*HP EliteBook 8730w Owners Lounge*

This is NOT an 8730w... Also for Dreamcolor any 8730w MUST be running either the Nvidia FX2700 M or FX3700M. Furthermore, you'll recognize the Dreamcolor logo on the screen bezel (unless it's an upgrade ;-) )

I completely get your meaning When I get really nostalgic, I run Jezzball or Balls of Steel and if I could get my hands on a suitable rotating wheel I'd play Atari Tempest again (it's simply unplayable with a mouse)...

Anyone succeeded running Berkeley Systems After Dark on modern machines by any chance?

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It's sturdy alright... I purchased one that apparently flown off a vehicle on motion (case had deep abrasion marks from sliding on some road surface) and although the top cover had significant damage and the hard drive and CD drives had been ripped out, ripping the connectors on the motherboard, the screen, motherboard and keyboard were still functional

AFAIK it is not especially water resistant ... Then again I don't drink coffee near the keyboard, I have enough fixing my wife's machines on which she consistently spills coffee an wine on ;-)

I have three, two running and one for parts and apart from the odd Nvidia card dying out (Sotton's machine comes to mind), the only weak link seems to be the Seagate hard drives (they tend to fail rapidly compared to the rest of the machine). Also the touchpad buttons are covered with a rubber material that wears fast, you'll quickly get frustrated with it and remove the rubber completely. And if you came from Thinkpads like myself, you'll be disappointed with HP's substandard implementation of the excellent IBM Trackpoint and will probably quickly abandon it. As a matter of fact for a long time I was really frustrated as I initially got it precisely because of the Trackpoint-like pointing device (and the Dreamcolor screen of course), but I eventually adapted to the Touchpad...

I've been using my main machine for 7 or 8 years now, at least 16 hours a day and the only thing that fails consistently are the batteries, they rarely last more than a year even with the machine on a dock. I also had one Dreamcolor screen fail right after a power failure, presumably it suffered some voltage spike and the backlight subassembly went berserk (the other screen suffered from a big monitor falling on it, my wife is the proverbial klutz ;-)

Oh - almost forgot. The Dreamcolor screens of that generation tend to have uneven backlighting, with reddish lower left at bluish lower right corners, some are worse than others. Really irritating on white backgrounds, especially if you view white webpages, especially if you have perfect color vision like I do. But this defect is more than compensated by the gorgeous colours, once you've calibrated your screen correctly, of course, there simply is no comparison. The DC2 on the 8740w has more even backlighting, but it's got a reddish hue that I haven't been able to tone down... Of course when it comes to colour , all that is very personal and you may hear widely differing opinions ;-)

Something else - the thing runs quite hot, I recommend the keyboard and fan be occasionally removed to get rid of dust bunnies on the heat sink radiators, it will help keep it at sane temperatures, it's quite easy to do.

NO! The latest revisions once flashed will make it impossible to revert to another BIOS or any custom ones that may be floating around (don't know of any though), so unless you experience serious issues... Leave it be!

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Ha! Have you seen the size of these monsters? Especially the higher wattage, old-style models used with docking stations are stupendously massive and definitely deserve the title of "bricks", lol...

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I think you're wrong about that, AFAIK power supplies of this type typically have 85-90% efficiency. Besides otherwise, without any ventilation they would catch on fire!

You are buying a 70s Detroit Muscle car of a laptop . Sorry, but energy efficient it isn't and will never be, the only consolation, the quad core, 5000M, Dreamcolor2 8740w is even worse!!!


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I pretty much concur with Triturbo on that one - it's 8 bit but the main advantage is its much wider gamut, which makes it super easy to get perfect color if you set it for standard RGB. In other words, its got many more colors to spare, but you absolutely need to be running the Portrait Displays utility to be able to select sRGB and tweak backlight white balance, otherwise you'll kill your eyesight in no time due to its wide gamut fluo-like native colours.

