Lenovo X220 screen upgrade

Hello friends,

I want/need to replace my Lenovo X220 screen. Since I have no alternative resolution to choose from, I will have to buy a genuine 1366x768 IPS Screen (the "Professional" one).

I want to know what are your suggestions in this matter. I found out that some (or all?) IPS screens made by LG for X220 are faulty and cause "bleeding", so I found on ebay a few IPS screens made by Samsung.

Some are complaining of bright areas when the screen is pressed on its sides, so I'll try to avoid these and get a better quality screen if possible.

Any comments are welcome

 

The LG screen looks great. It's one of the best screens available on any laptop right now. The reds do skew a bit orangy and the I only notice the backlight bleed during. I don't know anything about the Samsung IPS screens, but I'd suspicious.

 

my LG is fantastic, yes i do have a minor orange skew as zaz mentioned, but IMO other than high end workstations its a top notch panel.

 

Well... I read about the LG screens problem here and here, but it seems that this is a particularity of all LG IPS displays, and not a manufacturing flaw of the whole batch, as I first thought... right?

Is there any particular part number I should look for?

 

Its certantly not in ALL LG IPS SCREENS, the ones in my 8740w and 8760w destroy all other laptop screens and 95% of external displays.

I still tend to think it is hit or miss as the 10 or so x220's I have seen had no problem other than the slight color imbalance,( or were extremly lucky ), remember there are prob 1000's of people outside those threads with no issue

 

Doesn't LG make most of the IPS panels out there? If it was an issue that affected all LG panels, I'd expect to see it crop up in everything from tablets to TVs.

 

99% I believe, hitachi makes a few

 

The two post in my links above were from users with good reputations, but either I misinterpreted them, or the information was not correct.

I believe the part number I am looking for is 93P5675. If I am wrong, please correct me. I don't want to open my display to look for PN until the new one will arrive.

I found this part number on the service manual. But I need to ask, since I see that PNs 93P5669 93P5671 and 93P5673 are also selling as IPS panels on ebay.

Moreover, the specifications of some items are listed as this: FRU: 93P5674, PN/ASM: 93P5675, Sub-FRU: 93P5669. This is very confusing.

 

I believe some time during the summer of last year, Lenovo changed the IPS screens used on the X220 due to ghosting complaints; the new ones have far less of a burn-in effect than the older panels. I don't know the relevant part numbers, though, unfortunately. erik might have an idea, though.

 

Shouldn't Lenovo put the new part numbers in the service manual, then?

 

Not necessarily.

 

Ok folks, I did some research, and here is what I found.

It seems Lenovo used an improved (premium) screen starting with august of 2011.

At first, this improved screen had the same OEM part number as the previous one.
But soon after, they changed the OEM part number also ( 04W3462).

For further information, see this guy's post (the sixth post on the page, also check his previous post).

LG's part number is LP125WH2(SL)(B1). According to another post of the same guy (the 12th post on the page), this part number is the only one used for the premium screens of X220 notebooks.
As I understand, there were LP125WH2(SL)(B1) with both OEM FRU: 93P5675 and 04W3462 afterwards. This raises one question: If I want to buy a LG screen with no OEM part number, how do I know it's the improved one?

I mentioned all these for future reference, in case someone else needs to replace/upgrade the screen as well.

Now, back to my screen:
Apparently, I have the newer type - it is in working condition and I don't have much to complain about it, regarding bleeding and ghosting. However, the reason I want to change it is that suddenly some white spots appeared on the display, (you can see that in the attachement picture, sorry for the poor quality - the picture is made on the back on the display). Usually, spots like these appears when you hit the laptop on the back panel of the display (I know that because I owned many Lenovo laptops and with some I was not as nice as I should). But I took good care of this laptop and never hit or dropped it. As you can see here and here, there are others reporting unusual white spots. They are more obvious on clear background, and even if they don't show at all on black bacground, they still bother me.
I guess this laptop is not so "business rugged" as it is presented on the review, nor like a tank, as some user say. And I don't know how it passed Milspec tests, because yes, you need to treat it with kid gloves.

My only concern is that if I will buy a new display anyway, I don't want to get one with problems. It's better to ask twice before buying once (hopefully ).

Should I go with this FRU and buy the same type, or you have better suggestions?

I bought the laptop from someone, it is slighly used and in perfect condition; it still has over half a year of warranty left. I don't know if the warranty is transmissible, but even if it is, I wouldn't bother with it; this means sending the laptop to service, so no laptop for several weeks... I think.

Thank you.

PS: I kindly ask a moderator to move the thread to Lenovo / IBM subforum. I am new here and I'm not sure I started the thread on the right area.

 

The bright spots seem to be a common issue in the Lenovo forums. My May build with the original version screen has much larger ones than yours. Where are you located that service takes a few weeks? In the states, even with the depot warranty service time is a couple days if they have the part, which you can verify before sending it in. Better yet, I usually have a local warranty provider do the work and only have to give up the machine for an hour or so.

There's nothing wrong with the ruggedness of the machine. These are defects coming from LG.

