Modding - dv6t/dv7t Quad Edition (2011)

I just bought a dv6-3034tx in australia. The HP site amusingly has the picture of the older model (core2, or older core i5/i7)on the information page for the laptop. The customer model is correct on the laptop, but from what i can glean its actually the same as a dv6t-6xxx series laptop. ie black brushed metal around the keyboard, and actual buttons for trackpad. Its a sandy bridge i7-2630qm, 1gb 6770, 8gb and blueray.
Pretty chuffed with it, already ordered a caddy for a second harddisc in the ODD bay, and an external case for the removed drive.

Im quite interested in the display swap, mine has the 1366x768. @AutoArc, keep us posted! Im happy to give it a go too if your works!

Over the weekend im going to open her up and see about this connector for the backlight keyboard too, if i can find an envy keyboard with cheap shipping downunder!

edit: actually a dv6-6034tx. im an idiot.

 

I will report as soon as the cable arrives. About the Keyboard swap, I don't know if you have read the first ~40 pages of this thread, but so far what we know about the envy keyboard is this:
The tabs are spaced wrong for the dv6/7,
The driver is different,
THe whole keyboard is about 1mm too wide to fit in the slot,
The keys go right to the edge, so you can't trim the keyboard.

You would have to cut the hole bigger in the laptop to get it to fit. And try the Envy keyboard driver. Not trying to discourage you, but that's what we know.

 

hehe, i must admit i didnt read all the 40+ pages with all my attention
I have now however!
i missed the part about the keyboard being too big, thats a bit of a show stopper for an easy swap. i was thinking it might be possible to transplant the led mesh, and the keys to the dv6 frame ala beradons last input. i have done a lot of small stupid soldering on a few jtag xboxs and fixing a variety of mobos and lcds with bad caps and the like so im not too worried about soldering the connector on. ive got enough junk parts here to practice on too, until im confident i can do it well enough to at least return it to stock if everything goes pear shaped. Im going to have a look and probably buy a replacement keyboard and an envy board to have a play with. I think first course of action will be busting out the multimeter and seeing whats live from the kbl connector.

But mainly im interested in seeing what can be done about a 1080p monitor, matte 1080p and id be a hilariously happy man!

 

Did people miss this post?

Could you tell us a bit more? Like where you ordered the screen from, cable, problems other than the type you ran in to etc. Inquiring minds are dying to know!

Thanks man,

 

Yes this will work for you. The difference between what he did and what I am trying to do is that the cable for the 1600x900 will also work for the 1920x1080. To upgrade the Dv6t from 1366x768 to 1080p, however, you would need a dual channel cable. The Dv7t already has a dual channel cable, meaning that you will not have to replace the cable, just the panel itself.

 

Oh wow, awesome, so now all i have to do is find out where to get the panel and Im all set to perform a little surgery? Anyone know where I can get the panel from Id greatly appreciate finding out! Apparently the high rez panel is one of the best on the market, and its from LG?

I guess warranty's will be out the window right? Would tinkering with the screen void the warranty if the hard drive failed or the motherboard exploded due to factory error?



Update again, i think this is the one. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAND-NEW...Computing_LaptopAccess_RL&hash=item35b3516a33

its the AUO B173HW01 V.4 . here and here are the not so much fun operation required for replacing the screen.

Disclamer: I have never done this and you follow these posts as merely suggestions from my part.

 

Yeah, the B173hw01 will work (probably ), the problem is the availability. If you order a screen off ebay that does not explicitly say it is the exact model number b173hw01, you will most likely get a compatible model. It will be 1080p, but the color gamut might be lower.

EDIT: I think this is the screen used in the 1080p version of the dv7. This seller (Screenintaipei) says it is the exact screen, so no imposters. Screenintaipei is quite respected around here, by the way.

 

Yes, ive done further investigating, and it seems its the correct display, but I want to get the V4. Apparently that has a 90% color gamut, whilst the v3 has only 60 or 70%. Info from this thread here

Thank you for the link though!

 

I bought the B173hw01 v.4 from Kuzotronic.com in the UK. He had a some good feedback over here but I think he has sold out of his current stock at the moment. The v.4 is the glossy screen which I personally like and I am pleased to say is still working fine. The v.5 is the same screen, I think, but in Matt finish. The v.3 screen is the lower res screen that I replaced.

 

Indeed! Was this the first time you replaced a screen as seemingly complicated as this? It looks complicated in the youtube vids, but when you think about it, its justa hell of a lot of screwing and keeping them safe and in proper places.

Was it worth the 150 or so bucks you reckon compared to the V3? I wish there where some before and after shots to compare!

Found some here!

 

It was the first time but I just followed the videos carefully and it went well but have a look at my other post #443 as well. I use my laptop to view movies and the poor blacks and poor viewing angles especially bugged me so I changed it. For me it was worth it. For general computer work I would not bother. Its a personal opinion.

