Detailed LCD problem/replacement questions for T60

[boxxer13]

Three weeks ago, the screen panel for my beloved workhorse and only computer, T60 1953-ETU developed a pink hue and eventually went black, as if it received no power. I replaced the screen panel and the inverter board. My original panel is P/N 13N7062, SXGA+, with the manufactorer's (Toshiba) number LTD141EN9B. Laptopscreen.com sent me what they said is a compatible panel, which is labled as an LTD141EM5F, also labeled as SXGA+ with the same resolution and retails about $80 with three year warranty. It appears identical to the LTD141EN9B. I installed the inverter board and panel. The screen lit up, but it was dark with colored vertical lines. I assumed the screen was defective and evetualy received a replacement. Installed the replacement and screen would not light up at all. Then I noticed indicator lights (standby, battery, power, & hard drive lights powered by the inverter board) did not light up; only wifi lit up. I swapped out indicator boards (swapped back to the old one) and got same results. Ruled out motherboard, because T60 works with external monitor. Ruled out data cable, because the overhead screen light functions.

To rule out a bad inverter board, I returned it and now waiting for a replacement. But, I'm very worried that the screen it not fully compatiable. Did I goof and should have gotted a panel that is actually labeled P/N 13N7062 or at least LTD141EN9B? That panel's lowest retail price I found is $165 on ebay. Or is it just a bad inverter board? Or will I have to keep swapping around parts until I fnd the right combination?

If it cannot be fixed or not worth it, then which current Thinkpad model comes close to the T60 in size, durability, & portability? I'm out of touch with current technology and why shouldn't I, when all I need is my T60.

[ausmike]

Hi there
Sorry to hear about your beloved machine ... yips T6x are very trustworth......
However I see you are still spendin lots money AND time over this machine...as a suggestion i would pick one up (lots of places have them for sale - even here users are) selling them from around 200-250$...

If you are lucky , you can get the T60P and 15inc model , and most of the EXISTING PARTS = will straight SWAP OVER !! (even if there is any 'drivers' mismatch - it would still boot up) Then you just run the SYSTEM UPDATE and ....you set to go !

And you have a new machine with SPARE PARTS for next 12 yrs to use !!

sorry juz my 0.02c worth

Cheers

[RealBlackStuff]

There are no reliable so-called "compatible" screens for the T6x/R6x series.
The official LCDs, with an IBM P/N or FRU, have an EDID chip, in which the screen resolution and other things are contained.
Without this EDID chip, these "compatibles" will either not work properly or not work at all.
Return your screen for a refund and buy a 'proper' one, e.g. here in our Marketplace forum.

[rkawakami]

Three weeks ago, the screen panel for my beloved workhorse and only computer, T60 1953-ETU developed a pink hue and eventually went black, as if it received no power.

This is typically the result of the backlight (aka, CCFL) burning out. To a lesser extent, the problem may be with the inverter but a pink tint is the indication of an worn lamp. It could be possible that the inverter is not "strong" enough to light the failing light, and that replacing the inverter with another unit could result in a lit display but eventually it will die again.

Ruled out motherboard, because T60 works with external monitor.

Not necessarily true. The digital signals going to the laptop's LCD are different than the analog signals being sent out the VGA port.

Ruled out data cable, because the overhead screen light functions.

Again, not necessarily true. The video ribbon cable carries a number of signals. It's possible that the two (?) leads going to the ThinkLight LED are fine but one or more traces dedicated to the LCD are bad.

[boxxer13]

I just got off the phone with the place that supplied me with the "compatible" screen panel. Their website has the LTD141EN9B in stock, but they really don't have it in stock, they have a "compatible" one in stock, which is the LTD141EM5F. I told him my situation and after he conferred with his supervisor, he said the LTD141EM5F will "more than likely not work" in an IBM/Lenovo, but it is compatiable with Samsung & other brand laptops.

My theory: installing an imcompatible screen might have blew something in my inverter board, since I understand that inverters rarely go bad, but then again I heard they're cheapy made. I remember the indicator lights for the battery, hard drive, etc, were very dimly lit and only visible on the exposed inverter board.

It seems that screentek carries the LTD141EN9B. Are they trustworthy or do they only have "compatible" screens?

[richk]

You are more likely to have burned out a fuse on your motherboard. I always suggest people look for screens with Lenovo FRU numbers on them. Fuses F7 and F8 control the backlight and indicator lights.

[boxxer13]

Burnt fuses on the motherboard? Ouch! That's out of my league. I'm not skilled at circuit board troubleshooting and repair. If it is the motherboard, then I better sell her for parts.

But there is one more symptom that I forgot to mention. Recall the first screen I installed in it did power up, but was black with colored vertical lines. The 2nd screen I installed stayed dark as if it didn't receive any power and the only the wifi indicator light was lit. (The rest of the T60 booted up, played the Window's stat music, etc.) I shut it down, unplugged it, checked all connections, and same result when I powered it up. I shut it down for the night and planned to take to the local computer repair shop. This is the strange part: in the morning, I turned it on and the screen lit up, but was black with colored vertical lines. I took it to the local computer repair place where I found out my T60 works with an external moniter, but the screen panel didn't light up again.

This might be wishful thinking, but if the fuse is burned, would it permit the screen panel to even light up or would it prevent power from going to the screen in the first place?

