Dell XPS L501x LCD Display Swap

Hey guys, thank you so! much for all the great info.

I'm here in the states and getting ready to upgrade my screen. Wish I had found this site before I bought my laptop, definitely would've gotten the upgrade then. Oh well.

As a side-note, nobody has state-side bundles right?

 

Hey everyone just a quick question probably been covered but i can't seem to find it will the AUO B156HW01 V.4 swap be compatable with the XPS 15 L50 2x laptops? not just the L50 1x?
thanks in advance for any help.
cheers shaun.

 

Has there been a compiled list of where to get 1080p screens wether LG or AUO brand? So far I've seen barlow00, and MythLogic.

I dropped my L501x w/ FHD 1080p and the screen went kaput. I don't really watch movies or do any intense photoshop, I just work on the laptop a lot and appreciate the real estate and quality of the screen. Any recommendations? Also, is the original screen that came with my XPS the B156HW01 V.0?

 

Your original screen can be one of several models. It depends which stock Dell had available at the time of manufacture. Although the V.0 does appear to be the most common installed, along with a LG panel.

 

Yes, it's completely compatible. I've tested this myself.

 

Thanks,
Just another quick one. Is there any difference between the B156HW01 V.4 and the B156HW01 V.3?

 

Yes, the screen specs (colour gamut/refresh etc) will be slightly different. I don't have a spec for the V3 but I know V4 has the richest colours from the B156HW01 range of screens.

 

I think the V3 is less bright. It's the one being used in the HP DV6t Quad Edition as far as I know.

 

Does anyone have a extra cable left for this upgrade that they want to sell? I tried calling dell and I was told that they where out of stock.

When I purchased my L501X my wife gave me a max budget of $700 and under the outlet a 1080p screen did not fit under the budget. This was the first laptop I have purchased for years because my work always provided them to me until I changed jobs recently. I miss my old M4400 with the 1080p RGBLED screen. I was checking on ebay and found this screen
LAPTOP LCD SCREEN FOR DELL XPS L501X 15.6 Full-HD | eBay
Is this the RGBLED screen or is it just a plan TFT non fancy screen? If its a non RGBLED can I change mine out without needing the cable? I would like the RGBLED but the hassle may not be worth it and I miss the higher res more.

I have one other question, how much is the total upgrading costing?

 

I have an extra cable I'll sell for $20 shipped. Same as Dell. They sent me an extra one by accident. If you don't have a FHD screen now and just the 720p screen, you'll need a new cable.

A lot of people selling screens for the XPS 15 are just compatible, Look for AOU 156HW01 v.4 (usually matte) and AUO 156HW01 v.7 (stock glossy). But they will even use these names and be very vague about what you are buying. Make sure it is genuine before you buy and not a replacement.

 

I guess I can't send you a PM but I want the cable. Is paypal fine? Go ahead and send me a email at acaaew at yahoo dot com. Also do you think that screen is fine and if not where can I get one?

 

I couldn't PM you too, I tried first. I'll email you in a sec. I would say that screen is not what you want. I'll email some suggestions.

 

Kizh is right....make sure you ask for the exact part before you buy as you will 9/10 get a compatible screen.

 

I got the cable from kizh the other day and I just ordered my new LCD last night. I went with the AOU 156HW01 v.4 and I can't wait for it to get here. I ordered it from NBKIT and I was told it was matte but I don't really care. I tried getting the screen from ebay first but all the buyers told me it was the LG screen.

 

I am still after one of these B156HW01 v.4 matte screens - anyone know where I can get them from? Or can someone suggest an alternative that is as good? Thanks

 

Well I got my order from NBKit and its the LG screen. This pisses me off considering they are advertise its a B156HW01 v.4 matte. I should have expected it for the price but I was hopping. I went ahead and installed it and I am still happy. This is 10 times the screen that came with the laptop. Its nice and bright and I love having the real estate. I hate low res screens specially the super low one that came with my laptop. No matter what I am happy but I do miss that RGBLED screen from my old M4400.

Also thanks kizh for hooking me up with the cable. It of course worked great and this upgrade would have never been possible without it.

 

glad to help with the cable, I'm sorry I referred you to NBKit, I guess they changed what they ship out since I got mine. They sent me a glossy v.4 which I thought didn't exist, i was a little mad but the shipping makes returns to china not really worth it. Especially since they don't seem to refund it in either direction.

I would keep looking, and maybe sell the LG at a slight loss on ebay. I'd consider talking to your credit card company and just have them reverse charges for false advertising. If they want it back they can send you the money

since you wanted glossy, you can get the stock b156hw01 v.7 FHD screen at Brinvo.com. It was out of stock last time we talked, but seem to have them again. around $170 shipped. I think they are legit, they had a photo of it last time, but maybe you would want to confirm before buying.