The difference between DC1 and DC2 is version 2 on the 8740w and others is the angle of view with no reduction in image quality. On the DC2 and many modern high end screens, the technology is IPS, whereas the DC1 uses TN, so angle of view is less and optimal image quality is only attainable straight on. So, modern screens have become significantly better, no doubt about it. The tablet I'm writing this on is IPS and is great to use, but its colours aren't as accurate as the ones on my 8730w. But for $200 new with a bright IPS WUXGA screen, who am I to complain?

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No, the DC1 and 2 are both RGB LED. The DC1 is 8 bit TN, the DC2 is 8 bit IPS (I believe Triturbo is wrong regarding bit depth - it's 10 bit only on the desktop version of the Dreamcolors, IIRC).

The best thing about the DC1 is using the Portrait Display's "Mobile Display Assistant" utility you can really get super accurate white balance for the backlight, something that can be done on the 8740w only if you purchase HP's expensive Calibration Solution (Many DC2 users have noticed just like myself that the backlight is too red from the factory and there are no provisions to tweak it like it can be tweaked on the 8730w).

As for differences in bit depth, it all depends. If you're cursed with perfect colour (hue) vision like I am it you will appreciate the DC screen. 6 bit is awful to me, 8 is acceptable but even 10 bit isn't perfect, especially gradients, I can't- help but see banding on all my LCDs, whether it is the DC1, the DC2 or my otherwise very nice Dell 3007WFP-HC (wide gamut IPS). Then again, I used to work on Sony CRTs so I was spoiled ;-)

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No, nothing matches DC1 and DC2. "DC"3 is close second and as already stated, the same panel can be found elsewhere.

The best so far, in terms of color delivery that is, but they are not that far, not to say on par, with other displays (with wider than standard color gamut) when it comes to response time. As an added bonus, they are 16:10, so this adds extra points of usefulness (awesomeness ).

Nope, as already stated - RGB LED. The only wide color CCFLs I know had two lamps and cover ~72% NTSC.

Frame rate control (FRC) in other words - manufacturers are cheaping-out.

Not as much as between 6 and 8bit, but it's still noticeable.

Nope, full 10bit. On AMD systems there's "Enable 10bit mode" since it breaks Windows Aero. Also, that's why there's ColorBoard, well one of the reasons. The LVDS has enough pins to get an 8bit panel running, but the DC2 goes through DP, to the CB and then 10 data lanes (5 odd and 5 even, for 10bit, 8bit panels require 8 (4 by 4)) to the display.

Tell me about it! Mine is on its way out and I SOOOO want to be able to get a brand new one. Shame really. There's still no technology that can match that. Everything looked so natural, you didn't have to care about crappy scaling and colors and response times are awesome.

 

Thank you for your responses!!

Yeah, sorry, I misspoke, I meant to write that power supplies work best at ~50-60% of their max power load. So a 200W power supply would be very comfortable at 120W for example. Of course they are probably 80+ efficient, very important in closed case power supplies or as you've noticed, they would definitely catch fire at 50-60% efficiency


Curious what Sony CRT models did you have? Were there any super good models from other brands a well? Not any time soon but I plan to buy a really good model of CRT just for fun I want the best of course!
Why is yours on its way out, triturbo ?

 

Mine is GDM-FW900* and the flyback is on its way out... again. Also it starts to show its age, the bottom right is getting discolored, overall convergence is not great as well. Too bad, I really love this big fella. There were almost new units on eBay US, from a well known and respected user. Understandably, they commanded quite the price ($850~1100), but they were inspected and calibrated to factory spec and had little (the cheaper ones) to no use (the most expensive ones). He clearly stated that he only provides local pick-up (I think LA), no shipping, even less international. That's understandable, since I've heard quite a few horror stories about this particular model and mishandling. Then comes the price as well I SOOOO want one of these new though.

* One of the best, not to say the best, again in terms of color delivery and resolution (and 16:10 ), for gamers the best differs, since they are after Hz. This doesn't make it a slouch though since it can do 1920x1200 @96~98HZ and 120Hz @1280x800. Yes it's big and weights 45kg, but when it comes to display qualities, it really is the best thing ever made. I hope that one day we'll see a technology that would bring all of this back (resolution independence, wide colors, no banding, really fast response times and high refresh rates). I have my hope for CNT-FED (it should bring the stated qualities in LCD-like package), but there's little to no recent development as far as I know. There was quite some movement mid to late 2000s, but after AUO bought the technology from Sony (who stopped the development ~2008 I think) in 2011, there are no news about it.

