Pictures of X200AFFS-X200 equipped with Flexview screen

That's very interesting. HT121WX2 is not listed on the BOE-Hydis website, so I'm inclined to believe that it's an old model. Also, the flickering may be due to the inverter not supplying a big enough voltage to the LCD.
A display is LED if it doesn't have the plug at the bottom to plug into the inverter, so I don't believe that it has LED either.

 

After reading all the success from these posts, I decided to go ahead and try this install on my X200.

I shopped around and bought a used BOE-HYDIS HV121X4-110 from Ebay (RAKI Computers, Houston) for $119.99. I missed the original Ebay posting, so I called them up and they still had some in stock. It came with the WACOM digitizer attached.

Replacing the LCD was pretty easy. I took my time and removed everything slowly (about 30min).

Lenovo Support has a great video on how to disassemble and assemble the LCD.

http://www.lenovoservicetraining.com...200/index.html

Step 1: Disassembling the bezel
Remove the three screw caps and screws. The bezel pops out very easily.

Step 2: Unscrew and detach the inverter card (at the bottom) from the LCD. I didn't pull out the card completely since the flat cable and little chip attached to it prevented me from doing so. So I just left it in place.

Step 3: Unscrew the 6 support screws from the LCD.

Step 4: Detach the "Thinklight" and webcam at the top.
There is no need to unplug the webcam, just leave it attached to the flat cable.

Step 5: Detach the microphone (on the left) and loosen the antenna cables. Don't try to lift out the LCD yet. Just unhook the cables by sliding them around the hinges and moving the LCD from side to side.

Step 6: Lift the LCD halfway up (see picture) and gently remove the tape and unplug the 20 pin connector. You can now lift out the LCD.

Step 7: Swap the mounting brackets
The mounting brackets that come with the replacement LCD are not the same as the ones in the X200. Just swap the mounting brackets from the original LCD.

To install the new LCD, just follow these steps in reverse order.

I wanted to keep the "matte layer" on the front, so I didn't bother removing the WACOM digitizer. The card at the back fits flush when you screw down the LCD. But I can see how you could unglue the card at the back, and unplug and cut the digitizer cables. I was worried about having an exposed glossy and glass screen if i removed the protective layer and 4-wire mesh digitizer on the front.
As a result, my bezel doesn't exactly fit flush around the sides. Not a really big deal, you can use some double sided tape to keep it down. BAD IDEA. I later found out the lid doesn't close properly. I will probably take the digitizer out afterall.

I am really satsified with the new screen. The viewing angles are much much better than the factory LCD and the colours are much more vibrant and natural.

Attached are some pictures from my install to help you if you choose to attempt this yourself.

Good luck and thanks to all who have inspired this great upgrade!

 

Nice post. Enjoy the screen!

 

Zephir and Cooltoriz:

Do you have to remove the entire top glass from the screen to make it fit? I removed the digitizer card at the back and cut the cables but I still cannot get the case to close properly.

After reading the dimensional specs for
Original X200 LCD - AU Optronics Part: B121EW03
Outline Dimensions (mm): 275.8 x 178.0 x 4.9

BOE-HYDIS HV121WX4-110
Outline Dimension (mm) 275.8 × 178.0 × 6.4(typ)(6.7 Max)

It is 1.5mm thicker! So it is not a wonder that it doesn't fit.

Attached are some pictures demonstrating the problem.
At first, I thought you just needed to take off the thin cover layer attached to the wire mesh and digitizer cable and not the entire glass. Before I take off the entire top glass, I just wanted make sure that's what I need to do.

Thanks for your help!

 

Clix200 - yes, the writing surface has to be removed.

 

Thanks Erik.

Just to complete my screen replacement saga, I successfully removed the writing surface (at the expense of the writing surface itself). It is really delicate and glued on around the edges with double sided tape really well. I used a thin nail file to poke through all the black glue tape until I could loosen the glass and remove it. After that, the tape peels off very easily.