I'm sorry about NBkit, I'm going to go through some old posts and warn people about them.

 

So I just found this thread and have read a few pages and think I have a good understanding. I have a l501x non-HD laptop. It seems that I will need a new HD cable and that people generally don't like the LG screens, though I'm not sure why.

I suppose I would really prefer a matte screen and it appears I would need a AOU 156HW01 v.4. I am in the US, where is the cheapest/best place to buy this (without getting stuck with a compatible screen)? Also, any recommendations on where to get the cable? Listings on eBay are asking $45, which feels kind of steep.

Thanks in advance!

 

the best place to buy the matte 156HW01 V.4 is from barlow00 in my opinion, he knows what matte means. The only problem is stock is sporadic. His website is kuzotronic.com

 

He's overpriced.

 

So who do you recommend?

 

Cheaper than buying through Dell

 

I got my screen directly from China for less than £100. Genuine AUO B156HW01 v4.

Get in touch with someone from shenzhen Arose Kingsales Technology co.LTD - I was dealing with Mandy Liu she was extremely helpful. They accept Western Union as a method of payment and ship with DHL providing you with the tracking number.

Don't forget you also need the ribbon cable, at the time of purchase Aroseks.com did not have any in stock.

 

I bought mine from China too. Took take a gamble, ended up losing. Got a glossy v.4 somehow. Now they are advertising the same matte v.4 panel but sending out LG replacement screens

I think I saw you post before, I tried to go to the link but it led to the ISP page and I thought they were out of business. Its working fine now.

Can you tell me how much you paid including shipping and the Western Union fee? They don't list in in stock. I don't know if I should get another panel and sell this one, or get this one re-polarized in the US for $100 when I have some money saved. Also, how long has it been since you purchased? These are getting harder to find.

Western Union has some steep fees. $14 just for a transaction on $150. I don't think you don't have any recourse if something goes wrong like you would with credit card protection.

Kuzotronic charges a premium but you know what you are getting in plain English with an industry standard payment system.

I tried to go cheap, Barlow was out of stock anyways. But if I had to do it again I might have waited a little and paid the extra money.

Hopefully people will chime in and report success using your supplier to make it feel more solid.

edit: I just fired off an email to Mandy, I let you guys know what she says on price and availability.

 

I paid 130USD end of April including shipping to UK. Compared to 150GBP (circa 235USD) that kuzotronic charges I guess I got myself a bargain.

 

Definitely a bargain. Thanks for replying.

I could probably just sell this screen, and come out ahead rather than getting re-polarized. Just a little afraid of getting burned again.

 

You did get yourself a bargain with your V4 but in my defence, I would just like to add that you didn't pay UK duty/VAT on your transaction as I do when I import screens as a business. Add to this the cost of operating my site and you will understand that the costs soon add up and i cannot sell a screen for £90.

I haven't received any complaints thus far from previous customers and everyone seems happy with the service and quality of products they receive from us.

 

I don't think its fair you have to pay VAT when importing as a seller. It should be at the point of final sale, and not at all if to people outside the EU. Maybe its a bit different in the states, but you get a resellers license and have to give a number when you buy stock, then they collect the tax from the customer.

I don't know enough about it, do EU users have to pay a second VAT? If not I can see your panels being more attractive to Europeans.

 

also, I like that you seem to know the quality of what you sell, I've seen you discount ones with defective pixels and charge a little more for A+. If I spoke Chinese maybe I could get the same level of service from these Chinese sites, but I don't so having an English business is a perk.

If I could get a panel for $130 shipped with some kind of pixel guarantee from aroseks.com (sounds like a service for the mile high club), I'm afraid I will have to go that route though. Hopefully someone who prefers glossy here wouldn't mind buying my old panel. Been thinking of selling my original LG panel as well that came with the laptop but I don't know who would want such a small rez from a 15" laptop. Could probably dump it on ebay.

 

VAT is paid on purchased items (input VAT) and added back on when these items are sold (output VAT). Therefore if a business is registered for VAT, they do not in effect pay anything and only the person at the end of the chain will pay for their goods with VAT. The problem is, I am a small business and I am not registered for VAT, therefore cannot charge this on my items, so I have to pick up the cost myself, which reduces the profit-line.

I am considering registering myself but this is still a hobby for me and the VAT administration means a lot of red tape.

In its favour, it's the most efficient tax system in the world as it costs less than 1% to administer (as businesses in effect do all the work) and the Government take a slice at each point in the chain. Crafty hey!!!!

I'm not sure how it compares to the US system but I know we pay circa 20% (depending on the EU country) and I am guessing it's more like 6% for you guys with sales tax (sweet!!!!).

