Transistor (TFT) Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Technology
Fit Models:

Dell Alienware M11X

 

Unless I'm mistaken, you'd still have the glossy protective screen in front of it, right?

 

I upgraded mine to two 24" IPS external monitors.. no problems there.

Edited - Doh! couldn't spell In-Plane Switching (IPS)... thanks @jeremyshaw

You look like more of a man with an IPS monitor. Even if you're just pointing at it.
Twice the man if you have two.

 

*IPS


I have mine hooked up to my Dell U2311H... it's sheer awesomeness, to say the least

As to that listed panel, it's no different from any other m11x panel.

I'm kinda curious if:

Sony Z 13.1" can fit
if it uses the same 40pin connector on the back...

 

Hey guys,

I just got my m11x R2 and gotta say overall this little thing is pretty sweet. However, the LCD seems rather crap with ample light "leakage" at the edges. The colors look washed out as well. I assume this is a TN panel.

Is there anyone who has been able to upgrade the panel to an IPS/*VA panel? I'm used to my NEC AS-IPS desktop display with practically 180 degree visibility and great colors, and I think I will tend to notice the poor quality of the screen on the m11x a lot because of that. It just seems like a panel upgrade would make this the perfect little laptop, especially for gaming.

 

I have tried hard and hell to do so. Unfortuneately, I cannot find and decent 10"-12.1" LED backlit panels with a WSXGA resolution (last one is my own requirement).

Differnce in backlight, apparently, is the 20/40pin connector and pinout.
This is a TN panel.

I've tried hydis (whatever the hyndai screen corp is), Sony/Toshiba (specifically the Sony Z11/12/13's wonderful screen - for a 13.1" laptop), and AUO. However, the 13.1" screen is a wee bit too large . I haven't tried samsung, yet.



Trust me, I am looking hard for a replacement screen, too.

 

I'd love to be able to do this too. Every time I reboot, and see the post screen which is supposed to be black, but is light gray, I cringe.

 

lol, I'd go crazy if I didn't have my u2311h at home to return to...
Mostly to do with eyestrain, though. I don't get eyestrain on just that monitor. Everything else is akin to eye-shanking after a few hours at work.

 

I liked my 20WMGX2 so much that I had to buy another one for a dual setup. I also have a Pioneer 9G plasma, but nothing really compares to that
The "grayness" and the glare on the m11x are a bad combo. I guess I've just been spoiled

So I will search as well ...

 

Please keep this thread in touch

I have crossed off every Hydis display in production/recent existance. Toshiba I am still crawling through. AUO I am also still going through.

Samsung I haven't even started, yet.

 

I think I am going to try and install the BOEHYDIS HV121WX5-100.

It's specs are:
Native Resolution: WXGA 1280x800 (16:10)
Screen Size: 12.1"
Technology: AFFS LED LCD

I know it's only 1280x800 but I'm really going more for image fidelity over any other aspect, and I want more FPS on ma games as well . I've decided not to use the machine for much development.

I think it has the 40pin connector. Is that the same on the m11x?

jeremy, have you checked out this page: TFT display - ThinkWiki? Might find some more options that are close to your stated criteria.

Anyway, I'll post a tutorial with images when I go through the process (assuming I make the right modifications/ get it working). I will, of course, be very careful about keeping the original panel intact in case I need to default to that.

 

Thank you!

A nice Toshiba display

IBM LENOVO X200 X200s 12.1" LTD121EQ3B LED LCD 42T0480 - eBay (item 370384488905 end time Oct-18-10 07:01:27 PDT)

 

I really hope this works out well for you. I'd mod mine for 12.1" 16:10 panel in a heartbeat if someone were to blaze the trail. Document it to the hilt!

 

In particular, I think the LVDS connectors are the same

(for the 1440x900 display )


Now I have to save up... or sell my desktop, lol

 

I haven't seen what you describe... was it like that when it arrived?

 

?? what do you mean?

 

I suggest you take a look here: Once Again, the LCD Fails

But hey, if you are satisfied with the screen and don't detect any of the shortcomings of a TN panel (or don't care), more power to ya. There are definitely better LCD technologies out there.

