Thinkpads Forum

I Have a T500 and my LCD is WXGA (1280*800) and i want to know is it possible to upgrade it to WSXGA+ (1680*1050) LCD ???
Thanks .

I would like to know this as well. I have been looking into this for some time, but I have not found a conclusive answer. Is there some kind of list available with all the compatible panels and displays for the 400/500 series?

Its probably possible, but even you have the skill to do it yourself it will void your warranty for sure. You would probably be better off selling that laptop and buying one with a WSXGA+ screen.

Look in the Hardware Maintenance Manual for compatible parts. It also shows how to do it. If you've got the LED LCD I believe you must change the cable and inverter in addition to the LCD.

Alright, I have looked into the Hardware Maintenance Manuals of the T500 and W500, the R400 and T400 and the T61 (15,4") series.

I have compared all the other types against my T500, so when I write that the T400 and R400 arent compatible, that means thay they are not compatible with the T500.

The result is the following schematic, which I hope someone will confirm:

Inverter :

• T500, W500,T61 : all types compatible (41W1338 (Foxconn) or 13R1015 (TW Sumida))
• not compatible with these: T400, R400

Magnesium parts etc :

• Within the T500 and W500 models, these are all the same, like with the inverters.
• The same goes for the T61

LCD Cable :

• The T500 and W500 models all use the same cables. (44C5385)
• The T61 etc. all use the same cables, but they differ (at least in FRU) from the 500 series. (93P4513)
  [This is of course logical, because the internal wiring of the T61 differs from the T500 (the parts of the LCD cable that are under the keyboard)]

LCD Panel: (Here is the big difference although CCFL or LCD apparently makes no difference in 15,4" panels.)

• Types used in T61
  • WXGA 42T0323, 42T0415, 42T0421, 42T0333
  • WSXGA+ 42X4641, 42T0417, 42T0423
  • WUXGA 42T0408, 42T0361
• Types used in T500/W500
  • WXGA 42T0486, 42T0484
  • WSXGA+ 42T0488, 42T0423
  • WUXGA 42T0574

Please note that all these facts came from the Hardware Maintenance Manuals, which can be found anywhere (that means Google). I have listed them here because I have not found such a list on the internet myself and I imagine more people are in need of it.

So, what we have learned from this is that within a series (T500/W500 or T61/T61p) all the panels are compatible. The only thing that might cause a problem is whether or not the mainbord supports all the panels. (I believe that this will not be a problem). Another thing that we may deduce is that the cable used in the T61 has the same connector on the panel-side as the T500, because the 42T0423 panel fits them both. This would mean that the other screens are probably also compatible (any T61 panel can thus perhaps be exchanged with any T500 panel), as far as connectors go. The screws might be different though. The bigger problem that needs to be answered is: do the mainbords give any problems. Say we connect a 42T0574 (very new WUXGA panel from the W500) to an older T61 with an older mainbord, will it in any way refuse the panel?

Then of course there is the question of warranty, but I don't really care about that. Also, new panels cost about 200 dollars, and take perhaps an hour to replace, having to order, install and configure a whole new laptop would cost me several days that I can not afford to lose.

Hi, all

sorry for picking this thread up.

I have a R500, which panel is 1280x800, could it upgrade to 1600x1080 by user?

I recently have the screen of my T500 upgraded to 1920x1200 (WUXGA) by a local 3rd party service. I watched the process and I can assure you that the process is not trivial. You need to follow the HMM closely and be careful and patient; or risk breaking the screen latches and cause cosmetic problems.

Wow, that's great. Which panel (manufacturer, model name) do you change, and how much is it in total, could you give us the information? Thank you.

Could you also help me to ask them (the local 3rd party service you upgrad) if R500 could upgrade to 1680x1050 or higher?

internlin wrote: Wow, that's great. Which panel (manufacturer, model name) do you change, and how much is it in total, could you give me the information? Thank you.
Could you also help me to ask them (the local 3rd party service you upgrad) if R500 could upgrade to 1680x1050 or higher?

Hi there, my 1920x1200 panel is made by LG. The model number is LPL3E01, originally made for a series of Dell laptop. I live in Bangkok, Thailand and it cost me US$250 to replace, labor included. Replacing laptop LCD panels is very common in Thailand; therefore I believe there should not be a problem replacing the panel in your R500. The difficulty is to find a compatible panel (you cannot choose a panel for your R500 arbitrarily) and to find a qualified personnel to replace it for you *while* maintaining the cosmetic of the machine.

@internlin, I just notice you live in Taipei the homeland of electronics. You should find it much easier and cheaper to have the panel replaced!

thitiv wrote:@internlin, I just notice you live in Taipei the homeland of electronics. You should find it much easier and cheaper to have the panel replaced!

Thank you for your help. Although Taiwan is the homeland of electronics, however, we always export them to other country..... for end users, it is not easy to buy panel by themselves, in compare to buy a lcd screen (which is much easier).

@internlin,

I googled a bit and find this one promising

15.4" WUXGA panels for ThinkPad T61p

http://www.screenaid.com/ibm-lenovo-lap ... 6&sort=20a

It will work on my T500; therefore it should work on your R500. Your problem may be on finding a tech guy who are willing to replace the panel for you.

I did mine about 2 month ago.. its actually pretty easy.. I took my panel from a t61 that I gave to my dad.. so he's better using a 1280x800 and I use the higher res one. It took about 30 min per panel, download the manual.. they give you detail instructions.. hardest part was taking the black stickers off the lcd screws.. you dont want to get skin oil on it since you want to reuse them..

i have some pics.. will post when i find them..