 

So I've gotten my 8730w! Really love it! The screen looks nothing special but nice enough even without DC1 even though I would still like having it.

There are a few issues though: The battery is not firmly in place and falls out rather easily... Luckily I usually have the laptop on my desk when I work. Anyway, would be nice to fix. I don't see any broken plastic signs so perhaps rearranging the battery hold would help?

Another, bigger issue, is fan loudness. CPU fan is VERY loud. It doesn't make any strange noises or any unusual noises, just the airflow sound is very strong. It only happens when the CPU is in use (like gaming) and is barely bearable. Like having a hair dryer on. I'm very surprised it's so loud. Is there any way to fix it..? Or is it just a design flaw? I checked the CPU temps and it seems like anything over 50C temp creates unbearable sound. 50C is a low temperature. My desktop CPU fan doesn't even turn on without 55C... So basically the CPU fan on my 8730W goes crazy loud while the CPU is only 50-55C. Is there any way to fix this? Any way to increase temp tolerance in bios? Didn't see any options there...

The temps are 30-40 while I just browse internet and laptop is quite silent then. Very big decibel contrast and range...
By the way I'm even using a cooling pad under the laptop but it doesn't help, it's not a problem of poor ventilation, I think.

Oh and the CPU is stepping E0, which is great! This is probably why the temps are so low.

Would changing CPU fan help? I doubt it because the sound it makes currently is clear, just strong airflow sound like hairdryer?

 

Well I have two 21 inch Artisan, I ran them at 2048x1536, .24mm dot pitch IIRC, they're in storage now, still functional and I still have one that failed (fixable, blown output transistor). I got them used back from a big outfit that has since gone out of business, most have found their way to recycling now I'm afraid. If you're interested and find one, you need to really check it closely to see if you can adjust it properly, because if they got knocked too hard they're impossible to fix, those electron guns were adjusted like exotic music instruments by equally exotic craftsmen ;-)

Comparatively to LCDs, they're quite dim and there's the ever so slight electron gun fuzziness, but colors were the best of any screens I've had. Maybe one day I'll take one out of retirement for the kick of it but honestly, the DC screens are good enough and way more practical to me now. Also, they are huge and extremely heavy and take a good 30 minutes to attain their ideal temperature ;-)

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Yep, that's the CCFL... Night and day with the DC, believe me!

I believe it's called the 'Stockholm Syndrome', lol...

Probably just the battery. New ones are almost too stiff ;-)

Not sure as to the cause of it, it's usually quiet, check the power settings. The radiator could also be clogged with dust, its not too difficult to remove the keyboard and switch plate to access the fan, lift it off and blow the radiators clean. You can check my tutorial on screen replacement for tips.

That's more like it... Then again I'm an old fart so I'm not very sensitive to very high frequencies and when it blows hard it's usually misbehaving software like adobe flash ;-)

How do you check that, again? You've got my curiosity piqued ...

I'm surprised because even at high temps it's quite silent to me... My hair drier sure is MUCH louder ;-)

On second thought why don't you post a short video of the noise it makes on YouTube?



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I checked the stepping with CPUZ software.

I seriously doubt it's something clogging it up as the laptop is supposedly reseller refurbished and no clogging up can be seen from the outside on any angle at all. And as I've said the temps are low anyway. But perhaps you'll be able to recognize the problem once you hear it eh? Maybe it's ball bearing instability or something like that, I'm really very ignorant in these things.

I'll try to post a video with the hairdryer-fan a bit later. I'll try to make it so that GPU load and temps and CPU load and temps will be visible on screen and position sound from various angles of approach and the bottom of the laptop where the fan should be visible. So far this loudness is the biggest problem if not the only one I'm having with this laptop. And I'm not too picky with sound either. I'm rather comfortable with medium sounds. For example my previous laptop hp dv6000 used to create a rather loud noise but it was withing acceptable limits. The noise this laptop makes is not acceptable, I hope the video will be able to show that.