Don't bother buying one yourself. All the ones on ebay are the original p/n with ghosting issues.

 

your system is under warranty so i'd suggest using it.   it's silly to pay for it yourself and risk buying an old panel from ebay.   warranty is transferable.   if not being without your system for a week or two is important then use the money you would have spent on ebay and upgrade to an on-site warranty.

there are revised panels with the old FRU number, btw.   on these the date code is the only way to know if the panel has been revised.   the cutoff was approximately week 3, august 2011.

all 04W3462 panels have been revised.

when the HMM is revised the number will likely be updated.   if you order the old part number from IBM it will automatically be substituted in the system anyway and you'll receive the new number.

 

I have the new panel and a couple of bright dots in an X220 built in October. It travels in a Pelican case so I seriously doubt a build quality problem with the chassis or lid. It is more likely a design fault with the display.

I moved the thread with a temporary redirect, as you requested. Sorry this didn't get taken care of earlier.

 

Thank you for your answer, it has been very helpful.
I contacted a Lenovo autorised warranty service provider today, by e-mail. Let's hope they can solve my problem. If not, I will have to do it in the good ol'way

Maybe, maybe not. They are very faint in that picture, it's the best result I could get to make the spots visible (they are very hard to catch on camera). However, they still bother me.

What if it isn't LG's fault? What if Lenovo didn't manage to get a case panel strong enough to protect the laptop at slight shocks at least?
You can see in the attached pictures that the screen has a rubber band protection only in the middle. The rest is quite unprotected. A friend of mine has an ASUS (yes, I know, a consumer laptop) with a case so strong that you cannot even flex the dipslay. Sony VAIO Z and P series, which seems quite fragile, have a stronger display case than X220.

I saw many displays with only LG's PN. However, I saw a few with oem revised PN also (04W3462), but they are a little bit expensive.
But, as you suggested, I will try first to replace the screen on warranty.

LE: ALLurGroceries, thank you for your answer and for moving the thread.

 

You have to be careful buying from Ebay, even ones specifically listed as an IPS panel. I found out the hard way when I retrofitted my E6220 with the X220 IPS panel. I contacted the seller he even assured me it's the same screen and works with the X220. Sure it was an LG screen and worked, but it was a TN panel, looked more washed out than my the original screen on the E6220! Fortunately he took it back even paid for my return shipping. I then contacted couple other sellers, all had no idea if what they're selling is an IPS panel. Finally I made absolutely sure with this one seller that I'll be getting exactly an LP125WH2(SL)(B1), not a compatible screen but exactly that part number, he assured me that it is. And it is. It's a beautiful screen. I can see some light leak on the bottom on a dark background but I'm not going to sweat it. FYI the seller who sent me a TN panel has other listings including "Samsung IPS" panels for the X220.

 

Yeah buying 'compatible' screens is always the problem. I never buy a screen unless I see pics of the label and the seller agrees in advance to accept a return if anything is not right. It is a headache.

 

It's not unprotected. The X series use the display lid cover to protect the LCD. That's been the case for every X series produced. I have no idea what that black patch in the center is, but I doubt it's in any way a central part of the LCD protection.

 

I know that's been the case for every X series, but the protection for X220 is one of the worst, imho. And I owned several thinkpads, many of them X-s.

I am convinced that the "black patch" is for protection, it's some kind of shock absorber. And I think the display lid should be tougher.

However, I can live with that, but I am not so convinced that the bright spots are caused by faulty LCDs and not by slight shocks or pressure applied on the lid.

 

Ever own an X40? Personally I think that the lid protection on the X40 was the worst of the X series thus far; the number of screens with pressure-related damage that I've seen on X40s that I've serviced is way in excess of the count for similarly-damaged X6x/X20x machines. Now it's true, the X40 is older, so that might have something to do with it, but still -- I think that X40 was particularly bad in this regard.

Perhaps you could ask Mark K. about the purpose of that black spot. I haven't done an LCD replacement in an X220 yet, so I don't really know what to think. I just think it would be strange addition, that's all.

 

Yes, I did own an X40, in fact, I still have it.
I have to disagree... to me, the X40 dislay lid is more solid than the one of X220.

I have it for six years now, and yes it has one single bright spot, I don't even remember how long ago it appeared because I use this laptop lately mainly to diagnose my car, but a single spot in six years is acceptable, in my opinion.

I also have a Dell C400, it's a similar laptop but older. Amazingly, its screen is intact. (I also have even older Dells, e.g. two CPI-Rs, both with intect screens).

So, why almost all Lenovo laptop screens have this issue (more or less), while laptops produced by other brands aren't suffering from this?

Well, I guess the main answer is this: poor protection on the lid. More or less.

 

Bright spot is not related to the screen case stiffness. It is more to do with the LCD itself.

 

This doesn't change the severity of the problem. Who else choose LCDs for their laptops, if not Lenovo themselves?

Anyway, my X301 was the only laptop which I didn't treat so gentle as I should. I remember several times when (not so heavy) things that were supposed to land on the sofa, landed on the laptop instead. It developed instantly birght spots on the hit-point.

