Official "swapping the XPS 17 L701x screen" thread

Congrats! Looking forward to when you install it.

 

OK, I started taking some before pictures. Here's my LG panel uncalibrated:





And here it is calibrated:





You can tell by the gray how badly the default settings match real life. Also the contrast improves when the screen is calibrated. This can be seen in the clip from Avatar.

I have these images in larger format if anyone is interested.

I've also made a short videoclip for the viewing angles, but I need to upload that, so I will edit this post later on.

Now I'm going to remove the panel and install the new one

I don't have much time today, so I'm not sure I can do a full review / report right now, but I'll do some quick pics and a few words.

 

yuo are just enjoying torturing us arent you


where did you order from, as im probably going to order as soon as you have reviewed it

 

Muhahahaha (practicing my evil laugh)

It works! I have installed the panel, and it looks great. My first impression is very good (much better than the default LG 900p panel).

I will need to do more testing and I need to calibrate it, but it works now.



I am running the calibration now, and will try to post more details later tonight. I also took some pictures of the Bezel Grip (tm), but I'm not sure if it will be much clearer.

Oh, and I ordered from Studio Technology. I posted the link a while back, and will look it up and post it again.

 

Man! The difference is quite obvious! You really need to tell us how you do your calibration. I really want to make sure I put mine right.

 

I'm using the DataColor software, but it should be possible to load the pre-made profile without the software. I'm still researching that. When I know more I will post it here. Once my review is done, I will also update the first post on the XPS 17 thread, entioning the panels that are known to work, and linking to this thread. So far we have the LG matte 1080p panel, and this AUO panel. Did I miss one?

 

Nope, you have both. You are the second person to change his screen on this thread.

 

Tap! tap! tap! tap! tap! tap!!!!:tongue:

lol

well while im waiting think this is the one im gonna go for but going to call them, then hopefully ill get what ive ordered,

NEW HANNSTAR HSD173PUW1-A00 17.3" FHD SCREEN LED LEFT on eBay (end time 24-Jan-11 18:19:40 GMT)

this was from one of the ones mentioned in the original post

glad im in work till 7am, would hate to be at home with something to do, waiting !!!

 

That was the one I was planning to get too. So do keep us updated.

 

Here are some more images. The quality is bad as I was in a hurry and they're not properly focussed

First of all, the Bezel Grip(trm): with your fingers gently push the bezel outwards (in the plane of the panel and in the direction away from the center of panel). With your thumb, try to get a nail between the outer edge so you can pull from that side. As it was said somewhere before, it is easiest to start at the top and then do the sides. End with the bottom.



And here are some before/after picx from the calibration. I think I have to do it again as it is not perfect yet. Again, I was in too much of a hurry

The basic ColorChecker:




A standard test image:




The same scene from Avatar (which is so much better at its native resolution @1080p)





I will redo the panel-replacement-guide soon and post here.

 

will do ,

i like a few have an upgrade list
screen
memory
SSD

but cannot afford an ssd yet, but might buy a trusty WD black 7200, they arnt ssd speed but thysty little buggers, and cheap, then when i do get an ssd illl bang the HD that come with my xps into atiny caddy i got, for backups etc

memory will be next, but u think theres no point in any of them less im gonna enjoy gaming and films onit, hence 1080P me up baby!

 

Brilliant guide, so thanks

As "a person of a slightly older generation", will a 3rd party shop do these upgrades for me, and what would be a fair [uk] price for a screen change? I used to field strip 286/386's (so much gold compared to nowadays!) with ease, but today's laptops are very fiddly (at least for me) - I'd prefer a 100% perfect swap, done by a hotshot like we see in this thread instead of me potentially snapping 30 out of 36 "bezels" and running into a broken screen casing.

Thanks for the UK links as well - looks like for under £150 you can get a setup that Dell charges >£450 for (well, presuming that a 1080p screen is ever offered for the 701x, which *might* happen when the 702x comes in, you never know - but I doubt they'll charge only £100 for it, given their RAM prices), which is silly.

 

Drooooooooollll!
the screen(s) look fantastic!
I didn't include all the quotes just for the fact it would take two pages...that's funny coming from me!
really even with just the color adjustment for the lowly LG it looks way better. I have been tweaking mine and no where close.
But the new screen...WOW!
lost for words...
Rooster

 

You're welcome!

If you've worked on computers before, I really think you can do this yourself. I'm the type that tries stuff and then breaks it. This time it was different.

As I'm not in or from the UK, I cannot give you any advice regarding prices. A trained technician might do this in less than half a hour. I know I did it in about that time.

Anyway, a proper guide will be her soon, and then you might reconsider.

The difference between with and without calibration is huge. For the colours I really didn't need the new screen. But having worked on it for the past few hours, I already notice the difference in viewing angles. I used to adjust the screen angle every few minutes, but not any more!

 

Excellent job,
just one Q, In the calibration pics is there a piece of sticky tape on the bezel at the top to the right of the web cam ?