 

I don't have any problem with the M11x lcd. I only look at it from the front and on a desk, so I've not had a problem but I also did my research before I bought it and knew what I was getting.

 

I knew it (or assumed it because of the price), and I knew I would want to tinker with the m11x, just as I have with every other laptop I've owned.

Anyway, I ordered the panel and am looking into what mods I will need to make to get it installed.

 

I'll be leaning on your shoulders to get this done!

 

I'm hoping the 11.6" MacBook Air rumors are true, Apple is known for using quality displays in their laptops. Here's hoping someone volunteers to be the guinea pig.

 

Another issue is we still have the second glossy layer to deal with.... Most laptops just have the screen out there, we have it under a glossy plastic panel


I get it. I'm gonna cut a hole in the panel. That'll solve all of the issues.

 

Here are the specs of the two panels I am working with from what I have been able to gather:

m11x screen:

Size: 11.6" wide
Resolution: 1366x768 (16:9)
Maker: AU Optronics
Part #: B116XW01
Outline Dimensions (mm): 275 x 170 x 3.6
Interface: 1 ch LVDS
Power: 3.3V
Colors: 262K
Brightness (cd/m2): 200
Viewing Angle (H/V): 90/50
Backlight: LED

new screen:

Size: 12.1" W
Resolution: 1280 x 800 (16:10)
Maker: Hydis
Part #: HV121WX5-100
Outline Dimensions (mm): 276.8x180x6.8
Interface: 1ch LVDS
Power: 3.3V & 12V
Colors: 262K
Brightness (cd/m2): 220
Viewing Cone (L,R,U,D): 89,89,89,89
Backlight: 48 LED
comment: Tablet PC, LED driver included

The thing is, from a preliminary investigation, I might be able to get the new screen to fit with the right case modifications (filing down plastic bits under the panel, cutting the clear plastic cover from the m11x and replacing part of it with the cover from the new screen, for example).

My problem has to do with the LVDS connector. As I don't have much of an electrical engineering background, these kind of things usually confuse me. From what I can tell, the connector on the Hydis screen and the connection from the m11x both have 40 pins (and I would assume both in the same configuration?). However, the connector on the Hydis panel has the pins spaced narrower and as such I am unable to connect the LCD connector from the m11x motherboard.

Would the solution here be to get the proper size connector for the new panel and splice the two cables together?

I have included pictures of the m11x connector (seen from the backside; basically, it's wider than the new panel connector with the pins spaced farther apart) and the connector on the Hydis panel. Hopefully someone can help me out here or let me know if I need to provide more info.

I'm also not really sure what effect the Hydis panel's digitizer will have on what I am trying to do.

m11x connector


Hydis HV121WX5-100

 

Not all LVDS have the same pinout, that's why I am scrambling to find pinouts and documents on the connector on the AUO panel the m11x (I have) has, and the toshiba panel (I'm eyeing) has.

 

Let me know if you manage to find the pinout for the AUO m11x panel. I found the one for the Hydis panel.

 

The 11.6" MacBook Air is out. 1366 x 768, I'd be surprised if it didn't fit, then again there's not a lot of room in that tiny little chassis, so who knows what's going on under the hood. Hopefully the panels will show up on Ebay sometime soon.

 

Anyone know what model panel the Macbook Air uses?

I ended up taking the clear plastic cover off the panel frame. Not something I would recommend for anyone wanting to keep their m11x looking "professional," but since the panel underneath is already glossy, I figured I'd remove that one extra layer.

Oh, and bump since my thread got merged.

 

TechRestore | MacBook Air Matte Screen Replacement

maybe they can sell us just the panel a matte screen!

 

There are two glossy layers to the m11x... the LCD unit itself, and the panel infront of the LCD unit.

 

How do you disassemble the m11x lcd panel?

I've read the service guide on removing the lid but am interested in how i can open the lid to run a wwan aerial?

Any advice mucho appreciated!

 

You start on the very bottom left side working to the right to the Hinge past the hinge to the other side..

