Is a way to tell its a SVGA+ LCD at T43 without OS install?

[Tekken]

I get a T43 2668-4DU without Hard Drive. It boot up in bios and it can clearly tell it has 1.86ghz, 1gb ram and Cd/dvd drive. Screen show 14.1 in and has fingerPrint reader etc... Now, are there an indication or serial that can check on screen without an OS installed?

[rkawakami]

You can plug in the system's TYPE number in here:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... eLenovo.do (enter the seven character TYPE number in the Product Number field)

That tells you that the system shipped with an SXGA+ (1400x1050) panel from the factory but it won't tell you if somebody along the way swapped it out. For that, your best bet may be to access the BIOS and disable the screen expansion option. When enabled, that causes a 640x480 display to expand and fill up the entire 1400x1050 screen. If you turn off the display expansion, then the BIOS screen should take up slightly less than 1/2 of the total width or height (it will be centered so you may have to take a ruler and compare the image to the overall size of the screen).

[Tekken]

Thanks rkawakami for info.. Still, it still hard to tell if its a SXGA or SXGA+ resolution. I should say, I don't have laptop in hand yet. Seller not sure, and told no way to test on without Hard Disk and OS install. I think, i shouldn't risk a 150 bux plus shipping for T43 has SXGA or XGA screen.

[Harryc]

T43's never came with SXGA LCD's...XGA, SXGA+, or UXGA only.

[sjthinkpader]

In the BIOS video section, turn off the expansion option. At next boot time, SXGA+ would give a smaller BIOS screen.

[Tekken]

So, it should smaller then screen with XGA resolution?

[craigmontHunter]

when you get it, The easiest way to tell for sure is download a live CD - puppy linux or DSL and see what resolution it runs at - or you just wait and see what it is when you install xp.

[rkawakami]

So, it should smaller then screen with XGA resolution?

No, not really. What you are looking for is the overall ratio of what the BIOS screen occupies on the screen vs. the full size of the screen. For example, assuming that the system does have the SXGA+ panel, those dimensions will be 1400 x 1050. The unexpanded BIOS screen should be sized at 640 x 480 pixels. That means that if you measure the horizontal distance of the BIOS screen (i.e., 640 pixels) and compare it to the full width of the display panel (1400 pixels), you should see that the BIOS display is a little bit less than 1/2 the width of the screen (i.e. 640 / 1400 or 45%). If that system actually has an XGA panel (1024 x 768) then the unexpanded BIOS screen will take up about 62% of the overall width of the display (640 / 1024). If you've ever seen the difference of the unexpanded BIOS screen between the XGA and SXGA+ panels in person, it's quite evident which is which.

edit: Here's a good example of what to look for:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0455503000

(I'll replace this with a suitable photo of my own when I get a chance..) This is a T23 SXGA+ display showing the BIOS screen unexpanded. If you take a ruler and measure the portion of the bluish BIOS screen and compare that with the full width of the screen, you'll see that it's a little bit less than half. In my case viewing this on my own T23 SXGA+ display, the BIOS screen is exactly 1/2" wide, while the width of the screen in that picture is 1.1". If you do the math (0.5 / 1.1), you'll get 45.45%; exactly what a 640 pixel wide image on a 1400 pixel wide screen would look like.

Note that the auction description says it's a 15" diagonal screen. That's wrong. The T23 only went up to 14.1". Also the TYPE number (2647-5KU) reveals that it shipped from the factory with the SXGA+ panel. And for the people that really know me, no, I'm not bidding on this one as it doesn't have the built-in wireless .

[Tekken]

Thanks again rkawakami for search and provide it detail. I think you can use this info on sticky. I bet people will look for this later on..

[dcouzin]

A simple sure way is to look at a few pixels with a measuring loupe. The 14.1" SXGA+ screen has ~0.20 mm square pixels. The 14.1" SXGA screen has ~2.2 mm square pixels, noticeably different.
Once upon a time all geeks had measuring loupes.

[rkawakami]

The 14.1" SXGA screen has ~2.2 mm square pixels, noticeably different.

Indeed! Even with my bad eyes I think that I could make out something as large as 2.2mm square without reading glasses .