 

this is an awesome thread, thanks for your input/time along with earlier peeps

slipping the bezel off is the only thing im quite anxious about,,

 

Yes there is, bonus points for you!

That's where I broke the tabs. I put the tape there so I wouyld not forget and start there, instead of breaking other tabs as well. Worked great!

Don't be, just take it slow and keep in mind that breaking one or two tabs is not a problem. Only when you break 30 of them will you have a problem

 

@Mitchell

Skipping through the thread, it seems you're using pro software to calibrate your screen, but then applying the changes via a simple set of instructions? I know you mentioned it might be possible to port them in direct [without the expensive license] - is this still the case?

If it is, I strongly doubt I have the posting history to give you as much +rep as I'd like to!

Looking forward to the definate guide

 

( he gulps) then that will be time to call dell for a replacement bezel cough cough..

 

You're right. I do use pro software, but that software creates a profile that should be usable in windows without the pro software. I'm still working out the details, and they will go in a post somewhere, once they're known.

Haha! Good luck. But it will not come to that. Just imagine, Dell sends out their hired techs to do exactly this. Just pry off the bezel. It is designed to come off this way. It is probably also designed with so many tabs because statistically a certain percentage will break, and they kept that in mind.

 

In my experience plastics are a lot easier to work with when warm, not hot just a little warm.

It may be advisable to heat the screen bezel a little but leaving it in a hot room for an hour or so, maybe a few feet from a radiator.

Warm plastics are alot less likely to stress fracture and will be slightly more maliable making removing the bezel easier.

Just my tupence worth , but it has worked for me in the past.

A big no no is trying to do it when it's cold, risk of breaking bits increases considerably.

 

For the benefit of those who follow I'd like to hear from you brave souls who have already removed the bezel from their machines...

Does this procedure sound workable? Comments?

Slip a FLEXIBLE putty knife between the screen and the bezel (protecting the screen with a piece of paper or thin plastic) and push the clips outward. Then while gently pushing the clip out of the capture point, lift the bezel away from the back cover.

What say ye?

 

That is sound advice!

I think it might work, as long as the putty knife is thin. You might still want to lift the inner edge of the bezel with your finger(nail)s first though. You don't want any scratches on your screen.

 

I just compared the icc profiles from the LG panel and the AUO panels, and this confirms what my eyes tell me. This AUO panel looks very similar to the RGB panel in my XPS 1645. The AUO panel has a much wider gamut than the LG one. The RGB panel in the M17xR2 is even better, but not by very much:

LG vs AUO vs AdobeRGB:


LG vs. AUO vs M17xR2 (Samsung)


Also, here is a zipfile with my latest profiles for the LG and the AUO panels. Those of you that tried the other profile might try this one.

And finally to activate a profile you might try this little program. It is included with my profiling software, and as they have it available for download on the website, I assume its legal to use it just like that.

Profile Chooser

 

Wow, now I see the difference. That little program helps a lot.

Right now using the LG profile you made. The AUO one has more blue in it.

 

@Mitchell2.24v: Can you comment on "how good" your new AUO screen is? Also, would you mind sharing the cost (plus shipping) on the screen as well?

 

Beautiful, thanks for posting these. That was all i was hoping to see before pulling the trigger finger to order a new screen.

 

The profile for the AUO panel would not yield an improvement on the LG panel, as it has a signigicantly different characteristic. So what you're seeing is correct.

I think my AUO panel is prefect. It has no dead pixels, looks evenly lit, is very sharp, and has practically the same gamut as the RGB panel on my XPS 1645. I dare say this panel is comparable to the RGB panel in the M17xR2 (of which I have had three).

The panel itself was $80, shipping was $75 and there was a bank charge of $30 because of the small order (they usually sell these in pallets instead of per single piece).

I'm glad I could help.

From reading the specs on other panels, I think the gamut on them would be between our LG panel, and the AUO panel I have here. For example the B173HW01 V.0 is a 72% panel (the V.4 is 90%), while the LG ine is 60%. So you should still see an improvement, but just a smaller one. Keep in mind that it might be hard to calibrate the screen without a hardware meter.

 

i tried the LG profile, and downloaded that program you listed but its too pink
i guess its not adjusting correctly

 

Well, every panel is slightly different, and yours might differ too much from mine. Maybe it is from a different batch? Could you post photo's with and without the profile? Preferably with a known image, like the DataColor Test Image, which you can download here.

I know the panels are normally too blue, so you might just need to get used to the new settings.

 

Actually, same here and I now switched back to the default windows settings.

 

I think it is the mind playing tricks, and you should try it for a few days. The default setting is way too blue!

 

Myeah, here is what I have.

Current default setting:



And here is with your LG settings:



I prefer the first one tbh. :/

 

Well eh, how do I set the default profile back?
All the settings in the Windows color management screen do not work, but the tool does not offer a default.

Any idea?

 

Type "color management" in the search of the start menu. It will bring you to the Color Management window. There click on the "Advanced" tab and select the "Calibrate Display" option. Windows will then run you through a series of steps to calibrate the display.