As you can see, the writing surface glass got cracked during the process but you can carefully poke through without touching or damaging the LCD screen. Just make sure you loosen all the tape before taking off the glass.

The actual screen is "glossy jet black" and much much clearer without the writing surface.

Once again, here are some pics to help you out. This screen replacement is really worth the effort.

 

the digitizer is the printed RFID panel on the back of the display.   what you removed was simply the writing surface.   the digitizer, if still in place on a tablet, can function without that surface -- you'd just scratch your display without it.

it's a nomenclature detail but an important one nonetheless.   when people say to remove a digitizer, i just want to make sure everyone's referring to the correct part.

in any case, it's good to see you got the writing surface off of the display.   it's interesting that the widescreen panels are glossy underneath.   the X60/X61 panels are matte.

even though i prefer the matte 1400x1050 display on my X61s, i just might have to build an X200 one of these days.   i only use it to check email and surf while on the road so the lower resolution may be a non-issue.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this particular tablet display designed for Gateway tablets? If so, that would explain the reason for the gloss coating. Further, my x200 Tablet display isn't 100% matte either as I do get a few reflections (I think caused by light reflecting off the polycarbonate writing surface), but I definitely wouldn't call it Glossy.

 

I have the PVA panel without the digitizer and it is glossy. The digitizer on your tablet hides this. I also have the AFFS panel with the digitizer and the digitizer definitely hides the fact that the panel beneath is glossy.

 

I removed the glass panel before I installed it on my laptop. And, I did it in my car =; )
I think that it is dangerous to remove it while the LCD is attached to the laptop because you can't freely move the LCD. When I did, I stood the LCD up vertically and moved my knife from top to bottom. This way, you don't need to push too hard.

Anyway, congratulate!

 

The top of the screen isn't the digitizer. It is simply a matte-surfaced glass layer. The screen itself is glossy for both the PVA and AFFS panel. The digitizer, as erik points out, is the circuit board on the back of the laptop, and the silver sheet is the writing surface.

 

True. I was referring to both the circuit board on the rear of the panel and the glass layer on the front of the panel as "the digitizer".

My point was just to say that both the PVA and AFFS panels are indeed glossy.

I think I would prefer a matte AFFS panel, but I won't be picky

 

I just saw this topic and I really have to comment

Nice work zephir!

I really hated the limited screen options from Lenovo. It's either good + expensive Tablet or TN crap.

The work you did is just perfect!!! Lenovo should hire you and pay you $300,000 (that is, August 2009 dollars*) to think for them, because apparently they can't do that themselves anymore.

Perhaps I'll shamelessly copy your mod one day. Hmmm.. X200 + 9 cell battery + X25-M SSD + AFFS screen = utopia (well, except for not being 1400x1050 )

Any way; many thanks and keep the good work coming! (Btw; do you accept orders for the modding work?)

*Before the hyperinflation of the USD

 

Thanks for your comment
I don't really think that I deserve $300,000 a year simply for looking up spec sheet of the screen and compare pinout .
Also, I had that exact config that you were dreaming of, and let me tell you, it was really like heaven. Unfortunately the Intel SSD relegated to desktop, so I has to replace it with a Samsung MLC 2nd gen SSD (220/200MB/sec sequential read/write) but there isn't much difference in responsiveness. Thank god that the X200 supports full SATA-II speed.
Unfortunately I'm not too confident in my ability to perform commercial modding, so I can't accept your order . But if you need guide through out the process, feel free to ask or PM me.

PS: If you're interested in a X61s with SXGA+, try to contact Erik from thinkpads.com forum. He'll definitely be able to help you, and he does commercial modding if you need it as well

 

no, take the $300k.   it would give me a good argument for a pay raise.

i hear that guy's a jerk, doesn't help people out, posts misinformation, and breaks a lot of hardware.   lol

in all seriousness, here are some relevant links:
  http://lenovoblogs.com/connections/?p=59
  http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=64002


ok... back on topic.