Additionally, I don't know if it's more cost effective to have the local shop test the fuses on the motherboard, or if I should install a working screen and inverter to discover the root of the problem that way. I'd like to get it working as a laptop again and not as a makeshift desktop. In the meantime, I'm looking to upgrade to the new Thinkpads.

Suggestions? Advice?

[ajkula66]

I'd honestly suggest looking into obtaining a barebone T60 and swapping in your hard and media drive, battery...whatever's good from your machine.

That's the path of the least expense and aggravation in my opinion.

[boxxer13]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have an interver on the way. If it doesn't light up the indicator lights, then I'll assume it's the motherboard fuses. In the meantime, I need to get a new Thinkpad, until I have time to figure if I want to sell or repair my T60.

Any recommendations to which current model Thinkpad is an adequate replacement for a T60? I want something for the long haul and that is physically the same size as a T60 (probably for nostalgic reasons). The T420 seems too large (and perhaps too mainstream?), and yet while the X220 seems about right, it lacks an optical drive and the palm rests are a tad short for my tastes. I saw that the X220T has longer palm rests and optional docking station with an optical drive? At any rate, I need something for basic computing, web surfing (like the T60), but importantly heavy word processing (dissertation research/writing). Anything larger than a 14.1" screen is too much for me, yet I don't know how small of a screen is adequate for word processing. Although I heard it isn't screen size that's important, it is the resolution.

While it seems that this discussion wandered off topic, it seems that getting a spanking new Thinkpad is a viable solution to my T60 screen problem. Any and all constructive input is appreciated!

[RealBlackStuff]

Anything newer than the T60 will have widescreen, definitely a bad choice for extensive writing.
You don't want to scroll up and down till your fingers are bleeding!
You'd want a 4:3 screen like the T60 has.
If you are lucky, you may find a T61 with Intel graphics and 14.1" 4:3 LCD in SXGA+ (1400x1050), which would be ideal.
Or, find the same with XGA screen (more readily available) and upgrade the LCD to SXGA+.
With an SSD, those machines are good for another 4-5 years.

[boxxer13]

I know, practically everything new has a widescreen. I'm using a 15" widescreen external monitor now (okay, it's really a HDTV, but it's the smallest monitor I could find).

I read that some people prefer wide screen so they can view two pages at once. Some recommend a 15" or larger screen. Some say screen size doesn't matter and that it's all about the resolution.

Just to be on the safe side, I checked out a few laptops over at Staples, (where I live, the big computer places are Best Buy, Walmart, & Staples) just to get an idea of writing on a widescreen. I tried a 14" Dell and a 11.6" Acer One. The 14" widescreen seemed do-able but a tad too wide. The 11.6" was surprisingly adequate when viewed in full-screen. I'm guessing anything between a 14" and 12" screen will be comfortable for me.

Then again, after using a T60 since 2006, I'm probably just habituated to the 14.1" SGXA+ screen. My T60 is my only computer; when it was inoperative, I relied on my phone to get things done (talk about bleeding fingers & eye strain). I really need to get a new model and have the T60 as backup (or vice versa).

[boxxer13]

Original problem: LCD screen had a pinkish hue, died, then the inverter board indicator lights would not light up, except for the WiFi light. I swapped out screens, which turned out to be incompatiable and installed a new inverter board and no improvement. Thought maybe that board was bad and ordered another one.

Well, it finally arrived, I reconnected it to the old LCD and got the same result. At least when it booted up, the LCD lit up very dimly so I could make out the "Lenovo ThinkPad" before Windows started, but then it was too dark to see anything.

I could order a new screen and try it, but if the inverter board lights aren't coming on, then what's the use? Is it safe to say it's definitely either a burnt connector or fuse on the motherboard?

[ajkula66]

Sounds like a blown fuse to me.

With a proper multimer, you could check them out. Presuming you're handy with a fine soldering iron, a new fuse can be piggy-backed over a blown one.

Good luck.

[boxxer13]

I'm debating if I should hold onto my T60 and find someone who does circuit board work, or maybe sell it for parts, or just use as a backup with an external monitor after my new ThinkPad arrives. The sad thing is that the T60 is the last series to carry the IBM logo.

[ajkula66]

If IBM logo (which is just a sticker, BTW) is that important to you, T61/p were produced with the exact same logo...and are available in large quantities...

You can swap the board if you're not up to fiddling with fuses, or just buy a barebone T60 and throw in the good bits from your machine...

[boxxer13]

It's not the sticker. I read on wikipedia that the T60 series, including the T61's were the first ThinkPads produced by Lenovo, which was after they bought IBM. The T60/T61 marks the last of the IBM machines.

Maybe swapping out motherboards is a good idea, depending on their cost. It'd be a good learning experience to take it apart down to the motherboard, but then this T60 will be a project laptop, like how people restore vintage cars in their garage. Since it'll be a learning experience for me, swapping out motherboards will have to wait till after I get my new ThinkPad. It'll be my dumb luck that the LCD still won't work even after I swap motherboards!

[ajkula66]

It's not the sticker. I read on wikipedia that the T60 series, including the T61's were the first ThinkPads produced by Lenovo, which was after they bought IBM. The T60/T61 marks the last of the IBM machines.

Don't believe everything you read on wikipedia.

Lenovo took over while T42/p, T43/p and X41/T were still current.

No T60/p or T61/p units were built by IBM, period.

Lenovo bought the PC division in May of 2005...along with the right to use the IBM logo for five years. End of story.