 

Have you been able to figure out what was happening? just wondering after all this time, considering I now have a question for the few remaining 8730w owners out there

 

OK, so here goes -

I am in the process of acquiring two 2560x1600 external monitor with dual link dvi ports and display ports and notice that my docking station (EN489AA) only has ONE available Dual link DVI and one VGA port. Has anyone successfully driven TWO 30 inch screens on DualLink DVI ofr displayport with this laptop (the 8740w can) and if so, what docking station did it require?

I really like my 8730w and would prefer if I could keep using it, even if I need to replace the worn out touchpad now (it's worn out down to its blue undersurface!), because it uses much less power than the 8740w, and I haven't advanced one iota on my monster battery project that would make the 8740w viable as a laptop (I still need to build a capacitive discharge battery welder to build the pack)...

TIA for your responses!

 

Don't have a dock for the 8730w. Don't have two WQXGA displays either.

 

with the 8730w you can use only two monitors, one digital (intern, HDMI or DVI (DVI with docking station)) and one analog, using VGA. And only DVI is capable of 2560x1600, HDMI is an older version max resolution is 1920x1080. This is at least true for the NVIDIA cards, I am not sure about the ATI version but I guess it is the same.

 

Hey, Sotton, Old Man! Nice to see you're still around

I'm not sure about the ATI cards, but we're limited by what's available through the docking station and the EN488AA (and larger EN489AA), which are the docking stations the 8730w uses, both are limited to a DVI-D and a VGA port. Actually, I'm already driving such a setup, a 30", 2560x1600 Dell 3007WFP-HC in landscape modeon the DVI-D, for pictures, and a 20", 1600x1200 Viewsonic VP2030b in Portrait Mode for document writing and it's been great. It's just that the screens are getting old and flaky (the Viewsonic takes 15 minutes to turn on, probably needs new caps and the Dell has developed a warp in the backlight diffuser, unfortunately - I've learned my lesson, now I run the backlight at minimum intensity, it's usually caused by overheating) and since my mother has developed macular degeneration and will need a larger screen to be able to read, that deal came right on time for all of us...

As for running more screens with the 8730w, I've looked at other options such as USB docks and it seems it would be to complicated (and costly) to be worth it so I may eventually get my 8740w setup to run these screens, as that machine's docking station can run 2 of these screens at a time, but that will only come when I get into renovating my office, as I'll need a much larger desk

In any case, for now the most important thing was to get a larger screen for my mother and since these screens come with DisplayPort as well as DVI-D, it should be a no brainer to run one on her DisplayPort equipped laptop: even if her video card could not run it at 2560x1600, it would certainly run the screen at 1280x800 which would, at 1/4 resolution, be equivalent to running 4 pixels on screen for each pixel driven by the card and in effect, be like running a 50PPI monitor, which would ensure everything would be properly scaled and in large characters, so that she wouldn't have to use a magnifying glass like she does now.

I got to tell you, these screens were truly and amazing deal - They are NEC PA301Ws, top of the line graphic arts screens that were selling for $3000 at the time, I got them for $100 each from a guy who runs his own software company and only buys top of the line stuff and keeps it updated every few years, apparently these ones were in storage for the past three years and I was there at the right time when he posted them up on kijiji... When I asked if anything was wrong, he said "nothing, we simply switched to newer monitors running 5 and 8K"

Because I couldn't test them as they were located in a city far from where I live, considering how nice the guy was and how great the deal was, I decided to buy them sight unseen before someone else did and had my childhood friend, a very good photographer, who happens to live nearby, check them out and purchase them for me So hopefully everything will be OK when I actually get them home in a couple of weeks or so and I'll let you guys know how it went

 

The only problem with the NEC PA301Ws is the high power consumption?

