Is it worth replacing my new XGA with SXGA+?

Hello everyone,

I bought a new dell about a month ago specs below. Everything is great and the laptop is phenomenal. My only regret was that I did not order SXGA+ on my dell, well, I didn't have the option really coz I bought it from ebay.

Anyway, after using my laptop for about 2 weeks now, I realized that I really need the SXGA+ because it gives more screen area for university work and I had SXGA on my old presario and it was great .

My question is, does anyone know if I can get this upgrade from dell for a cheap price?

Any suggestions on how to upgrade it without voiding my warranty?

 

It's going to be really expensive to do it now. You have to pay the entire cost of a new LCD instead of just the upgrade, like you would have done when ordering the notebook.

 

Yeah I realize that. Too bid I didn't get the SXGA+ when I bought the laptop.

I've seen a few of those on ebay but I wonder if replacing the screen would void my warranty....

Any other suggestions?

 

I would suppose that it would. You have to enter the chassis and do some serious electronics work on it.

 

I'm pretty sure the replacement screen would not be covered, as well as anything damaged due to installation.

Heres how to do it, http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins6400/en/sm/display.htm#wp1022270, it really doesnt look that bad, just prepare yourself and go slow,though your best bet most likely is to put the computer back on ebay, sell it, then order a machine that suits your needs.

 

I don't think I would have the courage to change the screen on my new laptop. I wouldn't mind installing the screen on a two year or older laptop but for a new one I won't risk it.

Also if i buy one from ebay it'll probably be a crappy brand one which will replace my original dell screen. I will call dell to check to see what their pricing is for this thing.....

 

Changing the screen on an inspiron is really easy. You do not have to take it all apart. Just a few screws and a couple of wires. Dell has a really good manual on doing this.

 

Replacing the screen will more than likely void your warranty. Perhaps the best course of action would be to sell it and buy the one you want. You'll probably take a bit of a loss, but not as much as buying a replacement screen.

 

does anyone know approx how much it would cost to replace my xga with sxga+ so i can decide if its really worth selling this one and perhaps getting a new one with sxga?

 

I say you should call dell up, tell them what you want to do and get a quote as yo how much it would cost to upgrade it through them, if that is what your suggesting, to help your decide if you should upgrade or get a new one. On ebay the screens appear to go for $145.00 to $300.00. The cheaper ones are probably used Inpsiron 6000 (predecessor of the E1505/6400) screens. So anyways the cost would be the cost of the screen plus shipping. That will likely void your warrenty though.

 

I'll call them up tomorow to check their pricing for such a thing. From the prices you listed it doesn't look so good, the supposedly cheaper prices on ebay for the LCD are in the range of $200+ besides it would cost alot of $$ to get the LCD professionally installed (like at BB or FS).

If I had no choice but to go with plan B, which is to sell the laptop, how much would you guys think I should sell it for? I just customized it on the dell website (dell canada) and it gave a price of about CAN $1617 (including tax and all). Now how much should I be asking for mine if the new one costs that much?

 

It will not be possible to upgrade your LCD screen through Dell's normal channels. You will need to call Dell Spare Parts to order the screen. It will be refurbished, have a 90 day warranty, and you will need to install it yourself. Also it will not be covered under your system warranty. That part of the warranty will basically become void. The rest of warranty will be there but the screen part will disappear. I would go with putting the laptop back on ebay then ordering getting a different one to better fit your needs.

 

(E1505)I've never worked on a laptop in my life, But a quick look at the guide and it took me less then 20minutes to do it myself.