Then once that is done.. ( small screwdrivers and a lot of caution .. look for the clips and pry at the clips.. IF you break a retaining clip, you can use double sided tape.( 1mm thick double sided tape )

Once the bottom is open you can pry the side open. I don't recommend using a screwdriver on the side clips just work it or it will leave indents from the screwdriver.

When prying out the screen cover use the screwdriver to hold back the double sided foam under the cover that is adhearing it to the screen.So it doesn't rip.. It can leave the sticky tape part on the one side.. but dont rip so half thickness is on one part and rip to put the other half on to the other part.. this will be bad looking when it is all together and your looking down at your seals threw the plastic. ( Look between the ' glass screen ' and the plastic screen cover your prying off ).
It will seperate keeping a sticky side on the screen cover and another on the screen itself tearing the foam most likely at the tape. Idealy you want to keep both sticky on one part.. but that won't happen. You will end up ruining the seals adheasiveness and purpose to properly seal.. but it will still seat back into position without adheasive keeping out dust if any. ( retaining clips hold it in place )

So try to pry the seal including the sticky off the screen to stay on the screen cover if poss. Because, you are changing the screen glass.. not the cover..

This will be very hard to do. When I did mine, I kept it on the screen glass. it was laying on the back so pulling off the cover and pushind down on the seal was easy. You may want to just buy some double sided 1mm foam and redo the seal completely. This is awkward since you have to put it together with no lint, hair, dust... once you master doing the ' lint free ' you can slip in a screwdriver to remove the other side of the NEW tape already in place and peal closing the side...

Top is last.. removal.

Top is first .. install.

You will understand exactly what I am saying when you do hands on and read this.

So recap.. easy to pry the bottom side first.. work the middle.. about 4 retainer clips in the center.. 2 hinge .. 2 on the side.. If I remember correctly.

Breaking the seal.. Breaking a bottom retainer clip.. = "ALIENWARE" logo not lighting up correctly as the plastic screen cover is the clear plastic letters .. and the illuminated light is on the glass part.. you are seperating them when the clips are broken .. Best to put a thin section of double sided tape 1mm thick ABOVE the " ALIENWARE " lettering.. if below, you will block the light protruding from the bottom upto the " ALIENWARE " lettering. Again, once you see it appart you will totally understand what I am saying.

Good Luck..

Do at your own risk! It is your hands.. your patients.. I am not there.. don't blame me for errors. : )
Hardest part is going to put it back together with no dust in it. Have fun

Be patient............................

 

There's this too.

YouTube - M11X screen fix

 

From my experience, I'd heavily recommend removing the entire screen assembly from the base unit, before taking it apart. There is a natural gap in the bottom that asists in this, and taking it apart while attached to the base unit makes it very likely that you are going to break a few tabs...

 

Any update on this... anyone tried the macbook air screen for compatibility?

 

have any guys out there done the same things? and have you had any positive effects in the long run ?

 

That is the video I went from, but let me tell you, he makes it look FAR easier because he has already gone through the steps mentioned here. I am having the AW logo lighting problem because of the seal breakage, etc Frankly, I think the lighting on the name actually looks cooloer since it is kind of a gradient look, but the three little reflections where the screen meets the bevel ruin the look. Wish I had known this first:

"Breaking the seal.. Breaking a bottom retainer clip.. = "ALIENWARE" logo not lighting up correctly as the plastic screen cover is the clear plastic letters .. and the illuminated light is on the glass part.. you are seperating them when the clips are broken .. Best to put a thin section of double sided tape 1mm thick ABOVE the " ALIENWARE " lettering.. if below, you will block the light protruding from the bottom upto the " ALIENWARE " lettering. Again, once you see it appart you will totally understand what I am saying."

For now I disable the logo lighting, but that is half-#$%.... at some point I will try to effect a tape install.

As the detail instructions above, dust is your enemy here. I have a bit now around the edge despite my best efforts, but it was Xmas day and I had no compressed air on had, nor access to a data-center I could work in that was virtually dust free.

 

This is such good info, you deserve some rep! Wish I had this info first for my field hinge fix.

+1 rep

 

You could get a really good AW external monitor

Sorry for three posts in the thread - my bad