 

Ok, ill sit tight until it gets here tomorrow. I will be using the comp as a reference display to do paintings from, so Ill just have to see how well it holds up.

Thanks for the insight!

 

Hello everybody, well I just recieved my new notebook! Very happy with it, except for the... you guessed it... the screen, which is absolutley dreadful for playing games. I tried playing crysis and it was washed out, the viewing angles were terrible, either the bottom wash light or the top was dark, and in dark places on the first map, the foliage gets an inverted look to it constantly. Ill def have to upgrade....

 

Does anyone know at what point I void the warranty when taking it apart? I am about to take it apart to see if I see leads going to the unused ports on the lvds connector, but I would like to know if my warranty will be voided.

 

I have taken apart every computer I have owned. there are no void warranty stickers anywhere. However if you have to send it in send it in factory condition. IE no upgraded screen as they may replace it with the original screen on a new to you laptop

 

OK, so the main point is don't leave traces that I've done anything. Got it. I also have seen that changing the resolution of the screen can hurt the video card, is that solely due to overloading it? if so, I think I am fine.

 

I can't see how changing the resolution of the screen would do anything at all to the video card. It's the same video card, whether you get the 1366x768 or the 1080p.

 

Yeah, I was kind of skeptical about that with this particular laptop, I just wanted to make sure. By the way, here is where I saw that.

 

The way I see it, changing to a dual-width cable shouldn't affect it, even though it still remains to be seen what the effects are. The only way for it to not work would be for HP to have used a different motherboard, which in my eyes, seems extravagant and non-cost effective for HP to do such a thing. The only reason they ship the laptop with a single-width cable on the lower screens would probably be due to the fact that the 1366x768 screen doesn't require the the extra bandwidth, and is therefore a cheaper cable, and the majority of consumers will never upgrade. Can't wait to hear how it goes though once you get your cable and switch them. Opening the laptop has never been a problem in my case either. They basically invite you to open them. Just regular old philips screws... easily removed rubber tabs... and hell, the bottom panel on the dv6t doesn't even use screws! It's on by a latch!

 

Yeah, I am now seeing that the cable won't tell me much, so I am going to take it apart now (at least the top cover). I will take pictures of the system board and post them as well as the connector. Wish me luck.

 

It would help if we could find some kind soul with the 1920x1080 screen to also post pictures of their mainboard and connectors as well. That way we would easily be able to tell if the motherboards are different as well

 

Good luck dude, keep calm and youll be fine! I got my DV7 yesterday, and the screen is ABYSMAL. Ill be using your pics and experience as a guide!

 

Well, I had to leave in the middle of re-assembly, but I am back. It looks like all 40 pins are there, as far as I can tell. What makes me think it will work is that the spare part for the mainboard is the same for both resolutions. Anyway, here are the pictures.

EDIT: I just noticed that after I took the laptop apart and put it back together, there is a lot more flex in the keyboard around the f4 area. I think I will put something in there to support it when I replace the screen.

 

I second this request, as my 1080p cable will not arrive till late this week or Monday.

 

So at this point, we probably can't get any farther without actually trying it. Everything looks like it will work, but what I am hesitant about is that if it doesn't work, it would be hard to return. What would you all say the chances are that it will work? I am ready to order it, but I am still nervous.

 

Sorry for so many posts in a row, but I just noticed that there are two versions of the b156hw01 v.4 on Ebay. One says the connector is on the right side, but the picture looks like it's on the left. The other says to look at the picture, which also looks like left connect. To anyone who has had the display assembly apart, which does this laptop have?

 

The connector for our computer is on the left side (looking at the back), but if its on the right side it should still fit. That is assuming that the port is the same. The only problem would be you would have extra cable to tuck somewhere.

 

Well, the left connect panel costs $45 more, including shipping, but it does have a number of things in it's favor. There doesn't seem to be an end to the auction and there is a gauranty of no dead pixels. It's also from Screenintaipei, which is fairly well respected.

 

Well, HP has received the part they sent me, but I haven't heard anything about the part they were supposed to send me. I am going to call today, I'll let you know how it goes.

EDIT:

After about 5 mostly unintelligible representatives, I finally found someone who knew something. Apparently the re-order didn't go through because of a glitch in the system, and now they are sending it via expedited shipping. Should be here in a couple days.

 

Yeah, during that phone conversation, I was beginning to think that HP doesn't have customer service, they just route my call to some random person in India.

 

Im glad the DV7 comes with the proper cable already, one less headache! Im in two minds though, matte or glossy. There is the price difference, and there is the fact that the matte has a 70%color gamut vs the 90% of the glossy.

 

I just noticed that ScreenInTaipei has the B156HW01 v.7 in stock now, but it is the glossy finish. They now have more of the V.4s in stock, and they are matte. I think I want matte, so I will be getting one of those. Other than the finish, they are identical, right?

