T400 screen replacement success...

[ljwobker]

I've seen it asked a few times without any conclusive answers, but for those who are interested, I replaced my stock 1280x800 LCD screen with the 1440x900 version today. Here's a summary of what I can remember for those who may want to give it a shot.

Overall the process was relatively painless. I got the screen from a company called LCDS4LESS.com -- they had reasonable prices and seemed clueful. I read through the hardware maintenence manual for background, but when I actually did the swap I did NOT remove nearly as much stuff as they suggested in the HMM. I ended up only removing the front and rear bezel (six screws total and a bunch of claw-captures around the perimeter). Then I unscrewed the LCD from the frame on one side (you can get to the LCD/frame screws on the right side but not on the left... on the left, I unscrewed the frame from the laptop itself and then you can get to the other set of screws. Don't forget to unplug the inverter wire from the bottom of the LCD panel...

I did NOT disconnect the bluetooth card, nor the camera card. I *did* however disconnect the cable that runs to the camera (at the top of the LCD) as well as "lifting" out the keyboard light. This gave me plenty of slack to gently remove the main cable to the LCD. It took me a little while to figure out how to get it plugged back in without putting any tension on the cable... be patient! Once you have the main cable attached and clipped securely just tape it down, then re-attach the camera cable and the inverter. (pay attention to how the inverter cable is connected so you get it put back in the right place)

Then re-mount the new LCD panel, carefully run the screws back into the LCD frame, and reinstall the frame into the laptop... reboot and you're off and running. (I suggest NOT putting the bezels back on until you know you got it all correct)

if anyone has questions, please ask. I realize (now, too late) that I should have taken some pictures of what I did to make it clearer... but in any case I've proven that with a moderate amount of computer building experience and a little patience (and $175 for the screen....) you can upgrade your 1280x800 CCFL screen to a 1440x900 one. (In case anyone asks "why didn't you just get that screen in the first place?" the answer is that this is a corporate laptop and the good screen wasn't an option for me initially...

[KBAM]

ljwobker,

Nice presentation, thanks. Many are spooked by the prospect of a display 'tweak,' and your step-by-step recap is reassuring.

One question: Did you consider an LED backlight WXGA+ panel as well as CCFL? Wondering how you came to the CCFL decision.

Props!

--BAM

[ZaZ]

It's much more involved to go from CFFL to LED than from CFFL to CFFL.

[ljwobker]

One question: Did you consider an LED backlight WXGA+ panel as well as CCFL? Wondering how you came to the CCFL decision.

Thx for the props. I did consider the LED but as mentioned it's a much more involved upgrade. You have to replace the inverter (CCFLs use AC current and LEDs use DC) and the connector cable for the two types of screens is in a very different place. From my somewhat limited digging around in the guts of my laptop, I think to do the CCFL->LED swap you WOULD have to take the machine almost completely apart and get the entire screen assembly off...

The CCFL screen I ended up with is the samsung one, and I'm pretty happy with it. It's more than bright enough on the highest setting for what I do, and although the viewing angles aren't anywhere near as good as my old 1600x1200 T60p screen, it's a zillion times better than the 1280x800 that I just replaced.

So basically, it was a cost/benefit tradeoff. I also have to work under the constraints of my specific corporate environment... if I drop my laptop or something breaks inside and I have to get it replaced, I'll either have to:
1) put the original screen back in it before I ship it off for repair/replace, then swap again when I get it back.
2) send it back with the new screen and hope that they decide to "repair" rather than "replace" -- this is something we don't have specific control over because of how our IT hardware support model works.

[KBAM]

ljwobker,

Wasn't quite aware that the LED panel required a unique inverter--thanks for explaining. Actually, many seem to prefer CCFL color rendering anyway; still, brightness is high, and power consumption slightly improved with LED lighting (plus longevity, although of little practical import). As usual, trade-offs rule. Maybe the answer is RGB LEDs or OLED displays.

Was your T60p a FlexView unit?

Also wondering why Lenovo can't source the new, high-nit panels in WXGA+ rez. Wouldn't get any work done with less but then, Lenovo's configs never get it right.

Regards,

--BAM

[ljwobker]

I've never owned an LED backlit panel, but the few I've used briefly have seemed nice, but incremental over a decent CCFL. I know they're brighter, but I also don't spend very much time using my laptop in full sunlight so maybe that's just me. My T60p was a flexview, it was marvelous. No clue on the sourcing issues, but the hi rez panels are reasonably close to the technology edge and those things are always hard to come by in large volumes at attractive prices. When I went shopping for mine there was an approx $100 premium between the lower- and higher-res parts, which translates to a LOT of money when you're building thousands of machines with them.

[phdgarfield]

Thanks a ton ljwobker! I tried to do a rough guide myself, based on your experiences...not the best photos, but I hope they help out anyone else who decides to do a screen replacement.

http://meursault.posterous.com/thinkpad ... eplacement
http://meursault.posterous.com/t400-int ... d-assembly

[ljwobker]

awesome job! this is pretty much how I remember it looking. It's really not that hard as long as you have the correct tools, a little patience, and a reasonably steady hand.

[phdgarfield]

I'd have to agree, the only other thing I could note was that the screws were somewhat difficult to remove on the front bezel. Had to focus really hard on not accidentally stripping them.