 

The second one is correct. It really takes some getting used to. I'm sure if you use that one for a few days you'll like it better. Or you might try to watch a movie with the new settings. If you have a full screen image it looks less weird than in the context of Windows (the actual Windows on your screen, not the software)

Almost all panels are too blue by default, and we're all used to that, so a properly calibrated screen looks weird at first.

Fortunately you don't need to use the settings. Everything works just fine with the default settings.

 

Okay, I'll give it a test again for a bit and see how it goes.

 

Hi i ve a problem . I bought an AUO from ebay, exctaclty the same model as stated in the first post; the seller send me an LG lgd0285 FHD and his staed that this is better. I did everything fine, and when i boot up the screen when entering in windows login (even archlinux login) stay in black color but lighted up and i can change the brightness. So i removed the nvidia module from arch and set to vesa and it goes up 1280x1024 resolution and i did the same in windpos, removing sall nvidia drivers and reboot. So, with the standard vga it boots up, in windows and in linx also and i can use the pc, but with a 1280*1024 resolution. If i use the nvidia driver, the last from laptop2video with modded inf, i can use the pc with hdmi monitor attached and i see that my laptop screen stay in black but i can chenge the resolution, and it goes uf 1920*1080. So, how i can solve? i have to order back the AUO?? thanks in advance and much apprecieted your answear

 

This is insulting. You should file a complaint to ebay to get your money back and give him negative feedback. You should be entitled to received whatever you paid for and he can't just send you anything that he stated "better." I would say get your money back

 

yes you have reason, but is ti incompatible ir not? i mean, if i install nvdia drivers i have black screen with usable brighness but no images; otherwise with vesa/vga windows driver and also linux it works... is there a workaround or not?

I trie everything with the external monitor, but not working. now i'm downloading dell nvidia drivers to try. In your opinion it will work if i make a complete format or not?

 

Sounds like there might be a problem with the driver, as the screen works with the VGA driver. Try using the last Dell display driver to see if it fixes it.

As for getting another screen than what you ordered, I would raise a stink. You are entitled to get what you ordered and not a screen that they claim is better.

 

Did you reconnect the wide connector on the rear properly? Maybe it is connected, but not ceompletely, so it can use VGA mode, but in a higher resolution it fails?

When you install the nVidia drivers (use clean mode) does the driver show the 1920x1080 resolution for the laptop panel? If it does, then the hardware is correctly identified and the panel might be defective. But also check the connector at the rear. It really needs to 'snap' into place.



I reconnected the connector by sliding it in place, and than pulling on the plastic sticky tape, to force it back in place.

Also, what is the type number on the back of the panel? I cannot find specs for LGD0285. Mine says MONITOR\AUO149D, but it is a B173HW01 V.4, so to look up the specs (and verify compatability) we need the number on the back of your panel, Probably something like LP173W??-TL??

If the screen is 17.3", LED backlit and the connector is in the lower left corner, it should work. I don't think your panel is incompatible.

 

yes i did everything well, no way. Infact, now i have the old panel and it works as previous. So the final sentence is:
maybe my model is not compatible with the nvidia card driver because everycable was in place RIGHT. Now i'm going back to ebay and check the situation, as i would have the AUO panel that is confirmed to work, instead of one better

the number is :

LP173WF1
(TL)(C1)

and windows says the ...85 driver generic. that's all!

 

OK I don't want to offend you, just making sure everything is correct.

Could you mention the model name on the white sticker at the back of the panel? This was we can create a 'database' of panels that do and ones that do not work.

Thanks

 

No problem i took as no OFFENCE...just a little bit nervous for incompetence of people who sell ..

i'll try to reorder the AUO as stated in the first post...but have you a better place where to take this screen??

thanks

 

OK, I understand.

I ordered mine from Studio Technology in Taiwan

The panels are cheaper than eBay, but shipping and other costs make the total price higher than eBay, but you do get what you order!

 

How do we order from this place? It does not seem to provide any payment method (credit card, paypal, etc...)....please advise

 

I simply transfered the money from my bank to theirs.

 

in your opinion why this panel doesn't work? (assuming that i did replacement work at best without any problems)?

 

It is hard to say, but I think the panel might be defective, or there might be a problem in the software installation for the driver.

You should download the 266.44 driver that is mentioned in this post in the Driver thread. Then install it and choose the option to remove all previous nVidia drivers.

Then it should work. If it doesn't you could try to boot with your external monitor, and try to see what the highest resolution Windows will show for the panel. If it at least shows 1920x1080 I think the panel is defective.

I am not 100% sure on this procedure, but from reading the specs for your panel I think it should be compatible.

This is definately not a better panel though. You can compare the specs in these two documents:

LG LP173WF1-TL-C1

AUO B173HW01 V.4

The LG has much narrower viewing angles, and also a smaller colour gamut (72% vs 90%). So you might contact the seller and let them know this panel is not better (and it doesn't even work).