 

Good Point! Thanks to your remark I checked and most screens of this size now have approximately half the power consumption... Although at 147-177W, my existing Dell 3007WFP-HC is pretty much in the same ballpark as the NEC PA301W ;-)

But does it make a REAL difference? Let's see...

On a yearly basis, 16 hours on a day, a screen using approximately 150W uses approximately CAD$100 (including taxes) of electricity (CAD0.10 per kwh + 15% taxes). A much newer screen having half the power consumption would thus save me $50 per year, but would cost at least 15 times as much to purchase ($1500 versus $100), which at the rate of power consumption savings ($50 per year) would take 30 years to amortize ;-)

Also, I live in a cold climate, we heat at least 8 months per year (the last snow is usually gone on 1st of May) and need to start heating some time in September. So the extra the extra heat is beneficial to us and is only a problem during the week or so where we need to use air conditioning for part of the day. This translates to 4 months at (50$/12) or $16.67 per year actual waste energy, compared to the more energy efficient model. Considering I spend close to $3000 per year in electricity for my 2500 square foot house, by far most of which is used for heating ($400 and $500 months aren't uncommon over winter, while summer months run closer to $60-80), the extra power consumption is in reality negligible for me.

Granted, if your cost of electricity was much higher, If you live in a warmer climate with less months heating, more of cooling and your house was extra well insulated (ergo less heating load required), this would make more of a difference. I sure would be interested to know how it makes a difference in YOUR situation ;-)

 

I would safely say this has been asked once before and it may be getting annoying but I've done my best to try and search through this thread as well as some others so if its been covered in depth if anyone knows the thread please let me know.

But with that covered. Is there any upgrades for the GPU? I have a gaming desktop and decided to look more into my laptop for upgrade options one day when I had some downtime. Ideally I would like to be able to game with the laptop as well. I'm fine with running lower settings its just far more convenient to take the laptop then pack up the PC if I go somewhere.

I have the dual core extreme x9100, FX3700m, 8gig ram, and am running linux mint at the moment. I've read conflicting results on other pages but no one was willing to source anything. If it is possible is there any information you all can link me to?

 

It is my understanding that the MXM version changed in its next iteration from the first generation of MXM to the second generation, making it impossible to go beyond the FX 3700M in the 8730w. Am I mistaken?

 

I can't find where I read it at but unless they are improperly labeled I though they were mxm 3b cards. But I think I read somewhere to some were mxm2.1 he I believe. Did they make some of each or do I have bad sources?

I've looked through so many pages in the past few days ill have to look back through them in the morning. If I find something concrete ill be sure to post it unless someone beats me to it. Thanks again. At this point any input is helpful.

 

I just now have seen from photos in an Amazon listing for HP's official version of the FX 3700M (showing the sticker with the HP replacement part number 493984-001) that the card has the 2.1 HE interface, so that is the best Quadro card that can be inserted into the 8730w's MXM slot, and the best consumer nVIDIA card or best ATI card, if any can work in the 8730w, would be of the same iteration, having 2.1 HE interface. Sorry to be the bearer of the disappointing news.

https://www.amazon.com/HP-493984-001-nVidia-NB9E-GLM3-graphics/dp/B008FQPPEM

 

No problem thanks for the help. I ended up getting this laptop for another reason but if it was capable of being used for gaming that would have been great. With the 3700M in it I can still play most older games. I appreciate you taking the time to help though.

 

Thank you!

Does your 8730w have the cool DreamColor screen (if you happen to know)?

 

I believe it does. It has the fancy sticker on it anyway. With it the 8gig of ram and the extreme dual core processor its really pretty nice. Especially for the price. I've not looked much into overclocking yet but I planned on testing that out as well as messing with linux on it. I've read where a few guys have hit around 4ghz with it, most I've read says if you watch your temps 3.8 isn't really hard to hit safely.

You know much about overclocking? Is there any truth to those estimates?

 

I've answered you about the GPU upgrade in another thread, but I see that @rahasyavadi already provided you with an answer

Check the display ID in the Device Manager -> Monitors -> Properties -> Details -> Hardware IDs and share it with us, we'll let you know what you have.