Cheers
Lee

 

I agree with the people that say barlow00 is reliable and you do get what you pay for. Remember, there is value placed on customer support and peace of mind.

With that said, Studio Tech emailed me this morning and they have the B156HW01 v.4 (and the 17.3" B173HW01 v.4) screens back in stock if you want to deal with Taiwan directly.

Scott

 

PS. Thank you very much.....yes, if we get any defective panels, we always offer them cheaper and clearly state what issues are present. It's better to be transparent as some people like a bargain and are happy with 1 pixel issue if it means they get an awesome screen.

 

Cheers Scott....I go out of my way here to make sure everyone leaves happy and have lost a considerable amount of £/$ on some transactions to make sure people get what they want.

I would like to ask that people be careful with studio tech as I used to use them as a supplier and they did me over with a batch of defective screens which they later refused to refund on. Grrr!!! $500 down the drain. Also, if you want pixel perfect screens from them you need to ask for a guarantee and also pay more for them to check it for you.

Just a word of warning from experience...don't let it put you off however if you are keen to find a bargain screen. I haven't used Studio Tech for 3 months now and only sell Grade A+ as you may have noticed with the lower stock levels (it's much harder to find perfect screens).

Thanks all

 

it varies, its like 8% in California, and Oregon where I used to live has 0 sales tax. I think Wisconson doesn't collect sales tax too.

in the end people end up paying as much or more depending on income brackets in the end through state and federal taxes. Some states like Washington don't charge a state tax.

So its a little more complicated, but I so wish we had a VAT here. The only flaw I see in it is the 20% might be spare change to someone well off, but if you are barely making ends meet it could be a large chunk of disposable income. What do you need a laptop if you are poor anyways most would probably say. Its not my fault I was addicted to tech hardware and poor

Amazon.com is a lifesaver, but I have a feeling no tax on purchases over the internet (when the company has no presence in your state) will be a closed loophole eventually. It dates back to a mail order law.

Closest thing I have seen that may work is Americans For Fair Taxation: Americans For Fair Taxation I'm not sure if its bi-partison.

 

You wouldn't believe how many taxes we pay in the EU. Here is a list of UK taxes that affect me:

Income tax (on salary) 22% (40% if more than £40k earned per year)
National Insurance (for social healthcare/pension) Circa 8%
Council Tax (Local Government defined) £1,300 per year.
Car Tax (to allow my 2001 BMW on the road) £215 per year.
BBC TV Licence (Tax for commercial free TV) £150 per year.
VAT/Import Duty 20%/14% respectively


A pack of 20 Marlboro Red cigarettes in the UK cost around £7.00 now and something like 80% of that is Duty!!!!

I have just been to Gibraltar for the weekend as it's duty free there (British overseas territory/ex-colony) and you can get 200 Marlboro Red cigarettes for £18.00 or 5x 50g Golden Virginia pouches for £13.00!!!

I realise I have digressed slightly and this post has nothing to do with IT....but I hope it has been enlightening

 

It is enlightening, I suppose with all the revenue that you don't have local and country governements going bankrupt like we do in the United States?

And everyone gets healthcare, and possibly a place to live if on the down and outs? Not sure about the last one, I just remembering reading that housing was provided to people in need in the UK.

I don't think anyone wants to pay for someone else's free lunch but strong social services and accessible education makes a country stronger.

Do they outsource call centers and manufacturing jobs there as bad as they do here? I blame Nafta and the WTO mainly though (trying to not bring political parties into the discussion on purpose out of respect of others). Can't compete with slave labor and lack of environmental regulation.

I use swedish snus here, there's some local warehouses that sell it now mail order. Without having to pay state sales tax, but a 20% tobacco tax its not too bad. Used to be a lot cheaper before they started collecting tax. I could order from Northerner in Sweden and pay less for a can then they would in their own country.

Sorry to get so off topic as well

 

The UK Government are also in debt but we are now on a path towards solvency which should take around 5 years, fingers-crossed.

The UK National Health Service (NHS - Social Healthcare) is the saving grace really. We take the stance that everybody (no matter how poor) deserves the chance to be healthy, so if you get ill you never pay for your treatment (unless you opt for private care). Also pharmaceuticals are subsidised so we pay like $11 for a prescription and that can have 10 different drugs and you get them all for the $11. I know this is extremely good and the reason the UK, like the US, also gets a flood of immigrants. Michael Moore did a documentary/movie on healthcare which is worth a watch if you want to compare. The French Healthcare system is also a world leader.


The same with cigarettes here....we make some premium European brands (Benson & Hedges/Silk Cut/Regal/Lambert & Butler) and you can buy them cheaper in other countries than you can here. BIZARRE!!!!

