Un-Scientific Comparison of x200 LCD Upgrade Options - 110 vs 120 vs stock

Hey guys,

Background
The Thinkpad x200 is compatible with two versions of the BOE Hydis HV121WX4 LCD panel (the HV121WX4-110 which is glossy and the HV121WX4-120 which is matte). Both panels are a significant upgrade over the stock panel in brightness, viewing angles, saturation and overall clarity. Check this thread for instructions on how to complete the upgrade.

Big thanks to zephir, ZaZ, erik and everyone else for the epic information on this very worthwhile upgrade.

The experiment
I'm a little obsessive when it comes to displays, and since I have access to both variations of the the HV121WX4, I wanted to do a side-by-side comparison to show the differences between the three panels for anyone still thinking of performing this upgrade and breathing new life into a great machine.

HV121WX4-110
A glossy beast
This panel is beautiful. The colors are very highly saturated and the overall sharpness of this panel has a tiny edge over the matte version (and a huge leap over the stock). To my eyes, the screen looks incredibly familiar to a Macbook Pro glossy screen (for better or for worse).

The only issue with this screen, as with all glossy screens, is that in certain outdoor/indoor situations where there is moderately bright light you can see reflections and fingerprints on the panel (see photo with flash below). This will be a deal-breaker for some folks and others won't even notice. It's a personal choice.

HV121WX4-120
A professional display
This display is also gorgeous. There are no reflections whatsoever and colors seem a little more neutral (and some would say, "natural") than the 110. Most importantly, working outdoors doesn't turn the machine into a mirror. However, there is a hint less sharpness and saturation than with the glossy panel (which some people appreciate). Others will lean towards this display, if only because they find themselves outside a lot. This version is more difficult to find than the glossy, and really is something special. The viewing angles seemed to be the best of the three (see sample below).

Without further ado, here are some comparison photos of the panels.

1. Dark room, maximum brightness, viewing from an angle:





2. Outdoors, maximum brightness, steep lid angle:





3. Glossy Panel (110) - Example of fingerprints/flash reflection:





4. Matte Panel (120) - Example of impressive viewing angles:




Summary / Lessons Learned
It would have been a lot easier to have two x200's side by side with the 110/120 to make some better comparison shots. Trying to duplicate angles/lighting/etc. made it hard to do a good comparison. Slight variations in cloud/sun for the outdoor shots came across as huge differences in the photos and hence made them useless. Out of hundred shots, in my opinion, only a handful were worthwhile in providing a basis for sound judgment.

Hope you enjoyed the thread and decide to make the leap - regardless of the panel you choose, the upgrade is well worth it.

Thanks again to everyone who has contributed information on this topic over the past year or so.

shu

 

Both are excellent excellent screens. I have the X200 with the 110. It's an excellent screen. I would say at full brightness it looks slightly better than the AFFS LED in my X200t while the LED looks better at medium brightness. Some of this may be because the tablet has a bit of grain to it due to the touch surface, which is more visible at higher brightness levels.

 

This is great info. Thank you. I believe it should also be pointed out that these screens can also be fitted in the X201 but with a little bit more work involved. http://forum.notebookreview.com/len...200affs-x200-equipped-flexview-screen-28.html

 

just to confirm: does this work on X201? And when I do this, I lose all warranty from Lenovo, right?

 

how does the upgrade compare to x200t screen panel?

 

yes and yes.   while the service department MIGHT repair the lower half, they would have the option of refusing service because of the modification.   something like that is handled on a case-by-case basis.

this IS an X200T display.   comparing them would be no different than comparing the various flavors of X200T panels... CCFL AFFS+, CCFL S-PVA, LED AFFS+, LED S-PVA, LED IPS, etc.   the X200 mod shown above uses the CCFL AFFS+ display in particular but also works with the CCFL S-PVA panel.

 

Yes, it does work on the X201 but you need to replace more parts, and yes, you lose warranty (for the display-related stuff only, I guess, right?) - Check the link in my post above.

 

Really doubt that why Lenovo does not provide this as an option for their X200/X201. The screen is definitely beautiful, but in my case, it's not worthy to take that risk

 

And where can these screens be purchased, and for what price? I'm never really been unsatisfied with the stock panel, and mainly use it with a larger monitor anyways. But would be an interesting project to take on, for the right price!

 

I don't know why this is not a factory option. I think the screens are beautiful and would be game-changers for some people making a laptop decision. It must have something to do with the cost.

shu

 

Wow, looks really amazing, default screen looks terrible in comparison. Now I know what to put into my next laptop if it is going to be 12" ThinkPad, money spent well
I dont have problems looking for the sweet spot on my R400 and changing screen angle every time I change my working position or move laptop, however if you get highly mobile and pretty much specced out PREMIUM ultraportable workhorse then I think spending little extra on satisfactory screen is justified and right thing to do!
That way you get perfect laptop !

 

You can check www.boehydis.com for product options and specs, and look at eBay for the product number. They sell anywhere from $25-50 (used) to $100-200 (new or refurb).

I guess Lenovo have corporate agreements with their display suppliers. They cannot fit whichever display we want!

I don't think there are many people who don't buy a TP because of the screen (although most complain)!

Edit: "Un-Scientific Comparison..." - Actually shu90, many users prefer this because some times "scientific" comparisons don't mean much in the real world!

 

i think apart from cost issue is the supply issue of these panels.

 

Thanks fem, hope everyone enjoyed!

Bottom line on the panels is that the 110 and 120 are gorgeous and almost identical: it really comes down to the age old issue of matte vs. glossy - either way hard to lose. Fantastic upgrade!

shu

 

shu90,

It probably doesn't really matter much, or maybe I'm just picky, but I think you could have shown the original screen first followed by the upgraded LCD just to have that "before" and "after" effect.

Other than that, you made a very nice comparison of the LCD screens. It's probably enough to convince me try this after my warranty runs out .

 

Now if only 120 (matte) version wasn't $400 on eBay....

 

Occasionally you do see them for $200, but they go fast at that price.

 

Has anyone thought about an anti-glare screen protector on a glossy screen?

The 1st I found on amazon would be Amazon.com: Lexerd - Epson IM320 12.1" TrueVue Anti-Glare POS Screen Protector: Electronics

It may not be the same as the "native" matte, however it's much cheaper and it gets some protection...

PS: Thanks shu90!

 

Great pictures shu90! They really show the awesome screen in more detail. I have to admit that my original pictures suck since I don't have a very nice camera. These should push more people to perform the mod to make the X200 even more desirable.

 

Out of curiosity, have any of the x201 owners compared the power draw of their laptop before and after the modification?

x201 comes with a LED backlight, which is supposed to be more power efficient than CCFL. I wonder how much difference it actually makes...

 

You're right. The problem was that I didn't take enough photos of the original screen and after doing the 110/120 swap four or five times I started to stress some of the parts and had to call it quits. I have thick hands and no patience! Hah.. this type of delicate work is not for me.

Don't give up, and check often.


shu

 

comparing BOE Hydis panels, the CCFL version is about 4.6W versus the LED at about 3.6W.   dropping 1W off your power draw will equate to approximately 15 to 30 minutes of runtime depending on display brightness.

all things considered, you probably won't notice it (or care about it) given the improvement in display quality.