If you get the quad-core heatsink (forgot the P/N, sorry, it has larger copper square and thicker pipe), I believe that 4GHz are achievable, given that you have a good sample CPU. In any case 3.8GHz is not a pipe dream. Use a program called ThrottleStop, it's fairly straightforward. Don't put the voltage above 1.5V, I'm certain that the heat would let you know WELL before this mark, but just to warn you. Increase the clocks and voltages gradually in order to get a good idea how much your CPU and cooling can handle. You'll get a few blue-screens, nothing scary, just don't run other apps in order to avoid data corruption. Good luck and happy clocking!

 

Lol yeah. I learned quite a bit about the mess it would be. I'll probably just keep with the current GPU for now. Maybe one day I'll either upgrade to the 8740 so I can expand to a bigger GPU or something. For now I'm gonna play with the overclocking. I can't find the screen hardware but I'm running linux mint so I can't use the given windows pathway. The few ways I know how to check on linux keeps telling me which graphics card I have in the place of display.

I don't mind upgrading the heatsink I'm considering upgrading to the quadcore someday but there's no rush for that. So I'd need that heatsink eventually if I did. Until then maybe it can keep this rig cool somewhere around that 3.8-4.0 range hahaha. If I can figure it out on this then I'll give it a try on my desktop. And if I burn this one up then maybe that 8740 will be the next attempt lol

 

As a short break from the conversations about GPU's and Heatsinks for our 8730w, I want to post a PSA about an issue that comes up if you upgrade your windows 10 x64 to the "creators update" (version 1703): Be aware that the 3D Driveguard driver is not compatible with the OS anymore; if you upgrade from the previous version you will get a notification from the OS about the driver being disabled. If you do a clean install with 1703 you are not going to be able to install the latest available driver (SP47282). The driver handles the free fall sensors that protect your hard drive from drops. Several users have already asked HP to provide updated drivers to handle this issue for other Elitebook and Envy models but since the 8730w is not supported anymore we may not get an update.
If any of you find new information about this issue and is able to resolve it please post the workaround/solution on this forum.
Thank you!

 

Hello, still enjoying my 8730w! I was just wondering, since I use this laptop for retro gaming, is it possible to upgrade its sound card internally, somehow? I would like to add a Creative sound card perhaps, to enjoy EAX effects in games. Perhaps a sound card could be easily added internally? Or alternatively would something like a smartcard slot card work? ( like this http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/c5002c/0b7f/5420-IMG7129s.jpg though it's a sound card without a processor sadly )

Also, where would one look for a dreamcolor screen? They seem to be increasingly harder to find. What is its model number?

Also curious, are there glossy dreamcolor screens for 8730w?
For example in this LINK (is it even a legit shop?) it gives you the option to choose glossy. I would be so happy if I could find it glossy! I really hate coated monitors even though I don't even own any glossy ones at this moment.

 

*bump*
All the questions I asked still remain, please answer if you could guys!
Also curious if anyone here used an expresscard 4g SIM card "modem" AKA mobile internet, through that slot?

 

After some tough time researching I find I found out that dreamcolor screen models are LP171WU5-TLB1 ? Are all LP171WU5-TLB1 = dreamcolor? Because I've seen some "cheap" ones for less than 150 even on ebay and I thought they might be more expensive ?

 

Yes, it's the right part number, but make sure it's not a "compatible" but rather an OEM version, you could fry your video card or motherboard if you install the wrong one, happened to someone some time ago. And NO, there aren't any 'glossy' ones, either. Always ask to see a picture of the back of the screen... I have an upgrade thread in this forum that identifies what a Dreamcolor screen should look like in the back. Also keep in mind that besides the Nvidia video card card, you will also require the special cable and the ambient light sensor, which aren't easy to come by.

As for what is expensive to you it's all in the beholder's eyes... I just got another 8730w for less than CAD100 (USD75) with regular screen. Remember, these machines are very old now and are most likely going to be used, worn, old or any combination of those. At this juncture, I wouldn't pay more than $100 for a Dreamcolor screen, unless it was New Old Stock.

