Is there a way to replace your screen with an after marker one?

I was wondering is there a way to replace your laptops screen? Lets say your screen has poor viewing angles or low resolution. Is there a way to buy an after market screen and install it?

 

It might be possible, but I would be very concerns about all the parts working correctly. The inverter design might be different between two notebooks, and the actual interface between the laptop and the LCD screen might be different too.

My gut instinct is to say 'not worth it as you could be wrong and waste money.'

 

true but i thought i heard people doing it. I would love to get a 1920x1200 instead of this 1080p lol

 

1920x1200 is a 16:10 while 1080p is 16:9. That kind of change wouldn't fit 90% of the time

 

true good point...anyways is there a way to change thee screens? atleast with a better quality one? Most laptops come with crappy screens i havee noticed......

 

It is occasionally possible, but as Greg has noted, compatibility can be an issue. In terms of resolution, it is generally only possible to change to a screen that was originally supported by your model. This means that many of the "modern" 16:9 laptops that don't come from the manufacturer in anything other than 1366x768 resolution (*shudder*) are unlikely to be upgradable to anything with a higher resolution. Beyond that, you need to find a compatible screen. Your best bet is probably asking in the owner's lounge of whichever notebook you are looking to upgrade, asking what panels people have. By knowing the exact model panel that is in a notebook, it may be possible to find a compatible, possibly better panel that would also fit.

 

alright thx i'll try that out.

 

It's a different can of nuts, however; when there is varying screen qualities that were available as options on the particular laptop, for example my W700 came with the, yes bright and very good WXGA+ screen but i bought an OEM 1920x1200 high quality, high gamut display off of eBay for only 80 bucks... easy install, was pretty much "bolt on" (as used in the car mod world for something that requires little know how or prep, and literally bolts on).

 

The screen is the most upgraded component on a desktop computer. And yet for laptops the screen is most likely the hardest component of a laptop to change? In today's market, there's not good reason for this. And this is and has been my biggest complaint with laptops manufacturers to date. They continue to "seal" us in with continuously changing components like screens making it extremely difficult to change and never impossible to upgrade. Can you imagine if desktops had been tied to CRTs?

I continue to be an advocate of more modular design in laptops; and until there's more simpler connections for these basic items, you won't see me making much effort to change from what I already have.

Rest assured I won't be buying anymore laptops until that changes--or at least the one that comes closest to giving me that capacity. For now, shame on them!

 

I changed a 17.3 damaged screen on a friend's laptop, an HP dv7
it was doable no easy but doable. It took at least an hour hopefully we didn't have to deal with the whole laptop but just what was above the keyboard.
The screen bought on ebay was a generic one not specific to his laptop
I would say that as long as the screen has at most the same size than your old screen and there isn't some kind of incompatibility in terms of components (connectors, inverter, wire too short..), why not ?
(with a smaller screen you can still DIY something to make it fit)
(a CRT won't fit)

 

In the early days, many desktops _were_ tied to their CRTs. Some of them even had them built in. It took a while before CRTs were truly modularized, although a lot of that had to do with available choices, too. I mean, upgrading your screen wasn't a big priority when half the time, your choice was between an amber or a cyan monochrome monitor.

While I'm not totally against the basic idea, I'm not sure this is a good idea for screens specifically. Screen hinges are already a pretty common weak point in notebooks, so designing a lid that would accommodate a screen that is easy to remove would probably raise the chances of your probably expensive screen falling out and then being bent or smashed beyond usability. Either that, or you'd have an enormous bezel/lid structure, which seems to be highly against the trend of what the market seems to want (Thin and Light! Thin and Light!).

Basically, the closest I can think of to something like what you'd want would be something like the convertible Lenovo IdeaPad U1, which, while it works for such a relatively small screen (11.6"), don't forget that as you scale up to larger screens, the cube-square law makes things get rather more fragile as you upscale.

Oh, and having a separate screen would just be another "accessory" you'd have to carry around and lose.

