Thinkpads Forum

I'm getting a new T400 through our corporate purchase program... only problem is that we buy the CCFL low-res screens and I really want one of the LED-based hi-res ones. Couple of questions:

1) does anyone have data on what the difference is in power consumption between the two screen variants? I travel almost constantly so extended battery life is a major factor for me (on my existing T60 I keep the CPU locked at lowest speed -- that level of committment to battery).
If it's a few percent then maybe not such a big deal, but if the difference is large this motivates me even more.

2) does anyone have experience replacing/swapping these screens? If I want to go hi-nit/LED, I'm going to have to probably buy the screen separately and then install it myself. I'm a die-hard computer tinkerer, but one thing I've never taken apart is the display component of a laptop. Any thoughts/suggestions on how easy or hard it might be to both acquire the correct screen part (is it just a single P/N that you order from Lenovo?) and to ultimately do the swap?

Are there any problems swapping in a screen from a compatibility standpoint? I'm assuming that the video card doesn't care as long as I configure it properly -- it shouldn't be any different than plugging in an external monitor with a different resolution, right?

thanks...

LCD Service Parts for the T400. At a minimum you're looking at replacing the cable and inverter too. I think the LEDs use a different connector than the CFFLs. I don't know I've never done it on a T400. I swapped the screen in my R60 for an IPS. Took about an hour, but was a straight swap. While I've done a few of them, I'm no savant at it. The hardware maintenance manual, and the support and training website can be a big help too. While the T400 isn't there, seeing it done on another machine may be useful.

OK.. after a bit more reading, I probably don't really need to go the LED route, especially if sticking with CCFL means that the replacement is easier. (I actually have the machine now, and the CCFL based 1200x800 screen is bright enough, but getting that extra 10-15% of resolution is pretty important to me.)

So a couple of questions:

1) is going CCFL --> CCFL significantly easier?
2) what part numbers do I need to be looking for? (WXGA+ CCFL)