DIY T43x with 15" QXGA Flexview screen

[Lohengrin]

A Chinese DIYer mixed R50 model with 15" QXGA Flexview screen and T43 system board with X300 video card, DIY a "T43x" (named by himself) with 15" 2048*1536 screen. Here is screen show pic. It's really incredible.

I find a japanese website, they do provide service for customizing T42/42p to a QVGA Flewview screen.
http://www.nisshinpal.co.jp/hontai.htm#IBM

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ThinkPad T42p 2373-Q1J
即
⇒
298,800

PenM765(2.1G)/15TFT(UXGA)/1GB/60G/DVD-Multi/無線11a,b,g/GIGA-LAN/56K/Bluetooth/WinXP Pro(SP2)

上記ThinkPad T42p Q3J・Q1Jの液晶をQXGA(2048x1536)化グレードアップ！　XGA液晶の４倍の表示解像度になります。（当店オリジナル）
Q3J本体+QXGA液晶換装費=509,800　Q1J本体+QXGA液晶換装費=508,800
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http://www.thinkpad.cn/forum/attachment ... YThsXg.jpg

I really appreciate higher resolution screen than UXGA, not changing screen size.

Edited by Moderator: No images in this forum, please. Links only.

[Kenn]

Someone on this board did the same a few months ago (no pics though, that looks beautiful!).

He said the screen was noticeably heavier than the UXGA one. And the CTO kit from IBM cost about $1200

I would totally be on board for doing this but for one thing - the video card already "struggles" enough at UXGA resolution with video overlay, transparency, etc. It takes so much to paint on the screen already that I'd rather not lose the extra performance, even if it would let me put 4 XGA screens together

[NathanA]

Someone on this board did the same a few months ago (no pics though, that looks beautiful!).

Kenn,

Actually, the gent who did that a few months back did it to an R50p, which is the model that the parts were made for anyway. This is the *first* example I've seen or heard of that is able to adapt these parts to a T4x.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=495

However, what this post does not make clear (the wording is a bit ambiguous) is whether he took the QXGA panel and stuffed it in a 15" T43 case, or whether he took a T43 *motherboard* and put it in an R50p case with the QXGA panel already fitted. There is a big difference betwen the two! The first results in a high-res T43, but the second is merely a souped-up R50p (same case/form factor, same weight, etc.). The former would truly be a feat whereas the latter would not really tell us much of anything (other than that the video header on the mainboard of a T4x matches the one on the R50p, which is good news if true).

What this post does not tell us, however, is whether or not the QXGA cable would fit properly inside of a 15" T4x LCD housing, whether the QXGA inverter could be made to fit and work inside of a T4x, or even whether some of the T4x's current parts (old hinges, old inverter, old cable) could be paired up with the QXGA panel without any problem.

I'd love to know more details; however, it looks like the information that we need is all in Chinese. If someone can translate for us, that'd be much appreciated.

Anyway, tres cool!

-- Nathan

[NaT]

My (poor) translation: PenM765 (2.1g) /15TFT (UXGA) /1GB/60G/DVD-Multi/ wireless 11a/b/g, Gigabit-LAN/56k/Bluetooth/WinXPPro (SP2). Upgrading LCD of the system described above of ThinkPad T42p Q3J/Q1J to QXGA (2048x1536)! The resolution of the screen becomes 4 times that the XGA. Original Q3J itself + QXGA LCD conversion upgrade price = 509,800 yen. Original Q1J + QXGA LCD conversion upgrade price = 508,800 yen.

So, this is to put QXGA on the T42p. The Q1J/Q3J is similar to the highest end T42p with fingerprint reader only that Q1J comes with DVD multiburner while Q3J comes with DVD/CD-RW. Considering Q1J/Q3J originally costs around 482,000/385,000 yen, this LCD and its installation add around $US 1,100. Quite nice, isn't it?

It didn't say anything about part number. So I am not sure if this is the original part from IBM or not (remember IBM Japan can have different offering normally not provided in US).

Bill, are you interested in doing this service? Not quite sure whether this will void warranty from IBM, though.

[Lohengrin]

NathanA,

Here it is what chinese DIYer said:
It says they did it using a R50 case with original R50 model QXGA Screen (92P6684), 屏线(91P6837)和高压条(91P7339)(Sorry I don't know how to translate these two technical words). The T43 part they used is only a motherboard with CPU, main memory, X300 video card and PCMCIA port. when assembling finished, WinXP recognizes screen correctly but initialized resolution is 1280*1024. They setup screen resolution to 2048*1536, and everything is OK. They call it "T43x" and said it proved that a T43 motherboard with original configuration could be used updating a R50/51, T40/41/42 perfectly. The T43 motherboard fits very well in R50/51 or T4x case, flawlessly, and mixed system works very well.
OS: Windows2000 Advanced Server English version, under big screen display font size (123dpi，128%).


Lohengrin

[floyyed]

NathanA,

Here it is what chinese DIYer said:
It says they did it using a R50 case with original R50 model QXGA Screen (92P6684), 屏线(91P6837)和高压条(91P7339)(Sorry I don't know how to translate these two technical words). The T43 part they used is only a motherboard with CPU, main memory, X300 video card and PCMCIA port. when assembling finished, WinXP recognizes screen correctly but initialized resolution is 1280*1024. They setup screen resolution to 2048*1536, and everything is OK. They call it "T43x" and said it proved that a T43 motherboard with original configuration could be used updating a R50/51, T40/41/42 perfectly. The T43 motherboard fits very well in R50/51 or T4x case, flawlessly, and mixed system works very well.
OS: Windows2000 Advanced Server English version, under big screen display font size (123dpi，128%).


Lohengrin

屏线(91P6837)-----> LCD cable
高压条(91P7339)-----> LCD inverter

[Kenn]

Ah, thanks for the info Nathan and everyone else. Definitely cool even if it is an R50, and a huge point of envy

I've taken my system apart enough now to no longer fear working with the LCD - if they ever release a lighter and lower-power version for the T4x (dream on, I know), I'd definitely think long and hard about giving it a shot!!

[msnuser111]

I realize this is a 6 year old thread,but I thought it would be helpful to add some info for people coming in later.
The r50p display fits in the t42's display casing,and the r50p display cable works also,the only thing that doesn't line up is the lid switch,so don't expect that to work. other than that,everything works fine.

(typed from my t42 with a 1600x1200 lcd from an r50p,using the r50p's cable and the t42's lid and hinges and inverter (otherwise the indicators didnt line up))

[Neil]

Ray, this ancient thread was about QXGA displays, which are almost impossible to find. Not the UXGA display you have in your machine, which was offered as standard equipment on the T43p. The UXGA Flexview is a very nice display, but nowhere near as rare as the QXGA, that was only available from the factory in a very few R50p machines.