 

I think it's also for business considerations
designing a way to take off the screen easily cost money (hours spent by the designers ...) and money gain would come most of the time from a small part of the market (people able buy a new screen and change the old one) and would possibly cost money if something goes wrong
and also because selling a new laptop with a new screen like a 3D screen for instance is a way to keep making money
just look at the 200M and 300M series graphics cards from nvidia or the i7 920XM and 940XM from intel
why do you think they didn't sell the 300M series and the i7 940XM right from the start?
it's part of the business

 

The thing is, we aren't sure about this. We really don't know here on notebookreview if all laptop screens of the same size are interchangeable or not. People like to say that it is simply not possible, but that is fibbing. There are some reports of people changing out their screens. I have also opened up lots of Dell 15.6" laptops, and two things surprised me. One was that by swapping the connector, the screens could be swapped between different models (inspiron 15 and studio 15). Two was that there were screens from various manufacturers. I can't say that if you buy a screen of the same dimensions it will work on your laptop, but then again nobody can say that it will not work.

 

Can you explain how you bought this on eBay? any buyers guides?

 

Well I could have said the keyboard. But most computers come with them. The display is your "choice" item.

 

its going to be a hell of a lot easier, cheaper, and faster to just get a new laptop and sell your old one.

 

Oh, ok. But don't most pre-built (eeeww) desktops come with monitors anyway? For my computer pretty much only the monitor and mouse have stayed the most constant through time. And a nice monitor isn't something that gets outdated and replaced as easily as any of the other components though.

If you are upset about your screen, I suggest buying an external monitor for "home base." It will be better than anything that can be crammed into a laptop anyway.

 

You left out significantly more lucrative for the manufacturer.

The instance, the desire to purchase a new car every 4 years. That didn't come out of need. Rather, it was born out of clever marketing and a designed in obsolescence.

At my local electronics store, every desktop computer they sell is priced without the monitor!

I'm not upset about the screen. I'm upset about industries that design products to milk the consumer for every penny he's got for no good reason other than pure greed. There's no mechanical reason that the display has to be "sealed-in" to a notebook to work. Imagine having your car's radio sealed into your dash so that you would have to take it back to the dealer to have it changed. Yet a few decades ago that's exactly how cars were built. It's this type of inane design with their battery that guarantees I'll never buy a Mac.

I don't know about you, but there aren't any appliances around my house that cost over a thousand dollars that I change every two years.

 

How i bought it... i searched for "W700 LCD" or "W700 screen", there's always plenty of (usually) Asian based companies where all they do is re-sell OEM or remanufactured parts for much lower prices, since they have vastly reduced overhead costs, so the part can be priced to a point where it is more in line with how much the product actually cost to produce.

They also usually buy laptop parts in pallets.. not by number of parts! As you know, if you buy in bulk, it's almost always cheaper or discounted than buying individually.

 

You should also offer him the caveat: "let the buyer beware." I think that's an especially appropriate position to have when dealing with many vendors on ebay. Sometimes you can get a great deal from a reputable vendor, other times you get a box of used pinball parts when you ordered a 3-D video console. Take the necessary payment precautions, and trust no one!

 

I disagree with the "no mechanical reason". If notebooks were used like, say, Shuttle PCs only, then yes, I would agree with you. But watch how the average user treats a netbook or 13" notebook. They pick them up, carry them around, tilt them backwards and forwards, and generally subject them to far greater stresses than that car radio sitting in your (stable) dashboard. People are a little less likely to be moving around 17"-plus DTRs, but it still happens fairly often. If you want to continue with a car-like analogy, I'd liken the notebook screen more like a car's windshield than your car radio. I can't imagine you'd want your car windshield not "sealed-in". And replacing a notebook screen is, I think, as easy if not easier than replacing a car windshield. In fact... that might not be a horrible example there. How easy/often is it to change a car windshield with something that isn't essentially the same? We don't need a crusade about notebook screens, we need a crusade against lack of choice in car windshields!

 

No cigar. A car windshield is not an active unit.

 

I don't see how that makes a difference? In fact, it would seem to make an even stronger argument given that as a "passive" unit, a windshield should be even easier to change out and replace given that you don't have to worry about matching active inputs and outputs... but it isn't. Now, I do understand several of the reasons that car windshields are like that (integral load-bearing part of the frame, needs to help seal out the external environment, etc), and I don't think those reasons are too dissimilar to the reasons why a notebook screen might need to be "built-in" (needs to be part of the frame to protect it, needs to be sealed to keep dust and dirt from getting into the works).

However, if you still insist a windshield is not a valid argument, how about the dashboard instrument cluster? Why aren't those all standardized so people can swap them out for their preferred tachometer/speedometer/warning light combination?

 

I'd be extraordinarily surprised if you found a 15.4" 16:10 LCD with the same physical dimensions as a 15.4" 16:9. Not all 15.4" laptop shells are identical.