 

Are you that same jerk? Does the mod work for a x200s? If you do commercial modding how much does it cost to mod a x200s with that screen?

 

Only if you have a X200s with CCFL-backlit WXGA screen.

 

So it works with the x200s lenovo is currently selling with 1280x800 screen?

 

snakebite - i might be willing to install your panel.   PM me if you're interested and we'll work something out.


on a side note... has anyone tried to fit the HV121WX5-100 WXGA LED panel in an X200s that original shipped with the WXGA+ LED panel?   i haven't seen the BOE-hydis LED tablet panels to know if they're any good.   the datasheet claims 178° viewing angles in both directions, 450:1 contrast, and 220 cd/m² max brightness.

i'd need to compare datasheets of the two to see if this is possible.   time to hunt down the X200s' display datasheet...

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=4679039&postcount=15
On a related note, the LED-backlit AFFS+ screen is even nicer than the CCFL-backlit AFFS screen. BOE-Hydis actually improve their technology with the LED panel. I have seen both first-hand.
I now have a HV121WX6 spare panel, waiting for the right Thinkpad to mod it in. Some hope flares up when Lenovo Canada list the X200 with LED-backlit WXGA screen and T9600, but it's been fixed since then and doesn't seem to have a chance of reappearing.

 

If they just had a WXGA+ AFFS LED backlight panel

 

sounds like it just needs a 1:1 jumper harness fabricated to make the cable fit.   did you power up the display using the X200s' inverter and LVDS cable to confirm that it worked otherwise?   have you checked the pinouts on an X200 LVDS cable to see if it would work with the X200s inverter and plug into the HV121WX6?

if you want to send me your parts, i can probably make it work.

 

for t400s? or x200s? if it's available for x200s i would have jumped in the mod...

 

Hi Zephir, I'm curious to know if you are sure about this statement. I tried to upgrade a T500 from a CCFL to an LED screen and the type of connection was totally different coming from the motherboard. One of the LCD screen companies on ebay said you can't go from a CCFL to LED screen.

I don't know who to believe, but I'm all over an x200s with the AFFS boe hyadis mod. Could you please chime in and see if this is possible or not with your level of certainty?

 

i'm afraid you're confused on what zephir said above.   nowhere did he reference going from CCFL to LED.   doing so would require a lot of work and is what we've just recently started discussing in the last few posts, not the 7 pages before it.

the basics are as follows:

X200 w/ CCFL WXGA TN can go to CCFL WXGA AFFS+
X200s w/ CCFL WXGA TN can go to CCFL WXGA AFFS+
X200s w/ LED WXGA+ TN can go to LED WXGA AFFS+ (provided a jumper harness is made)

going from CCFL to LED would require a new LCD housing, bezel, hinge assembly, antenna assembly, and inverter, plus a 1:1 jumper harness to be fabricated to get the LVDS cable to connect properly.

 

Yes, I powered the X200s up with the HV121WX6 screen and it works fine. I just had trouble with reassembly. If you can make a jumper harness to reroute the LCD cable to the connector on the LCD, then it will definitely work.
Unfortunately I sold my X200s upon finding out that I have no way of putting the laptop back with the screen.
Plus, I gave the HV121WX6 screen to my relative, who in turn swapped the S-PVA panel originally in his X200t with the BOE-Hydis panel. That works great as well.

 

Like erik said, you're confused about the existence of a X200s with CCFL-backlit screen. Let me assure you, such a configuration of X200s exist. In fact, Lenovo is offering it right now!
Also, there are already people who successfully do the mod on their X200s with CCFL-backlit screen. Refer to this link:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=79103

 

zephir - which display do you think is better, the CCFL HV121WX4 or LED HV121WX6?   the LED panel is 70g lighter and uses less power, but sacrifices 50 contrast points and requires a 40pin jumper harness (which could be a major PITA to make).   i'm somewhat partial to CCFL panels, too, since they seem easier on my eyes after long periods of use.

actually, i may have answered my own question here.   lol

 

