Thinkpads Forum

Dear forum members,

the backlight in the display panel of my 14.1" T61 went out. It's a Samsung XGA panel: LTN141XA-L01. I hoped that a TMD panel might be better than the Samsung, and searched ebay for the part number from the HMM: 42T0367. Found a seller who promised the panel is for a T61. The ebay page also said he might be sending a compatible part. I received a Samsung LTN141XB-L04. The delivery note says it's a XGA panel for Dell. Looked up specs, seems this type was manufactured in 2Q 2004 and is not RoHS. The two wires from the panel to the inverter are about 1.5 inches longer than those on the original LTN141XA-L01. I suppose i could fold the too long wires twice as a workaround. As a result, they will lie tightly pressed against a possibly hot panel steel frame.

Read here on the forum that the wrong panel can blow fuses on the motherboard. Does anyone here have any thoughts on whether the LTN141XB-L04 might work in the T61 or if it could cause damage to the motherboard?

Thank you in advance - georg

It will work. (assuming correct connectors and pin layout) I don't know where people get the idea from that you can't use different displays.

600X wrote: I don't know where people get the idea from that you can't use different displays.

From blowing fuses on the motherboard, for one.

From systems (T60 and later) booting to a blank screen from a missing/blank EDID chip...

@TTY:

I'm in possession of a complete 14" SXGA+ LCD from a T61p, with three wireless antennae. The screen is excellent while the lid itself is so-so. Feel free to drop me a PM if this is something you'd be interested in.

Must have been lucky then. In all my years of display modding, I have never blown a fuse (on the mainboard that is) or encountered any EDID problems.

I've also never had any problems changing screens, as long as they are the same size and LVDS.

600X wrote:Must have been lucky then.

You have been lucky. No doubt about that.

In all my years of display modding, I have never blown a fuse (on the mainboard that is) or encountered any EDID problems.

When you've got nothing better to do, put the screen from A31p into your T60 and let me know how you like the picture...

BTW, I promise that you won't blow anything.

One of the golden rules of display modding is to always stay within the same display generation. Although I'll admit there are, as always, exceptions, such as the Sharp display for the T500.

I'll check to see if the A31p display has a different pin layout than the T60. When I get home, I'll have to first find out which panel number my A31p has.

600X wrote:One of the golden rules of display modding is to always stay within the same display generation. Although I'll admit there are, as always, exceptions, such as the Sharp display for the T500.

Even that can be very iffy...install a Hydis -101 instead of -100 in a T60/p - which is an *exactly* same panel apart from the blank EDID on the former - and see what happens...

I'll check to see if the A31p display has a different pin layout than the T60. When I get home, I'll have to first find out which panel number my A31p has.

The pinout is the same and your A31p most likely sports a first-generation ID Tech FlexView, namely IAUX14S.

The irony behind all of this is that I hardly ever have to mod the displays of older machines, because they already have good displays. It's the newer machines that desperately need some improvements. Or in other words, anything that isn't 4:3. Even my T61 14" XGA display, which many would regard as crappy, is holding up much better than a modern crappy TN.

Luckily, there is a slight reversal of the bad display trend, although that is mostly focusing on IPS and high res and totally ignoring aspect ratio, backlighting etc., which is why many of the new "high res IPS panels" aren't actually that good. (like the 12.5" FHD IPS by LG)

I'll gladly try to install a 101 if you provide me one for free. I'd hate to even think about laying a screwdriver on my A31p as it is in pristine condition and I'd like to keep it that way. I don't have enough experience taking those apart just yet to be sure I don't damage anything. The T60 on the other hand has been completely disassembled dozens of times.

But I'm getting off topic now. Getting back to specifics: Perhaps the last few 4:3 generations (including all T61) are a bit pickier when it comes to swapping displays. My original point was that most ThinkPads and laptops in general can be equipped with a variety of different displays much more easily than most people believe.

I've only attempted one display mod on a 4:3 model (my T61) and that is still in the working. So we'll have to see how that turns out, although initial findings suggest that is is pretty much a straight swap. (at least in my book)