Thinkpads Forum

Hi all

This is probably a similar subject to the recent ongoing "Why do IPS go dim.." thread, but I am starting a new one to avoid hijacking that thread.

Ever since I bought my T60 15" Flexview earlier this summer, I have suspected the screen to be dimmer than I am used to from my other laptops. (Both IPS and non-IPS ones) So today I sat down and compared the T60 to my old T43 15" Flexview side by side, and I noticed that there was a huge difference from the T43. The T60 was probably 2-3 brightness-steps dimmer, and compared to the T43, it had a noticeable red tint. I adjusted the colors a little bit to get rid of the pink tint, but I guess this is the sign that the CCFL is about to to go out, and that the screen is coming towards the end of it's useful life.

I am however a bit surprised that the T43 is still so bright. It has definitely been used (and abused) more by both me and previous users, and it wasn't until a couple of years ago that I started setting lower time limits in the power manager to preserve my screen better.

So the questions are: How long does the screens work after they get this tint? I have already started looking into getting a replacement screen, and I think I read something here about someone that sold T60 15" LCD IPS/Flexview screens. Any recommendations about this seller and any way of contacting him would be appreciated.

I would also be interested in looking into the process of maybe changing the CCFL in the old screen my self. But since this is my main laptop, I need a replacement screen as a back up in case I damage the old screen.

Thank you!

I have seen screens go dead as soon as they start to turn red and have seen them last for a year or more.

You will get other opinions, but I think changing the bulb is a poor project. I can certainly do it, but I have quit because I find it almost impossible to get satisfactory results. Replacement bulbs tend to be 1 mm shorter than the originals to make them easier to fit into the track. Thay yields shadows in the lower corners. Also, screens are manufactured in a clean room. I always end up with a couple of specs of dust inside.

Are you looking for SXGA+ or UXGA? I am out of town, but I think I have a real, new T60 OEM 15" SXGA+ panel at home. I will get back there next Sunday. PM me if interested

Thanks for the feedback and the offer. I have 1400x1050, which is the SXGA+ panel. So your panel seems to be a 100% match. A brand new panel? I will send you a PM tomorrow.

Changing the CCFL myself will be more or less like an experiment to see if I can actually do it. But it's probably just a waste of a new bulb and an otherwise repairable (by professionals, that is) IPS panel. So in the light of other people's bad experiences, I might skip that. Visible dust and shadows would only be acceptable on an old machine where new parts were unavailable, and doing this was the only option. But not on my newest, every day laptop.

FIY: I managed to find the link to the other panels for sale that I was talking about: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... 1&p=579160 But these were UXGA panels, and they appear to be all sold now.

Read my HOW TO replace a CCFL/Backlight in your LCD

If you're looking for a UXGA panel, there's some here on ebay. I was thinking of picking one up myself along with an inexpensive R60 or R60e.

Ok, thanks for the links, both of you.

The UXGA could be interesting, but are there other differences/advantages with the UXGA panel over the SXGA+ panel, except for the increased resolution? The resolution alone is no reason for me to buy an UXGA panel, as I find even the 1400x1050 SXGA+ resolution to be a little too much on the laptop monitor. Things get very small, and the few times I have experimented with these high resolutions, I found them to be tiring over time, as I have to focus more to read and see things.

But if there are other advantages, such as better colors, longer life, less dimming over time, etc, UXGA could be an interesting option.

The LG panel, which is the most common SXGA+ panel, is known to dim/yellow more over time than the UXGA. If you're running Vista or Windows 7, those are pretty good at making things larger using the DPI adjustment. It doesn't work quite as well in XP.

And the UXGA is plug and play in my T60? No new LCD cable or other modifications needed?

If it's true that these panels past longer, that alone could be reason enough for me to go the UXGA way. I am a little disappointed over my present panel. The T60 is an "only" 3 year old computer, and unless my T43 has had it's LCD replaced by the previous owner, that screen has survived a lot more hours of use than my T60 screen has. And it's still much brighter and better. They are both SXGA+.

While that's the general trend any one individual panel can have its own story.

That's true. One can never be certain about anything, so I am not looking for definite answers. But what works good for most other people is more likely to work good for me as well. And apart from the fact that my present panel is slightly dim, I am very happy with my IPS screens, and wouldn't swap them for non-IPS screens.

From earlier discussions it seems like the UXGA panel is plug n play in my SXGA+ T60, so I will look into buying such a panel. I would prefer to not buy it on eBay, so when I am back in the US in mid-September, I will try a WTB ad on the marketplace here on this forum first.

Also, the dimming/yellowing has been observed on a large sample set of LG SXGA+ panels, and seems pretty consistent. However, even after 3 years these panels typically remain bright enough, and the yellowing will be really noticed only in comparison.

What you have here (reddish tint, lower brightness than even older T43) seems to be a totally different effect, which is unrelated to the general phenomenon of LG SXGA+ IPS screens. Like Fred said, any individual panel can have its own story.

I haven't seen any of these examples, so it's hard to tell. All I know is that I can see the yellowing effect on my older laptops, especially the T30, and that seems to be a different kind of "discoloring" than here. But if my red tint really is the red glow that the CCFL gives before it goes out, or if it's caused by some odd effect or even a defect in the LCD itself is hard to tell.

Anyway, just like the other screens you mention, my screen is also bright enough to work with still. Right now it's turned down to brightness level 6 of 7, and if it stays like this, I really don't need any new screen. But to be on the safe side, I will get a replacement panel, probably UXGA, so I am not left stranded if my CCFL does go out.