As for social housing, yes, you can rent a 'council house' but the waiting lists are long and the system is points-based, so you need to be a single parent or homeless to get a chance of bagging one quickly.

IN THE NEXT EDITION OF WORLD NEWS: How to marry a Prince, by Kate Middleton.

 

I've been e-mailing with Mandy, looks like its going to be $85 + shipping which seems like a damn good deal. Its only grade A, but guaranteed no dead pixels. I am awaiting the next step to have shipping calculated and instructions for payment. Crossing my fingers here.

With all the fake AUO B156HW01 v4 floating on ebay, makes me want to buy 5 and make a few dollars. I'll see how the quality is on one first. What I don't understand is why places like screencountry don't buy the real thing, instead of replacements at this price. Its really just hard to find a supplier, or that places don't want to deal with less than A+?

 

Hey Kizh,

One reason is that Grade A+ panels are actually rare....it's standard accepted practice that screens may have a few stuck pixels (which if you think in a screen of 2 million+ is not too many. There is even an industtry recognised ISO on this...even Wikipedia comments on this). Also, companies like Dell/HP/Sony buy all the flawless screens and then the grade A screens make it to the 3rd party market.

It took me ages to find a reliable supplier of Grade A+ B156HW01 V4 and they cost me a lot more than the grade A screens did, hence the price in the store. But we never get any complaints and our feedback speaks for itself.

However, you may get lucky (and I hope you do) so please make sure you share your findings. I may have to buy some myself at that price! Ha ha.

Best
Lee

 

sure Lee, I'll keep everyone posted.

I did read up on that wikipedia page before.
ISO 13406-2 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

it doesn't say A or A+ though, they seem to do a different ranking.

She did give a 30 day guarantee no dead pixels (I should have asked, but I'm hoping no hot pixels too). The shipping back and forth to China makes guarantees kind of worthless though, it can make up a large portion of the total panel cost. At least when buying one at a time. I can see when acting as a reseller, most the panels may be fine, but just one bad one cuts into your profits easily.

 

Just wanted to comment on this, that movie was amazing. I did see it when it came out. "Sicko" right? When they were trying to boat it to Guantanamo Bay to get the same healthcare as the inmates I thought it was hilarious. Then they end up in Cuba, and Cuba took care of them pretty well. Hell, even Hugo Chavez flew to Cuba for medical attention recently.

I saw how doctors in the UK make less, but still can afford luxury. They didn't seem too unhappy about it. I also saw how they even pay for your bus ticket when you have to go to the hospital, which I thought was surreal. You'd never see anything like that here.

 

I've also been emailing with Mandy and have the same price and guarantee quoted. At that price I think it's worth the gamble. I was also thinking of buying a bunch and reselling on ebay

I'd like to thank everyone here for being so helpful and knowledgeable... especially barlow00.

I'll be sure to come back and update everyone on the screen and my experience.

 

Cheers mate....anytime...but 'rep' points make me even more happy

 

Hey Barlow00,
When do you think you will have the FHD Ribbon Cable (Dell V73D3) in stock next?
Cheers Shaun.

 

wow. $85 for the panel, $69 shipping. Are they sending it yesterday air?

I was getting excited too.

$154 + money wire fees is a bit more than I was willing to spend. I was expecting $120 total or so.

 

Hmm, I believe the total was $129 plus wire fees from my bank. Not cheap, but I suppose if I ordered a few panels the shipping would be less significant. Either way, it sort of is what it is if you want this panel at a decent price.

 

Just dropped in the B156HW01 v4 into my L502x today. I got it from Mr. Barlow @ Kuzotronic.com

I could not be happier. Flawless panel. I now have the UK Backlit keyboard & the screen I want. If anyone wants a worry free upgrade then get onto Barlow / Kuzotronic.

Thanks to everyone for all the info in this thread too. You all made it very straight forward.

 

Thanks Kevin and glad you are happy with your panel.

As I mentioned before, we are not the cheapest out there (nor the most expensive) but we do try to make sure everybody leaves happy.

Have a nice day all.

PS. I just bought a 256gb crucial M4 SSD....it was pure impulse buy...and it cost me £300 (ouch!), but I can't wait to get it into my L702x 3D tonight.

 

let us know how it works out, screen quality and all. At $150 I almost rather spend ~$100 more for an A+ panel with no risk from Lee. Or at least just get mine re-polarized matte for $100.

guess west coast costs a bit more from where you are. I asked if they had cheaper shipping options almost 2 days ago, no reply. The last panel I bought from china was $25 shipping. I don't think they were subsidizing it with higher prices, but I could be wrong. $70 to ship a $85 panel just seems ludicrous to me.

 

can some one confirm that the [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] from the taiwan store really works? the 3 are full, anyone knows another way to make contact with them?