 

hmm the 17 ince ones are v4 glossy and v5 matte. Also, the color gamut ont hem are 90% on the glossy and 70% on the matte, from what ive read. on AOEs homepage you can download the spec sheets for the 17 inchers at least. worth investigating!

 

Hello guys! I successfully changed the crappy AUO B173RW01 with the B173HW01 v5. The connector is the same no problem so far everything is perfect... Thats on my dv7-6020ev laptop.

 

Thank you, this again confirms that the upgrade will work on the Dv7t. By the way, for anyone who cares, my cable should arrive tomorrow morning.

 

I bigtime care keep up the good work!

 

There is, as they say, good news and bad news. The good news is that I replaced the cable and it seems to work fine. The bad news is that the webcam connector on the motherboard end of the display cable didn't fit. So, I am now without a webcam. Not a big deal, because I have never used a webcam and if I did, I would get a decent external one. What is strange is that the webcam connectors look identical except the new one is white and the old one was black. Rather odd, and I am inclined to believe it was a fluke. Other than that the cables seem to be identical, as far as I can tell. By the way, for anyone who doesn't like the glowing HP logo, the power for the logo seems to be coupled to the backlight, because it is just a separate connector coming out of the display cable, and it would be very easy to unplug. I did break one of the little latchy things, but it doesn't wiggle at all, and you wouldn't know it was broken.

UPDATE: I disassembled the connector on the original cable, and there appears to only be 22 wires, including 2 large unshielded silver ones that I am assuming to be power for the backlight.

 

I am an idiot. Please disregard my the latter portion of my previous post. The wires attached to the webcam connector in their normal state held the connector upside-down, so, that's how I tried to connect it. After taking it apart and correcting it, the webcam works fine. So, we're back in bweesness. I will probably order the screen in the next few days, but I don't know exactly when.

 

Haha, we all make mistakes. Good job so far and good luck replacing the screen.

 

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention is that the actual screen model number is AUO B156XW02 V.2. Apparently this is the same screen as is in the 720p version of the dell XPS 15 L502x. It is also one of the worst laptop screens out there. I don't find it too horrendous, I think most of the opinions on this forum are a little exaggerated, except for the viewing angles. There is color distortion on dark colors, at the top and bottom of the screen when viewing straight on. This is obviously quite un-desirable.

 

@AutoArc. Well that settles it, im buying a HD screen too. Where did you order the dual channel cable from?

 

I got it from HP parts store, the price was a little steep, but that's the only place I can find it. The part number is 656805-001. Here's the page on HP parts.

 

thanks autoarc. ive ordered the cable, $57.37 AUD.
Going to scour ebay for an affordable B156HW01 now. When i install them ill take alot of pictures for anyone else thinking of doing the same thing

 

I think this would be your best bet, it's from ScreenInTaipei, and that seller is fairly well trusted around this forum. That is where I plan to buy mine from, except the US version.

 

Well i got gouged on the cable (57 aud vs 40ish usd), but getting the v4 screen for $112 aud delivered from an australian store, Logical Blue One - Buy Cheap Laptops & Notebooks Online. HP, Toshiba & ASUS Laptop Computer Sale | Logical Blue One, who sells them as spares/upgrades for clevo bto laptops.
Im excited, everything is due in the 2-3 days. Hopefully gets here before the weekend! Looking forward to the optical bay caddy coming too, ill be heading out to buy a second hd for that this week too. Probably a 7200rpm 750gb of some kind, or maybe one of those samsung xt hybrid deals. its fast enough with out ssd, and id rather the storage capacity.
Still planning on having a look at the keyboard, but thats going to have to wait for another payweek

 

One thing to check is if the one you ordered is the authentic B156HW01 screen, many retailers just sell a compatible model if they don't have one in stock, the seller I linked to says it is the exact panel. The seller you got it from looks like it will probably be the right one, but I would still check when it arrives.

 

Whats the difference with the compatible ones. I know that it won't be AOU, but what difference with quality will it make. Color gamut?

 

Well, the one he linked to specifically said 95%, so that wouldn't be different. The main problem is that the quality of a screen is like anything else, the specs give a good indication of what it will look like, but individual models will looks different. The B156HW01 is a tried and true high quality screen. Granted most people wouldn't notice the difference between the real thing and a compatible model, but there is a chance the quality could be less. The only things that come to mind right now that might be worse are color representation (unlikely), and viewing angles (more likely). Viewing angles is something that the specs generally can't tell you, so that would be the most likely thing to be inferior on a compatible model. Just my 2 cents, I really am not that learned about LCD manufactury.

 

Alright guys, I am ready to order, but I just found out that the B156HW01 v.4 has some red ghosting issues in recent batches. So, I may get the V.3, which is what HP uses in the 1080p version. It is only 60% color gamut, though. Look here for more info.

 

got the cable today, but the lcd isnt due till next week