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    do new laptops still have inverters?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by naton, Nov 5, 2011.

  1. naton

    naton Notebook Virtuoso

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    Long strory short, I had the chance yesterday to take apart (completely apart) two laptops with a 15.6" screen. This is the first time I took apart a laptop which has a screen format of 16:9. Compared to laptops with a 16:10 format screen I've noticed 2 things. The circuit board on the 16:9 screens is located at the bottom, and their is no inverter attached to the screen.

    Is what I discribed above true for all modern laptops? or is it specific to laptops with LED screens?

    How would I know without taking a laptop apart if the screen is an LED one?

    thanks
     
  2. ramgen

    ramgen -- Morgan Stanley --

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    LED screens don't have inverters of course.

    Read the model no of the LCD from a hardware tool (i.e. Everest) and search for it on the web. For example this is what it says for my monitor under the Display/Monitor tab:

    Monitor Name: Chi Mei N141C3-L02


    --
     
  3. cdoublejj

    cdoublejj Notebook Deity

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    At work we once called DELL about a new LED and every single rep told us that the screen was dim because of the inverter. fairly sure the DC driver is built in to the motherboard. what help they were.
     
  4. jeremyshaw

    jeremyshaw Big time Idiot

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    Inverters are for CCFL only, and are normally in the display section of the laptop. Either above the hinge, or right on the backside of the panel.

    LED usually are directly DC driven, with a PWM to control the brightness.
     
  5. cdoublejj

    cdoublejj Notebook Deity

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    witch means new motherboard in some cases. Wich is retarded, utterly unacceptable.
     
  6. naton

    naton Notebook Virtuoso

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    Hi guys
    Thanks for informing me that LED screens don't use inverters.

    In old screen the backlight was located on the bottom of the screen. Where are the LEDs in the new screen? Are they on the top?

    Are all new screens (made let's in the last year) LED based?

    Thanks.
     
  7. qhn

    qhn Notebook User

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    Not necessarily, it all depends on demand from notebook manufacturers, so check the specs closely before buying

    cheers ...
     
  8. naton

    naton Notebook Virtuoso

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    Thanks guys. Now I feel that I'm up to date :)
     
  9. naton

    naton Notebook Virtuoso

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    Thanks guys. Now I feel that I'm up to date :)
     
  10. Meaker@Sager

    Meaker@Sager Company Representative

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    The much MUCH lower voltage DC drivers are far more reliable.

    The main reason that the old ones were on different boards was to reduce the length of the high voltage cable between the inverter and display since the voltage drop and losses on it would be quite high.
     
  11. cdoublejj

    cdoublejj Notebook Deity

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    we have one dell model at work laying in parts and now dead i did some looking on ebay and seems the mobos have driver built in. and it cost several hundred dollars what a waste of some i5 win 7 machine.

    don't see whay it would so hard to have separate driver where the inverters used to go.
     
  12. Meaker@Sager

    Meaker@Sager Company Representative

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    Why make two PCBs?

    If you applied that logic the power circuitry, battery charging ciruitry and everything else would be on a separate board.