screen upgrade for T420?

[bblumberg]

Does anyone happen to know whether the 14" 1920 x 1080 IPS or AHVA screens from the T440p can be installed in the T420? They look very close in size to me. If so, what might such an operation cost? I have pretty much decided to stick with my older T420 and give the new T440p to my daughter who doesn't mind the Touchpad. If I could upgrade the T420 screen, I would have no issues with it at all....

Thanks,

Bruce

[ajkula66]

Does anyone happen to know whether the 14" 1920 x 1080 IPS or AHVA screens from the T440p can be installed in the T420?

No. Completely different LCD connection, can't even be hacked...LVDS vs. eDP. You'd need a converter and good luck fitting one in there...

[bblumberg]

Ah, well. I guess there is no way to perfect this system. Too bad, the T440 screen is so much better than the T420 screen.

Thanks, George.

Bruce

[ZaZ]

So close, yet so far....

[bit_twiddler]

You might take a look at this:

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Replacing ... _X1_Carbon

But, whether the X1C screen is really better is probably a matter of opinion,
depending upon whether you're mostly working with text or graphics.

Anyone here know?

[ZaZ]

whether the X1C screen is really better is probably a matter of opinion

I think there are ways to measure the different capabilities of each screen - contrast, brightness and perhaps the more subjective viewing angles. I would say, having used them both, the X1C is definitely better with decent color. It reminded me a lot of the 13" MBA without the gloss. It's a bit blue out of the box, but calibration can help with that. It also has a bigger sweet spot where the angles are concerned, though it is certainly no IPS LCD. I believe the X1C LCD is brighter as well. Until the T440 was released, it was most likely the best 14" ThinkPad to date.

[bit_twiddler]

Did you notice any "griddyness" when viewing text?
I've heard complaints about that, but I don't know what
the basis of their comparisons were.

[ZaZ]

I know that has been much discussed here and elsewhere, but I never saw it or the ghosting X220, which was another much ballyhooed LCD problem. I don't know if that means my eyes are better or worse than the others, or there was something actually wrong with the screen, which I believe were all the same. Things have a tendency to get blown out of proportion on forums.

[chx1975]

There's http://www.iccfl.com/product_info.php?products_id=21406 and I really want to find a hardware hacker to try...

Alternatively, http://www.lcd-cable.com/products_info/ ... 47342.html perhaps desolder the DP port and swap it inwards and plug this in?

[bit_twiddler]

But, is there anything standard about the LVDS pinout?
If there were, we wouldn't have to talk about compatibility
between different LVDS panels and motherboards.

Perhaps a hardware hacker could enlighten us?

[axur-delmeria]

On the german Thinkpad forum, veteran Thinkpad hacker Leo Kim has installed an FHD panel on a T420, but it requires an LVDS-eDP bridge, modified BIOS, and a new LCD cable.

[bit_twiddler]

Do you happen to have a link to the forum thread with Mr. Kim's T420 mod?
This is just the kind of thing that I have been needing, and I'm sure
as heck not going to wait for Lenovo to come out with something like it.

[axur-delmeria]

There wasn't much in the way of technical details:
http://thinkpad-forum.de/threads/161257 ... hon-Infos/

I guess there's a more detailed post somewhere, maybe in the Chinese 51nb forums?