X1C display quality?

[puma]

Some people use this as their primary machine, and not having a good display is a big deal.

[bmwman91]

Some people use this as their primary machine, and not having a good display is a big deal.

Yup.

The TN panels in these laptops do not prevent people sitting next to you from seeing what you are doing. They just make things on the screen look weird and off-colored. IPS or TN panel, if you are worried about privacy you should buy a privacy screen accessory that only allows light to exit the screen in a very narrow range of angles.

[killer]

Well, whatever you think may be of interest. However, the important question is ... do you own one? If yes, then your argument is serious. If no, then don't buy one and stop moaning.

My wife has an X1C and loves it. She watches a lot of video and thinks the screen quality is brilliant. Mind you, we paid extra for the Full HD+ screen ...

... and the techies she works with almost worship the ground she walks on for having such a sexy machine.

Each to their own.

[bmwman91]

I don't own one personally, but my employer is a very large customer of Lenovo's and they came in to do a product demo day. I got to use and handle all of the current models and put them side-by-side. Maybe it was just the demo models that were there that had screens from a different supplier, I don't know. All I could tell was that the screen on the X230 had better contrast, color rendition, pixel pitch and viewing angles than the screen in the X1C. Maybe your wife lucked out and got an X1C with a screen from a different supplier. Regardless of the case, my goal isn't to make anyone unhappy with their purchase. If your wife loves it then that is great. This thread is about the X1C's display quality though, and having handled all of the current Thinkpad models now, I am trying to offer some input. I was going to buy one until I actually got to see one. Lenovo's site now lists the X1C as having an IPS display, so maybe there was a hardware change. Hopefully someone can confirm that!

Many of the IT guys at my office were long-time Thinkpadders too. They also voiced a little disappointment with the direction that Lenovo is taking the product line. Still, they are better than the alternatives as far as I can tell. Everyone liked the X1C overall, and a number of people were fine with the screen. It isn't terrible by any measure, but for a flagship premium product the screen seems out of place.

[puma]

The machine is awesome don't get me wrong. I own one. The screen is just a thorn I cannot ignore.
I have a 256 ssd, 4 gb ram, model. anyone interested;)?

[dracore]

I would just like to add my 2cents here.

I love the style and form factor of the X1C. I was hoping that the screen wouldn't be so bad but after having gotten it, I am finding myself very distracted by the high dot pitch (screen door effect). The viewing angles not so much. As I'm typing this, I can't help but notice faint vertical bars in the white background.

On a side note I also have fit&finish issues with the trackpoint button not properly registering unless I hit the center and also I have a nasty red stuck pixel that glares at me.

I am really disappointed that I am still unsatisfied with the X1C even after having paid so much money. The X1C is *almost* the perfect laptop but once again it misses the mark (for me). I am going to return the laptop for a refund.

[puma]

I would just like to add my 2cents here.

I love the style and form factor of the X1C. I was hoping that the screen wouldn't be so bad but after having gotten it, I am finding myself very distracted by the high dot pitch (screen door effect). The viewing angles not so much. As I'm typing this, I can't help but notice faint vertical bars in the white background.

On a side note I also have fit&finish issues with the trackpoint button not properly registering unless I hit the center and also I have a nasty red stuck pixel that glares at me.

I am really disappointed that I am still unsatisfied with the X1C even after having paid so much money. The X1C is *almost* the perfect laptop but once again it misses the mark (for me). I am going to return the laptop for a refund.

I know what you mean. It really pisses me off (like right now while typing this). I did go and explore an Asus zenbook with the IPS display (WOW btw).. but I have to say, while the Asus display is just awesome, everything else is.. well just not a thinkpad.. so I decided to just stick with the x1 carbon... and hope the next version is better. I heard lenovo is spinning off the thinkpad line into its own entity and I am curious to see what they come out with.

[maximus_]

I just bought an X1 I7 Carbon Touch and love the laptop but hate the screen. The color is horrible and it really isn't very clear as I can see the individual pixels. I've had A31P(IPS), T6Op(IPS), and a W500(TN) and obviously the IPS displays are better but I'm about to go back to my W500 as this screen is just awful. I have to say I love the design and quality of the rest of the laptop it just feels great to type on and overall feels very good. Lenovo please get your act together with the displays, Thinkpads used to have the best displays of any laptops and now they are just mediocre at best. I can't bare to look at another Visio diagram on this display

[killer]

Did you go for the option of a full HD+ screen?

So many negative reports and so little information to support them.

When my wife wanted an X1 Carbon we specified the best quality screen and it is very high quality. You get what you pay for.

As they used to say, "Don't spoil the ship for a ha'penny worth of tar."

[dracore]

Did you go for the option of a full HD+ screen?

So many negative reports and so little information to support them.

