The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Just installed a Samsung LTN170WP-L02 (same series as the original panel, but 1680 x 1050). Works perfectly! The install was straighforward and I didn't even break any retaining tabs on the bezel!
Same brightness, same quality, just more "real estate" on the screen. Since it's the same series no inverter issues. Plug-n-play!
Bought it used (it came with a frame from some other laptop).
I installed a 1920 x 1200 in my last laptop and realized after the fact that everything displayed too small. Should have gone with WSXGA+. Learned my lesson and got that resolution this time.
Sorry, no video of the process.
Pull the battery, remove the two screws exposed. Gently pop the multi-media control panel above the keyboard by prying up under the hinge covers.
Normally, I like to completely remove the lid from the base, but there are wires connecting the wi-fi antennae running from the base to the lid and I didn't track them down to remove them.
Pop the round rubber pads around the screen and remove the screws under them. The bezel is loose around the inside perimeter. Gently insert your fingers under the bezel (top or sides first) and gently slide to the "outside" to detach the retaining tabs. There is a magnet in the upper right corner that provides some additional "adhesive" affect. Once the top and sides are free, slide the bezel towards the hinges to detach the last retaining tabs.
There are four screws at the hinges (two per hinge) holding the panel in place. Remove these. Gently (notice a pattern here?) unplug the camera harness from the board at the top of the panel. Lift the panel and set it face down on the keyboard. Peel the camera harness from the panel. Notice a label at the ribbon connector at the top of the panel indicating a locking connector? This is a mis-nomer. The "locking mechanism" is a piece of tape covering the connector and extending over the protective plastic covering the thin board on the panel. Peel the tape from the covering and pull the harness straight down. Unplug the panel from the inverter (two wires in a plastic plug at the hinge area) and the removal is done!
Remove the frame from the panel (two metal strips, four screws per side) and mount them to the new panel. Then reverse the entire process to install the new panel.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