I swapped LCDs between a Vostro 1500 and Vostro 1510 which was a very similar shell. Even though they were the same physical dimensions, there was some small PCB that required some inventive rearrangement to fit otherwise it slightly bulged the panel below the screen on the Vostro 1510.

I also remember before that at the time I got mine, Vostro 1500s were being sold with 3 different matte 1280x800 LCDs, ranging from ultra-crap (AUO) through to brilliant (LG).

The information you'd need to swap screens etc. isn't readily available, it would basically end up being down to luck unless you find someone who has already done the exact same change you seek to (re model numbers etc).

 

Simple. The display is arguably the fastest changing component in the computer industry at the moment. What's new about windshields?

Have you looked at trucks lately? They have clusters expressly for that purpose. As do some eco-sports cars.

 

New or not, that wasn't the argument. Your argument was that "There's no mechanical reason". My point was that there are several. Additionally, most of those that want to upgrade their screens don't wish to do so because of new technology; most of them want to upgrade to previously existing technology. I venture to say that 75% of the people who would want to upgrade want to upgrade to a higher resolution. Also, given the declining nature of screen quality in general, most people want to upgrade to "old" technology, not new.

I tried looking for what you're describing, and I couldn't seem to find anything. Are you referring to the instrument clusters that are now just LCD screens that you can program what they show? That would sort of solve the issue, yes, but by coming at it sideways, and missing the original point of the comparison, which is the physical removal and replacement (which admittedly the LCD solution solves by rendering that unnecessary). And besides, then what happens if your LCD screens are shaped funny, or at the wrong angle for you to read properly? How easy will those be to swap out?

 

The connectors to the lcd may be interchangeable the inverter may not be and could possibly fry your laptop.

The biggest issue when trying to upgrade your LCD screen is:
1. Does the manufacturer offer other resolutions for screens under your specific model?
2. Does the CCFL lamp use the same voltage as the previous LCD screen, thus not cause comparability or frying problems with the laptop's inverter.
3. Risk of damaging the computer when opening the bezel.

I tried a couple of laptops at work, the LCD's and the inverters were not interchangeable. Reason: not sure.

So basically if the manufacturer offers higher resolution screens, chances are you can upgrade. If they do not, then it's best to let it go because it's a risk and the odds are not in your favor. Better yet just buy a LCD monitor used.

 

I thought the windshield example was spot on. I had to replace a cracked back windshield a few years ago and mechanic could not use a third party part because the connection for the defroster wire did not match up.

 

The same problem that existed with early electrical components like light bulbs. Could you imagine if we had to go through that today? Also consider what a simple device like the cassette did for audio/video tape. Almost overnight a niche industry became common place.

Designing a panel that slides in and out of your laptop can be done with the snap of a finger. Only greed (not technology), is holding these types of innovations back.

 

Well it isnt greed that is for sure.. It's more economics/practicality then anything. Who would hold the patents to the modular screens, who would be allowed to manufacturer those slide/lock mechanisms? Too much mumbo jumbo... Imagine the impact of changing an industry for what? So you can swap between higher res/lower res screens... That seems counter productive to me.. way counter productive. Just buy the laptop with the screen resolution you want. If you can't afford it, buy an external monitor.

Slide in/out screen world:
Omg 1080p 1z t00 much for m3 17" 1 m4st g0 d0wn in r3s0lu1ion
-slides screen out/puts new in- AHHH 800x600... much better

 

It boils down to lack of standards.

Mechanically you would need to come up with standards in regards to the xyz dimensions of each panel size, this standard would need to include mounting. You need to have the cabling defined to be in a specific locations.

Electrically you need to define a standard that would allow the back lighting to be included on the panel; it needs to be robust enough to include both CCLF and LED. The contrast needs to be defined as a single polarity voltage, and the brightness control would need a specific range. All control signals need to be included in the definition.

This is but a few of the issues.

Panels are purchased in such large quantities by the notebook manufactures that the panel manufacturers are more than willing to custom configure the panels, thus no standards.

Unless you could get the big guys like HP, Dell, Asus, Toshiba, Acer, etc.. to agree to such standards it’s just isn’t happening.

 

Screens are already standardized. Only laptop chassis (which change continuously anyway) need be modified.

And anyone else bent on maximizing profit while holding back innovation. GMs leaders also believed in that scenario and paid the price for their lack of vision.