As you already said, the number of pins in the LED connector is twice of of the CCFL connector, so fabricating a jumper harness won't be a simple task. On the other hand though, the brightness of the LED panel is quite admirable, and I can reach the same level of brightness of my CCFL panel (50%) with just 30% on the LED panel. Also, I just replaced my the old BOE-Hydis panel on my X200 with another newer BOE-Hydis panel. Why? Well, the old panel has been used for at least 2 years by my previously seller from what I can tell, because the screen has an overall yellow tint to it. The new panel is not that old, so there's no yellow tint. That's a weakness of the CCFL technology itself, while with LED you don't have this problem.
Also, BOE-Hydis improves their panel technology quite a bit with the hv121wx6, and the colors are more vibrant compared to the hv121wx4. The colors also are a little bit "cooler" compared to the warm colors of the hv121wx4, very similar to the cool colors of the SXGA+ AFFS panel.
Because of all the above points, I actually prefer the hv121wx6 panel more. But that isn't to say the hv121wx4 panel is bad in anyway. That's why I'm still using it

 

"easy" is a relative term.   right now it's easy to get all the parts to make an LED-paneled X200 but difficult to make the jumper harness needed to pull this off.   with the pitch of the socket pins being only 0.4mm apart, soldering would be extremely challenging even with good soldering equipment.

 

I actually have high hope that if a X200 with LED-backlit screen is offer, the LCD cable will be the normal kind that go straight up, since only the WXGA+ LED panel is confirmed to have the LCD connector at the bottom.
But who really knows unless somebody actually successfully purchase that configuration on Lenovo Canada website.

 

be very careful with these boe screens with the dig removed. i have this 110 panel now in my sager. after removing the glass the screen has its coating exposed (a almost purplish hue to it) if you are not careful it can be rubbed off fairly easy... i already had this happen from simply using a lightly damp cloth and gently cleaning it some of the coating came right off..

otherwise the boe has a bit of uneven lighting but is FAR FAR better than the garbage toshiba panel (i had the same you guys get)

 

Are you sure?
I clean my screen with LCD cleaning fluid frequently for the past 8 months or so, and I don't see anything being rubbed off. It may be your screen or something.

 

Is 200 nits bright enough for watching videos? I have a 300 nit screen and find that to be notably superior for watching videos.

 

It's bright enough for me. I usually only use it with brightness turned to 50%. Higher contrast means even if the panel is not super bright, details still pop out.

 

You can buy them with digitizer and pull that off or just buy the panel without, right?

 

Unfortunately the screen is used only in tablets, so it's extremely rare to find a panel without the digitizer. You have to take off the digitizer on the back of the panel, in addition to the glass panel on the front (which is used to protect the screen from being scratched with a stylus).

 

Wow, I had no idea this mod was so inexpensive and straightforward. My main laptop is a T61 with an LCD that makes me cry after a few years on a FlexView T42 (which I still use daily at work). I was considering a few options, and having an X200 as a carry around/travel laptop would be awesome. The lack of a touchpad is a big hangup for me. Being able to add the AFFS panel might push me over the edge.

Some questions:

1) Is the display any more delicate/scratchable than a typical glossy LCD panel?

2) Does this affect battery life, either negatively or positively?

3) Have any of you tried one of those matte films over the panel? How did it work out?

4) Does the wifi choice when ordering the laptop make any difference for the mod (in terms of antennas, I guess)?

 

1 - it's a standard LCD panel underneath.   without the writing surface on the front and digitizer on the back, you can't tell it came from a tablet.

2 - it would have the same battery life as what you have now.

3 - not me, personally.   i'd rather live with a glossy panel than be annoyed by dust in between the LCD and matte film.

4 - if you're getting an X200s, the only choice you need to make is in selecting the WXGA CCFL panel rather than the WXGA+ LED panel.   if you're getting an X200, the only panel available right now is CCFL.

 

That is quite a nice screen. I'm pretty underwhelmed by my X200 screen.