I just finished swapping out my 1280x800 screen on my t500 with a w500 compatible 1920x1200 screen. it works great! i got it off ebay for 145 shipped. (it was a LG panel) the swap isnt too hard for someone comfortable working on computers or laptops. heck i skipped a bunch of steps the second time i removed the screen (i would NOT recommend this if you havent followed the take apart manual properly first however as it requires just the right amount of finesse and force to do it with out breaking anything). next is the Bluetooth module install (my CTO refurb i got didn't have one). anyway if you would like any info on where i got the screen etc feel free to send me a PM!

lstratos wrote:i have some pics.. will post when i find them..

I'm looking forward to seeing them.

Wobble The Hutt wrote:I just finished swapping out my 1280x800 screen on my t500 with a w500 compatible 1920x1200 screen. it works great! i got it off ebay for 145 shipped. (it was a LG panel)

Sweet. I can't wait to do this swap. It's sooo nice to know I can go even higher than the 1680x1050 I was expecting to upgrade to. I've also figured that if I'm going to do the swap, I'd like to get the nicest display possible. So, I have to ask, which has the highest contrast ratio, response time, nit, etc? I see the 42T0361 has a ratio of 600:1 (quite enticing), according to http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/TFT_display.

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I was wondering if anyone upgraded the LCD in an R500 to WSXGA+, and what FRU# panel you used and a possible source.

I have a 41W1478 inverter from a 14.1 WS T61 screen. Can someone confirm (or not) if this will work in a 15'' WS T500. Thanks

Forum member Aurora mentions a Sharp (keep typing shark by accident >.< ) panel that works very well in his T500. I am certain that the T500 that he uses as a comparison in his review of the T540p is the one harboring the Sharp panel as well. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong Aurora

HERE is the thread in which the Sharp panel is mentioned and HERE is the TPF thread in which Aurora announces his review of the T540p (pictures of the T500 are featured in his link).

I plan on getting one of these panels sometime in the future. The T500 is still very nice and relevant for many tasks in my routine

Yes indeed. The model number is mentioned in the first thread that emeraldgirl linked. That panel is just ridiculously good. As you can see in pictures of my review, it can actually keep up in terms of brightness with the 300 nit IPS panel of the T540p. Outdoor usage is no problem whatsoever. In fact it's so good, I got myself a second one, also brand new. Just in case mine gets dark (it is CCFL after all) or I ever need another one. I highly recommend buying it new, but it might be a bit costly. I also have the color profile, in case anyone needs it just send me a PM.

Neilz's post above is excellent and pretty comprehensive on which models will work. I've swapped a WUXGA screen from a T61 to a T500 without any issues. I've done the same with a WSXGA+ screen from a T61 into a T500.

As for source, the market place of this forum is where I'd start. laptopscreen.com is another source that I've used successfully in the past.

ilakast wrote:I have a 41W1478 inverter from a 14.1 WS T61 screen. Can someone confirm (or not) if this will work in a 15'' WS T500. Thanks

Hi ilakast, I have a T500 that I am currently working on. I have have a couple of different inverters out, they all work.
Anyways, it seems that the invertwer with FRU 41w1480 is the one for the widescreen 14.1".
My T500 isn't working fully at the moment, hangs to the screen before BIOS. Anyways it turns on and lights up for the minute I have it on.
Looks fine to me, the shape of the inverter is slighty different to the 15.4" screen.
The screw hole for the inverder is on a different side but there is an indentation for it where it can still fit.
However I don't think the inverter for a 15.4" screen can fit in a 14.1" widescreen unless there is some filing on the screen bezel.

Here's a photo of the inverters Big picture, 3000x900 pixels
The 14.1" Widescreen one is above the 15.4" one.
Also checking the FRU's on the other two inverters I have, it seems that I mixed a 14" 4:3 display inverter as well.
It looks exactly the same to the 15.4" one as well.

The only difference in these inverters are the chips and resistors (idk what they are called) in shapes and placements.
I don't know if the inverter would hinder the display ratio, I haven't gotten that far yet.

That 14.1" inverter will not fit.
However, you can also use these SXGA+/UXGA inverters from e.g. the T60/T60p:
42T0078 / 42T0079
41W1012 / 39T5658
13R1014 / 13R1015.
If your T500 has a LED screen, you'll need a different LED-board, not an inverter!

The above two posts are really helpful, greatly appreciated!

I was hoping for an easy panel swap, but when opening the front bezel discovered I had to deal with a LED T500! I've read another post that the LCD cable does not need to change, but obviously I need a different inverter, thus my question. Seeing the comparison between the two inverters from Saucey and reading RBS's info, I will not even try using the 14.1'' inverter. You really saved me. I will try a 42T0079 inverter which I have at the moment according to RBS (fingers crossed) and will report back.

LED screens do not use inverters!

I know, I am upgrading to a higher res screen (non-LED) from a low res (LED), so an inverter is needed.

RealBlackStuff wrote: However, you can also use these SXGA+/UXGA inverters from e.g. the T60/T60p:
42T0078 / 42T0079

Just to confirm the invaluable information RBS gave once again: it does work as a charm. Essentially, anyone looking to upgrade from an LED T500 screen, the LCD cable needs not to be changed. Just the screen (obviously!) and the LED board need to be swapped. My model was the BT & webcam one and everything works great.