Finally - a note of warning to those who are looking at replacing their worn out trackpad - it's a full dismantle or pretty close to replace it, since you need to take the wrist rest apart. When you do, it your machine is your daily driver like mine is, quite a few plastic posts will probably break off as you remove the screws. So replacing just the trackpad is probably not going to cut it, you'll probably have to replace the whole wrist rest assembly. When you order one online make sure it's in A+ condition and that there are no cracked posts! Rubber buttons can be replaced easily from the top, the trackpad, not.

 

Thanks for the reply! Was actually just reading your post here when you replied: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/rgb-led-lp171wu5-for-8730w-anyone-could-help-me.464732/

Could you link me to the upgrade threat where I could read about identifying how Dreamcolor screen's back looks? I have an Nvidia card (3700m) and I suppose I should be able to get that special cable and ambient light sensor on ebay. But why does this display need an ambient light sensor?

And I guess you're right about the prices. I got the impression that they are so high from reading old forum posts. They must be way lower now.

 

You should be able to get all the info in my upgrade thread here. As for the cable and sensor they aren't easy to come by! Without the ambient light sensor the display just won't come on at all (I tried ;-) )

You can still find them at around that price, but you have to be patient and spend a lot of time searching, because they have become very rare. The main reason you should not pay more than $100 IMO is because these laptops are really old machines. The last ones I got a year or so ago were CAD150 for 2, and I got lucky because my previous screen had just been destroyed in an accident, but they weren't perfect - one can't be dimmed beyond 50% brightness (never bothered me until I brought it in an dim auditorium last winter) and the other has a small scratch, fortunately almost unnoticeable when the screen is on.

If AUD171 sounds good to you you could always check this auction, the screens are new, but you should really make sure this is the real deal, there are no pictures on this auction and the seller states "compatible with"...

 

While looking for the screen I thought I'd ask another question:
My 8730w is making weird sounds when turned off.

When turned off and power cable is taken out, the computer makes silent clicking sound as if a clock is ticking at ~0.3 second intervals. This happens until the computer battery is exhausted.

When turned off and power cable is hot and left inside, the computer is making a high pitched constant, but silent sound. It sounds a bit like coil whine.

Speaking of coil whine, fun fact: There is a computer game who's menu induces coil whine in every GPU I ran that game with. The game's called Risen in case someone wants to hear their GPU sing ;D Risen is also the only game so far that when I run it on my 3700m the laptops fans become crazy loud like in no other application.

 

Strange, using an official model number MSC32154 I found a dreamcolor (LP171WU5-TLB1) screen that's... Glossy... How is that possible? The screen model is official and it's LP171WU5-TLB1 but it's glossy.
MSC32155 is the same LP171WU5-TLB1 but matte. Can anyone elaborate on how to understand this?

 

The manufacturer of MSC32154 and MSC32155 is something called "Microscreen". Yet the part number is LP171WU5-TLB1 which indicates it's an LG-Philips product. Did Microscreen manufacture this screen for LG and Philips or is there simply a confusion in many storehouses who claim that Microscreen sells their own LP171WU5-TLB1 AKA MSC32154 ? The specs otherwise are the same, it's a 17" WUXGA screen. Except it's either matte or glossy. Could it be it's some fake Chinese product?

Help, I'm so confused! I found out about this on this page which simply quotes official storage items in Lithuania: http://www.deze.lt/index.php?search...XVTUiO3M6NjoiU3VibWl0IjtzOjc6Ikll8GtvdGkiO30= and then found out it's the same on many other websites so the product is quite official.

 

Man, you'll have to let us know how you find these things, because you have investigative talents I have rarely seen...Where does that MSC number come from???

OK so I had a look at the link - nowhere do they show a picture of the back and that is PRIMORDIAL to know... If its NOT the same as OEM DON'T try to install it you could fry your motherboard (or at least the MOBO fuse)

 

Hehe I found these things because I have no life

I guess it will be hard to find out if these screens are same as dreamcolor LP171WU5-TLB1.