When my wife wanted an X1 Carbon we specified the best quality screen and it is very high quality. You get what you pay for.

As they used to say, "Don't spoil the ship for a ha'penny worth of tar."

All "best quality screens" for X1C are the same crap TN panel (LG/Philips) with large pixel sizes. I agree some people cannot see the screendoor effect because of many possible reasons:

1) Vision isn't so good - if your eyes and/or glasses are out of focus, you won't see anything
2) Sensitivity within the eye - If you just stare at the screen without shifting your eyes, it will look relatively normal. But as soon as you start shifting your eye (moving your head, moving eye to look at different parts of the display), the eye can detect subtle changes in the horizontal/vertical grid which make up the screen. To me, this change results in me being able to momentarily see faint gridlines that appear in..say...a solid background color. It might be that for some, their eyes are not as sensitive.
3) Display not bright enough or is too bright - too much brightness or too little brightness can affect how the screendoor effect is perceived.

I can clearly see how bad the screen is and so I guess my vision is relatively good and am quite sensitive to display details.

I returned my X1C and ended up getting the Asus UX31A which has a 1920x1080 IPS display and IT IS GORGEOUS! Screendoor effect is practically not there, images are sharp and crisp, and colors just beautiful. Try putting the X1C display side-by-side with the UX31A and comparing that. If you can't see any difference then you can stick with the X1C
After seeing what a better display was capable of, it was more than enough of a decision for me to keep the Asus.

[pianowizard]

Did you go for the option of a full HD+ screen? So many negative reports and so little information to support them.

What information are you looking for?

When my wife wanted an X1 Carbon we specified the best quality screen and it is very high quality. You get what you pay for.

What did you mean by "you get what you pay for"? Are there multiple screen options in the UK? At least in the U.S., all X1 Carbons have the 1600x900 screen, which is also known as HD+ (there's no such thing as "full HD+"). Is there a 1366x768 option in the UK, or can people choose between TN versus IPS?

[maximus_]

I don't skimp on laptops or any electronics for that matter. I'm a IT consultant and sit on front of this laptop most of the day, so if there is another screen please fill me. As far as I can tell I have a top of the line X1 Carbon touch with I7, 8GBRAM, 256GB SSD and the screen looks like something that belongs on a Fisher Price toy. I've spent hours trying to calibrate it and it still looks horrible. This colors are thin with no depth at all even when compared to a TN screened W500, which is bad enough with its very dim screen but at least everything isn't over saturated or dead.

I'll say it again I love this laptop except for the screen, its a major deal breaker for anyone who spends a lot of time in front of a computer. At least give us the option to upgrade to a high end display, I'd happily pay 1k extra for a nice display... My smartphone has an IPS display why can't my laptop? Laptop display technology seems to be going backwards while everything is moving forward.

FYI the model Number is 3444CUU

[dracore]

I did some research and for panels that are 14" in size, the highest resolution is 1600x900. The common manufacturer of 14" panels are AUO, LG/Philips, and Samsung. It appears that Lenovo uses LG/Philips panels which is the main reason why we are seeing the screendoor effect. The Samsung panel does not have this issue so that's why Samsung laptops (or even DELL Alienware m14) don't have the same problem as Lenovo. However, supposedly the contrast on Samsung panels are not as good as LG/Philips but that's what I read...

In terms of IPS, there doesn't appear to be any 14" panels that are IPS -- at least with any of the commonly released panels. There might exist a 14" IPS panel but if it does, it is probably specially designed for a particular laptop manufacturer and is hard to get (HP Envy or Spectre 14? Some say it has IPS, others say TN). In any case, the mass-produced 14" panels are all TN.

Interesting to see that when you go to a 13.3" panel, that's where you start to get more options - 1920x1080, IPS, all the good stuff!

[maximus_]

Thank you for doing the research on the panels, it makes Lenovo's choice clearer as there are no high quality panels currently manufactured that fit this role. Hopefully Lenovo has some influence and better 14" panels are developed over the next 12 months. I'd love to be able to swap this panel out or purchase another X1 Carbon with a better screen.

[pianowizard]

For some unknown reason, 14" LCD panels have always been worse than most other sizes, even back in the 4:3 days. There was a Sharp panel with a great resolution of 1600x1200 (which Dell used in the Latitude C610 and Inspiron 4100), but that too had terrible contrast and viewing angles. If you care greatly about screen quality, you need to either avoid 14" laptops altogether or hook them up to external monitors most of the time.

[maximus_]

I never realized that 14" screens had issues, I knew the resolution was lower then what I'm used to 1600x1200/1920x1200 on 15" laptops. I decided to switch to something lighter and the X1 Carbon looked like it would be a perfect fit but I may have to go back to a higher resolution 15" laptop due to the screen quality. Its a shame as I love this laptop

Thank you for your input!