This is unlikely to happen to laptops with thicker boot lid, or with an improved protection. In an earlier post, I talked about an ASUS with thicker lid that never developed bright spots. Ok, that was not an ultraportable. But the C400 was.

Anyway, it's excusable for X301, beacause it took (unintentional) hits. But for X220, it's not.

I even thought about disassembling the lid and mounting a metal foil (as thicker as it needs to be, in order to fit inside), to protect the screen. But I will not try that until the warranty will expire.

 

you're making a broad assumption based on a single point of data.   having seen literally hundreds of 15" UXGA panels develop focused bright spots over the years (irrespective of perceptible backlight bleed along edges and in corners), i can say with absolute definitive certainty that this anomaly not directly related to protection.

the X220 has no less protection than any X-series thinkpad before it.   that's a provable fact.   thicker materials aren't inherently stronger or more rigid.   there are many factors to consider including the composite or alloy used, size, and shape.

engineering discussion aside, your LCD is covered under warranty.   as i recommended before, you're best served by calling lenovo support and requesting it be replaced.   adding a layer of aluminum foil isn't going to increase structural rigidity or protection one bit.   you're chasing down the wrong path here.

call support.   guessing won't fix your system.

 

Interesting. Care to venture a theory on why I've run into so many X40s with spots towards the center of the screen?

(And yes, "careless users" is definitely a possibility! )

 

First of al, it's not an assumption, it's a finding. Please keep in mind that I am not one of those users that are saying "this laptop has many bugs, I am done with Lenovo". I bought their laptops since the IBM era and the classic (and classy) Thinkpad series is defining me, even if, meanwhile, I owned several laptops made by other brands. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't have to be upset. On the contrary, I think I have the right to be.

That's a good point. Bright spots that are developed over the years are excusable. But my laptop was manufactured several months ago, and after another several months, the warranty will expire. I don't think I can extend it (although I am still waiting for an answer for this from my local dealer). So what will I do if the new screen will develop bright spots again in less than a year? I will replace it out of my own pocket, as I wanted to do this in the first place anyway. But what if that screen will fail in the same way, too?

I admit, there are many what ifs, but what I am trying to say is: poor protection or buggy screens, this is not an excuse for bright spots that are affecting us, customers, after all.

That may be, or may not be correct. Thicker materials may be stronger and more rigid, that depends of how thick they are. The magnesium alloy lid is thicker than a simple sheet of plain paper. But hit the screen hard when it's protected by the lid, and then hit it hard when it's protected by a thick book.

Yes, I know, the example above isn't quite correct, because when it comes to laptops, and especially ultraportables, size and weight are two important factors. But I think the problem of the much praised magnesium alloy lid is its flexibility. It is not as rigid as those made by cheap plastic, and if you accidentally hit the lid, the shock will eventually be taken by the screen itself.

I already did that, and I have to thank you for this. I hope the new screen will be better and won't have the same issues.

 

i'd hypothesize (not theorize) that heavy objects stacked on a notebook can cause defects.   the X40 was one of the lightest notebooks ever made and simply not intended for as much punishment as a full-size system.   focused bright spots aren't directly related to protection (or lack thereof).   if i'd hypothesize anything i'd say that's either due to an internal pressure (cable, broken plastic, etc.), physical damage from the front, or manufacturing defect in the display itself.

the assumption in reference was that all bright spots are due to a lack of protection based on one acer system you've found the anomaly.   my point was not to let this single point of data draw a broad conclusion.   one issue doesn't make a pandemic.

it's completely fair to be upset.   i'm only recommending not letting one anomaly drive your entire hypothesis.   more data is needed.

you can extend your warranty directly through lenovo.   here's the link: http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/config.workflow:StartWarranty

your dealer isn't needed for this process.

 

I didn't think to check the panel models. Huh. I should have checked if they were the same across all of the affected X40s.

I did think that it might be cables, etc. pressing on the back of the screen, but there aren't many things behind the affected area, really just the screen cable.

You're probably right about it being a weight thing. The spots were almost always in the center of the screen which (logically) would be the portion of the lid most prone to bowing under pressure, and the laptop's owners definitely didn't baby them...

 

Can you tell me which Pelican case you're storing your x220 in? I have my eye on the 1075CC, but there are no local retailers, so I'll have to order online. The dimensions they list for the laptop sizes that will fit are fractions of an inch smaller than the measurements I get for my laptop (12" X 8 1/8" X 1 1/8"). I'll be carrying the case in my backpack, so the smaller, less bulky the case the better.

Thanks.

 

jrm222, it's the Pelican 1080CC. It fits with the 9 cell, but it won't fit any accessories like another 6 cell or ac adapter in there.

That's fine for me since the 1080CC fits perfectly into the laptop compartments of both my Ogio Nyquist backpack and Jack Pack messenger bag.

It does NOT fit with the 6 cell slice, the case is just barely too short. You can probably get the regular 1080 without the computer lining if you want to fit it with the slice.

I put the slice in a separate compartment, and it hotplugs just fine.

 

Thanks AllurGroceries. ...much appreciated.