I don't get why laptop makers don't offer nicer screens. Isn't stuff supposed to get better as technology improves? I'm sure it's all due to cost cutting but I know a lot of people would pay more to get a good quality screen. It'd be nice to at least have that option without having to hack your own solution.

 

Yes, technology improves, but people get dumber every day (on average).

Plus that screenquality (just like chassis quality) isn't a number. People rather think of xGB ram / x GHz CPU / x inch monitor than about a good quality screen.

 

Are there any shots of the AFFS screen side by side with the original? I understand the X200's screen is particularly bad even for TN, with poor dithering patterns, low contrast, etc. Is the AFFS screen significantly better in colour reproduction and such than nicer TN screens, like the current Macbooks?

 

I don't know about the Macbook, but I've used a Sony laptop before (you may know Sony for high quality screen besides Apple ) and this screen absolutely blows away the screen in the Sony I had.

 

Found this on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.nl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220484875738&_trkparms=tab=Watching

And it comes with a picture:



On the left the so-called Flexview (AFFS I guess) and on the right the standard screen.

 

i wish that the X200 are made in WXGA+ resolution like the X200s and use the AFFS/S-PVA LCD of the X200t, so there is no modification on the user's parts to void the warranty.

 

Yeah, so would I and so would a lot of others

But we already know Lenovo is deaf, so it won't happen.

The 4:3 point is another problem Lenovo ignores. There was plenty demand for the 4:3; even while it had $300 higher price it had a 6 week waiting list!

And then they killed it.... because there was only one producer and Len0v0 wanted to deliver to their customers...

It was the same with the X61 series and screen lottery...

I wonder if they roll the dice on whether or not they make obvious options available or not..

Anyway: so far it seems modding it yourself is the only option.

 

I can understand that the 4:3 versus the 16:10 cases, since to produce a new format would require to maintain a new production lines that specially produces the motherboard, keyboard, casing, etc, which is cost prohibitive not to mention that the 4:3 LCD screens are no longer common, as it would be the only major laptop company to still sell in that format.

The cost of producing the X200 in standard screen ratio would be prohibitive for the end users.

While the screen issue of AFFS and WXGA+ is more within the manufacturer's grasp, since they do use it in their other product lines.

 

the t9600 is listed in the x200 service manual... i dont know if that confirms that the same model with the led screen ever went into production, but i do know that someone recently posted here with an x200 t9500... i dont know if it had an led screen or not though.
there are 2.53 ghz models around on ebay, but thats the p8700. point is there are a lot of models around still that are no longer in production.

i have some questions concerning this mod:

1. why is it that this is the only model of screen this mod has been attempted with? is it not probable that there are other decent screen manufacturers who would have a screen that fits pretty well, perhaps WSXGA+?
i pulled a screen from a random gateway laptop and stuck it into my t32 a while ago, had to attach a new plug for the inverter. but of course those are a decade old.

2. does anyone know if the connector to the motherboard for the screen on the x200 & x200s LED models is different as well? i guess i would assume so, but has anyone tried to simply mod a whole x200s LED screen assembly and all on to an x200?

3. is a potential conversion from the x200 ccfl cables to an led screen a simple matter of a jumper cable? it seems like thats what you all were saying despite the 20 pin difference... is the right pin layout just unknown or is it known and the firmware or something just wouldnt deal with it?

thanks, this is a great mod, even if WSXGA+ or LED is forever impossible, im totally looking forward to trying it!

 

1: no one makes a 12.1" IPS or AFFS display with higher resolution than WXGA.   the only display that will work with minimal effort is the CCFL WXGA panel.   an LED panel will work with LED models but a jumper harness has to be made.   i've investigated this and creating this cable will require VERY precise work.

2: LED models use a completely different inverter.   LED and CCFL parts are not interchangeable.   the socket on the planar (motherboard) is the same but the socket on the panel is markedly different.

3: no.   see #2.   voltages are different.   check the datasheets.