Though my guess is that they are totally legit. Microscreen is probably a company that made those screens. Googling "Microscreen Dreamcolor" provides quite a lot of results. So those part numbers MSC32154 and MSC32155 were probably only used in transactions from Miscroscreen to LG-Philips, hence why they don't appear publicly (they are not used when resold by LG-Philips).
I have also seen search results where MSC32155 is mentioned alongside 494014-001 - a code from HP 8730w parts for the screen.

I wish I could try this out, sadly can't spend 400$ on a screen... Even if I really wanted to Though it would be really fun trying a glossy dreamcolor screen for 8730w (I'd bravely choose to try MSC32154)

 

I tried emailing Microscreen http://www.microscreenllc.com/
almost a week ago to ask about this screen (and perhaps about its possibility availability from their storages) but they are yet to reply a week later.
Would someone from USA be willing to give them a short call?

By the way, since this company is based in USA, Indiana, I think it is certainly the manufacturer of the dreamcolor screens I mean it certainly is not some fake screen manufacturer from China.

 

Wrote a letter to this seller: https://www.amazon.com/MicroScreen-Glossy-LP171WU5-MSC32154-LP171W/dp/B00CBR6QFI
And got this reply:

"Hello,

this spare part isn't on stock, it comes only order related from overseas. This is why we don´t have a photo of the item.
A spare part you normally buy by spare part number, not in appearance.

Please compare the OEM item numbers with your old or defective screen: MSC32154, LP171WU5 (TL)(B1), LP171WU5-TL-B1

We cannot get this spare part cheaper. We hope for your understanding.

Kind regards.
Daniel Kuhlmann"

So it does seem like you can get NEW DC1 screens. Only, they cost 400 bucks. Wish it were possible to get cheaper. Perhaps if MicroScreen itself could be bargained with?

 

Ok, false information above. The microscreen company that makes those screens is not the one i linked to and is NOT based in Indiana. Received this reply from the above:

"Hi--MicroScreen manufactures screens and stencils for printing solder paste and inks for the microelectronics industry. We do not make laptop screens. Thank you for your inquiry."

So Microscreen company making laptop screens could very well be a ****ty Chinese screen manufacturer. Still that would be very confusing as I seriously doubt they could have manufactured DC1 in its fullness. Unless they were indeed used by LG-Philips... Gah, so much is unclear.

 

Got an offer. 250 euros for a new:

Item No.: MSC32154

OEM part no.: MSC32154, LP171WU5 (TL)(B1), LP171WU5-TL-B1
Warranty 6 months
Connector Top Right
Connector Pin 40
Display Glossy
Inches 17,0"
Resolution 1920X1200
Type LED WUXGA

Sounds like a dreamcolor glossy screen?? Wonder if it'd come with the accessories (cable and sensor). Now only have to get 250 euros from somewhere

 

Man, that's steep compared to what I paid last summer for my two used DCs, whcih cost me $120 delivered (One is flawless, the other has a slight scratch but it's hardly visible in actual use)

Have them send you a picture of the back and make sure it is indeed the original panel and not some clone! And don't forget DCs are NOT glossy! Also, you do need to get the cable and sensor as well and just in case I missed it, you can only run this panel on the Nvidia FX2700m and FX3700m video cards...

 

I'll ask for the pictures, thanks! I have a 3700m already luckily. Where would I get the cable and the sensor please?

 

I assume you have the right part numbers for your search? The cables and sensors aren't easy to come by, I got the cables from a Lithuanian outfit, had to have it delivered to a cousin in the UK who sent it back to me, as they wouldn't ship outside of the EU at the time. I paid something like $15. I found the ambient light sensor from a UK seller and they shipped directly, cost me around the same amount, IIRC. All from eBay and used, of course, about two years ago or so. Just make sure the cables are properly protected for shipping as the connectors are quite fragile; the sensor is much sturdier but should also be well packed.

 

By the way I have a motherboard battery charging circuit problem and posted about it there... If you have any ideas let me know

 

That's funny, I live in Lithuania myself. You wouldn't happen to have the part numberes of the cables and the sensor? I hope they will be still available at all somewhere! :O