Speaking of GM...again. There was also a time when there cars were designed so backwards you'd' have to pull the trunk liner out and even remove the back seat (on some models) just to change the rear speakers. If that wasn't enough, the package shelf was covered with fabric that had to be replaced and the grill was part of the package shelf the had to be cut away and drilled just to mount a pair of 6X9 speakers. Is that the model you want laptop manufacturers follow?

Thankfully, consumers demanded better and took their money to those companies that responded to their desires.

Speaking of counterproductive models, maybe your HD, RAM and optical reader should be built into the chassis too?

I think that was the argument against higher definition DVDs. If you haven't been keeping track, that "standard" high definition content is now known as blu-ray. Thank goodness, the industry doesn't think like you guys. Otherwise we'd wouldn't even have the laptops to be debating over.

 

I don’t think some level of standardizing (beyond what they are currently) of LCD’s used in laptops would be considered stifling of innovation. For all practical purposes LCD’s are a commodity, and they should be treated as such. (By some sort of standards that in the end reduce costs).

I didn’t know I was a stifler of innovation with my thinking.

Please don’t imply people don’t know what they are talking about, simply because you don’t agree with them.

 

None of you have implied any semblance of knowledge of the subject matter here, because there is a specific standardized interface that no one has mentioned the name of. every laptop uses it. no exceptions.
its called LVDS.
actually every LCD uses it, desktop LCDS have built in converters... which is silly... because every graphics card has the capability to use it if they had the connector.
its actually the native interface of lcds and graphics cards.

i would say that MOST laptop lcds are easily interchangeable with those that share the same aspect ratio, size, and backlight technology. you generally want to keep whatever inverter your laptop already has.

im using a wxga panel from an old gateway on my clevo which was made for wsxga+. the backlight fades with brightness control as it is supposed to with the clevo inverter.
i recently received an alienware area-51 17" lcd and tested it on my dell m1730 with no problems. i used the inverter it came with which actually had the same connector to the motherboard.

just some examples.

i know for a fact that ALL of those screens use the same connector. standard 30-pin.


the problem is with LED backlit screens. they generally use much smaller 40-pin connectors.
But even with that, the 40 pin part isnt the problem, its powering the backlight and finding the right connector... and the fact that most LED panels are now 16:9 but you can always try bending your hinges. its only .2"

I think 40-pin is not necessary, and you just have to align the pinout from 30-pin and leave some gaps.
here is an interesting guide about it:
The WXGA to WUXGA LCD cable mod PT2 - seen here first!

 

My main issue with changing my LCD is that I will get a new one with dead-pixels.

I am still looking for a LG LP171WU3 LCD screen, but I simply can't find one with dead-pixel warranty.

 

Actually LVDS (low voltage differential signaling) is not a standard for displays, it's a form of electronic signaling.

It is not defined as standard for display signaling. Display manufactureres use it because it a good way to drive the electronics signals on displays. Differential signals are very good at canceling noise, thus leaving the the signal integrity intact at the receiving end.

Go take a quick read on the subject.

Low-voltage differential signaling - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Yeah but we always call it the LVDS cable around here. There's nothing else it can refer to. And whoever said it was correct: Most displays use the same 30-pin lvds connector

 

Oh ho, yeah. i've taken a quick little read or two. actually skipped it and went straight to the datasheet there are a lot of specifications of lvds for different uses, but its all very similar. there are different bits, for example cell phones are so low resolution that the lcd takes a small bit and like only 6 pins.

my understanding is that bits generally correlate with pins in some way, but the pins dont necessarily determine this and there are generally a lot of extra pins.
in fact if anyone doesnt believe me, check out some WXGA screen cables. 30-pin connector, but probably only 20 wires.

so the actual LCD does not have a problem receiving lvds signal of less pins than its connector type. furthermore its a graphics card function that figures out whats going on, so IMHO there is not at all a lack of standards. sure it could be better. but theres a LOT going on already to keep everything running compatible and smoothly.

there ARE also completely different standards for that part of it, which is crazy. simple DVI to LVDS adapters you can get on ebay have to be programmed for each LCD they use. Then there are more complex boards out there (not on ebay) that have a protocol for guessing how to drive an LCD correctly. But intel chipset and most laptop graphics cards have this down more than anything else. i think its just simpler. laptops can drive almost any LCD and its just easy for them, because its a native graphics card function.