T61 screen dead.

After just 14 months my T61 14.1” LG wxga+ 1440 x 900 screen no longer lights up. I powered it up tonight and it lit for about a second, then everything went dark. I can see an ever so faint image, but no light at all. Works fine on an external, so it appears that either my screen or the inverter has a problem. Also, as luck would have it, the Lenovo warranty expired two months ago, so I am assuming that I am on my own here. Any help or insight to the questions below would be much appreciated. In the meantime, I will try to enjoy my bittersweet reunion with my 3 laptop ago Pismo.

Is there any way to tell for sure if it is the screen or inverter board, without actually replacing one first? My plan is to replace the inverter first, but would love to know if this can be avoided.

If it is determined that I need a screen, I am confused about exactly what to get. I have herd that it is possible to replace just the backlit bulb. Or is it best to get the LCD panel, or is a complete new top case the way to go?

I have noticed that the price of 14.1” wxga+ screens are priced from ~$80.00 to almost $500.00. This is a pretty wide range and honestly I am not interested in a $300.00+ expense. Is there anything to look out for here? Does anyone have a suggestion for a reliable but inexpensive source for a screen? Also, is there a particular brand that I might want to look for? I was never that impressed with the T61/LG screen, but it did the job so that is something.

Does anyone know if it is possible to put one of the newer led screens on a t61? It seems to me if I am going to replace it anyway, why not. And, if it is possible, does anyone know how to get one, as I haven’t come across any LED replacement screens?

I am pretty good technically, but have no direct experience with this kind of repair on a ThinkPad. I think I could handle it, but would love to get an opinion as to the degree of difficulty involved.

Thank you for any suggestions.

 

If you can see a faint image it would lead me to believe it's the backlight, which can be replaced and it's less expensive than the screen.

 

Thanks for the info. I just remembered that I purchased this laptop on a premium mastercard. Just got off the phone with them and almost can not believe it. They say the will in fact cover the repair as part of their extended warranty protection. omg, sometimes you just get lucky.