T480 16:10 mod - seems possible!

[H-Atkinson]

Hello all,

After seeing a number of recent mass-market laptops launch with 16:10 panels, its clear that 16:10 displays are once again going to be manufactured and available. While you cant source any on eBay/AliExpress yet, they should be available as Dell and others fully introduce machines like the XPS 15 9500. After going over Dells HMM and spec sheets, the panels use EDP for connecting to the boards, making them completely compatible with most modern Thinkpads electrically.

The best candidate at the moment seems to be the screen of the XPS 15 9500, which would fit into a T480's display housing quite easily if you are willing to lose the webcam and cut the bezel up. A 14" 16:10 screen does not yet exist to my knowledge, but if one did, it would be a lot simpler to install since you could avoid having to cut down the internal bezel on the sides.

For reference, the XPS 15 9500's panel is 16:10, 1920x1200, 336.38mm X 210.24mm and 196.24mm diagonal.

I will attempt to build a T480 upper housing with a 16:10 panel once parts are available at a reasonable price. Anyone else with info or suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks!

[chowbear]

Im interested to see how this will go! I was considering this using a 14" 3:2 screen from the Huawei matebook 14, however this screen comes with a glass panel bonded to the screen. Combined with the high cost of the panel, I never ended up attempting to see if it was possible to debond the screen...

[Yao2000]

Hello all,

After seeing a number of recent mass-market laptops launch with 16:10 panels, its clear that 16:10 displays are once again going to be manufactured and available. While you cant source any on eBay/AliExpress yet, they should be available as Dell and others fully introduce machines like the XPS 15 9500. After going over Dells HMM and spec sheets, the panels use EDP for connecting to the boards, making them completely compatible with most modern Thinkpads electrically.

The best candidate at the moment seems to be the screen of the XPS 15 9500, which would fit into a T480's display housing quite easily if you are willing to lose the webcam and cut the bezel up. A 14" 16:10 screen does not yet exist to my knowledge, but if one did, it would be a lot simpler to install since you could avoid having to cut down the internal bezel on the sides.

For reference, the XPS 15 9500's panel is 16:10, 1920x1200, 336.38mm X 210.24mm and 196.24mm diagonal.

I will attempt to build a T480 upper housing with a 16:10 panel once parts are available at a reasonable price. Anyone else with info or suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks!

luckily, you dont even need a webcam in modern laptops. no one even uses them! i think this is a wonderful project. 15.6 inch 15.6 in a Thinkpad T480 is AMAZING!

If this can be done, im sold on this BIG TIME!

question, is the FHD 1080p 15.6 16:10 panel from dell XPS 15 9500 30 pin lvds?

if so, i wonder if it can work on the T430 as well

[axur-delmeria]

question, is the FHD 1080p 15.6 16:10 panel from dell XPS 15 9500 30 pin lvds?

if so, i wonder if it can work on the T430 as well

Most, if not all laptop LCDs these days are eDP and not LVDS.
That said, with the LVDS to eDP converter boards used in the T430 1080p and 1440p kits might work with the XPS 9500 screen, but may require reprogramming. Another issue is whether the 15.6" screen will actually fit in the T430 lid.

[Yao2000]

question, is the FHD 1080p 15.6 16:10 panel from dell XPS 15 9500 30 pin lvds?

if so, i wonder if it can work on the T430 as well

Most, if not all laptop LCDs these days are eDP and not LVDS.
That said, with the LVDS to eDP converter boards used in the T430 1080p and 1440p kits might work with the XPS 9500 screen, but may require reprogramming. Another issue is whether the 15.6" screen will actually fit in the T430 lid.

it will depend on a few things. I got the new IGZO T490 / T495 / X1 carbon 14 inch panel to work in the T430s. its great. its 30 pin lvds.

if the 1920x1200 Dell XPS 15 16:10 panel is 30 pin, it MAY work. as for fit in the T430, if it fits in the T480, for sure it will fit the T430. there is even more room and space

[TPFanatic]

15.4" 16:10 is too big to even fit within the dimensions of an old T420. The T480's footprint is smaller if anything. So I don't think this is possible.

15.6" is much too wide to fit in any 14".

[dr_st]

For reference, the XPS 15 9500's panel is 16:10, 1920x1200, 336.38mm X 210.24mm and 196.24mm diagonal.

How are you going to fit a panel of those dimensions into a laptop whose external dimensions are 336.6mm x 232.5mm? I agree with TPFanatic here - I don't see it working at all.

[RealBlackStuff]

I got the new IGZO T490 / T495 / X1 carbon 14 inch panel to work in the T430s. its great. its 30 pin lvds.

That IGZO screen is a Boe-Hydis NE140FHM-N61.
And it's not LVDS but eDP (1.4).

[Yao2000]

I got the new IGZO T490 / T495 / X1 carbon 14 inch panel to work in the T430s. its great. its 30 pin lvds.

That IGZO screen is a Boe-Hydis NE140FHM-N61.
And it's not LVDS but eDP (1.4).

yea. thats what i meant. edp. works perfectly.

[csioucs]

Not necessarily trespassing to revive an old thread, but as the T480 modding scene is rather active, as I am also interested in the viability of this mod, I found some new screen options that would benefit those interested. The screens below may not be 15 inch as OP was interested initially in, but they are definitely 16:10 and 14", thus giving better chances to this mod.

The new X1 Carbon Gen 9 offers us some examples. Notebookecheck has reviewed both the 4K and FHD+ versions. Notebookcheck analysis is thorough as usual. The 4K screen MNE007A1-2 has yet to appear on Panelook.com or elsewhere.

There are also a couple of 3K screens MNE007ZA1-1 and MNE007ZA1-2, but of course there is also the wait for the OLED Samsung is going to make, in this resolution.

Panda got out in Q4 of 2020 a 2.5K screen, called LM140GF1L02, and remarkably it has a 30 pin eDP connector. But of all the screens here, it is dim at 300 cd/m2 and scores lower in color representation (72% NTSC).

On the 16:10 FHD+ front Panelook gives these three when searching for 14" and 1920x1200: NE140WUM-N63 from BOE (30 pins) , N140JCN-GS9 from Innolux (40 pins), B140UAN02.1 from AUO (this one's Panelook description is rather lacking, but I am inclined to believe it is a 40 pin connector). It is the one in the above mentioned review of X1C G9 FHD+.

These should be more likely to fit a T480 case, but of also call upon a creative solution for a new screen bezel (maybe a modification of the X1C G9?).
 

[xlobuz]

I think a 14.5 inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio might be the best option. I think it fits: https://www.panelook.com/NE145F8M-N61_B ... 55868.html . It matches in width and is 1/10 higher than the existing one, but it seems that there is enough space for it at the bottom, since the Overall Size is almost the same. I also saw a 40 pin wire for sale. it remains to solve the problem of a beautiful frame and we can get the perfect laptop.

[david123]

I think a 14.5 inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio might be the best option. I think it fits: https://www.panelook.com/NE145F8M-N61_B ... 55868.html . It matches in width and is 1/10 higher than the existing one, but it seems that there is enough space for it at the bottom, since the Overall Size is almost the same. I also saw a 40 pin wire for sale. it remains to solve the problem of a beautiful frame and we can get the perfect laptop.

I'm very interested in how it goes.