Thinkpads Forum

Hi,

my T61 6460-D6G LCD screen backlight has just died (replaced the inverter, still dark) and I don't want to do the complicated repair for the back light, so I figured might as well buy a new screen. I can see the thinkpad logo still very faint on the screen at startup, so I'm pretty sure that it is just the backlight and not the LED or GPU.
The one I have is 15.4 inches and 1680 x 1050 and I could just replace that, but have been looking at the higher resolution ones.
The machine I use has a NVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M - 128 MB.
What I currently have is a WSXGA+ (partnumer ltn154p2-l05 is written on it) and I would love to get a WUXGA (1920 x 1200).
From this webpage,
https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/pd005070
I see that these higher resolution screens WUXGA have the part numbers 42T0408 (samsung screen) and 42T0361 (LG screen)

My questions:
1. Can I use the higher resolution WUXGA screen with my T61? They all seem to be pretty interchangeable, but I just want to make sure before I buy it.
here two products that I'm eyeing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-Lenovo-T61- ... SwZ8ZW8u57
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003T ... EC1VV96LRL

2. What is likely the difference between the LG and Samsung screens?
3. What LCD tech uses my original screen? IPS or TN? I see it mentioned nowhere.
4. How do these screens communicate the resolution to the mainboard? Will I have problems that they won't run at the proper resolution not using an original lenovo screen?
5. I'm not familiar with the connector (which is like 30 pin or something), is there any configuration needed or can you just plug it in?

Any pointers are appreciated.

Markus

Welcome to the forum.
On average (at least the older) Samsung screens are the least liked on this forum.
Of the 2 mentioned, most would prefer the LG one.
Personally I would put in a Sharp WUXGA as used in the likes of Dell D800 and others.
Search e.g. on eBay for LQ154M1LW2A or LQ154M1LW02, those two are guaranteed to please.
Those screens have some brackets on top and bottom that first need to be carefully removed.
You can use e.g. sturdy wire clippers for that.
Make sure you do NOT bend the metal frame around the LCD in any way!
Or you can use good old Dremel with a cutting wheel.
Make sure to cover the LCD properly first, to avoid the metal dust!
You can leave ~2mm leftovers from those brackets.
Don't bother to "smooth" the leftovers, you'd only risk bending the frame and/or cracking the LCD.
After that it's a drop-in replacement.
T61 uses the same cable/inverter for all resolutions.

Also, Dell screens are a lot cheaper than IBM/Lenovo screens!

Thanks for the tips. I had no idea that these screens were so interchangeable.
I thought that most were only compatible with the own manufacturer.
Are they all compatible or how can you tell? By the connector? How many pins it has?

You'll need to compare LCD-cable-connector location and type, but most important: the exact pinout compatibility.
That's where spec sheets come in handy.

Thanks so much for your contribution, I ordered a LQ154M1LW02 and it should arrive in a week.

Sadly, that display does not work for my T61.
I just received it and it stays dark for 12 seconds, like the Laptop is trying to figure out what to do with it, then it shows the milky blurry pictures I attached as dropbox links. There are no recognizable pixels or anything. Is there a special configuration or thing I can do? How do you know this screen works with a Lenovo T61?
The connector looks slightly different, I measured it and it had the same length, but plugging in the cable was not as easy as doing it with my original screen.
The video card and display connector are OK, I tried it with the old display, that I had the new back light installed and butchered it badly doing it. (it now has a nasty uneven backlighting with dark and light spots)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/swroddhburpvx ... 8.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vh1m983x2hu8m ... 6.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g6jmlk5k270c9 ... 0.jpg?dl=0

I'm kind of bummed, as I was looking forward to the higher resolution and how great the display would look after you recommended it.
I wonder if maybe the display is DOA, I bought it via ebay and the seller said that it is seller refurbished. How can I tell if is in working condition?

I have put several of those screens in 15.4" T61, T500 and R500.
Did you check your screen upon arrival?
You may have damaged it when you cut off the brackets.
Or the LCD-cable has dirty contacts.

That is odd, you saw the pictures right? I appreciate that at least you had success with them before and that they are supposed to work.
The contacts don't look dirty, but I will especially clean them. I did, of course, since I have a lot of experience in Hardware NOT YET removed the metal pieces, as I first wanted to see if it would work. I have assembled many PCs and found that if I automatically assume they work, and put everything already together, they sometimes don't, therefore it is wise to do a test BEFORE putting everything together.
I have a Dell D600, can I try the Display on that device to see if it does indeed work or is defective?
I understand that it is meant for a D800.

I would appreciate any idea what I could try, have you seen fuzzy pictures like this on displays before like I showed on the pics? I have not really any experience changing LCDs internally, so there might be other things I can try. The connector definitely did not just slide in as easy like it did from the original screen.
I will make pictures from the connector.

I have seen white pix like yours, but that's a while ago, and I can't remember what caused it.
I would try another inverter and/or another LCD-cable (any T60/T61 cable, even 14.1").
If neither works, then I guess the screen was DOA.
May have been damaged during transport.
USPS is not known for gentle handling, especially it a package is marked GLASS or FRAGILE.

So I am writing this here on my old Screen that I barely could fix, on the T61, so I the LCD cable does work, so does the Inverter. If it works for my old LTN154P2-L05 screen (1680 x 1050) screen, then that is 100% proof that the Cable and the inverter is proper and working I guess.
It might be DOA.

Thanks RBS, I have one of the Dell screens coming to me.
Next the trick of opening the cover to replace the screen.

And, how did it go? Could you replace it?

I've been busy.
Screen is still in the box.
I'm getting up the nerve to do surgery on the lid to replace the screen.

update.
I'm also holding off to get a Bluetooth 4 module, to put into the lid.
That way I go into the lid just once.