Upgraded 15" T60 to UXGA... nice!

[jayk]

My new 15" UXGA panel came today and I swapped it for my dimming, yellowing SXGA+ screen. The procedure was pretty easy - it took me around 30 minutes and only required removing the LCD bezel. The new panel is entirely plug-and-play... once installed everything worked as it had before except at 1600x1200 resolution. The resolution is impressive, especially for things like software development where it's useful to have many windows open at the same time. I don't have any measurement/calibration equipment, but the new panel seems to have a darker black than the old one. The only downside I've found is that my T7200 now has trouble playing Hulu at full-screen resolution, even with the X1300 graphics adapter (it seemed to be able to manage it at 1400x1050).

I got the panel off Ebay from user 'cgsplcd' (search for FRU 13N7076). I can't say enough good stuff about these guys - the panel was professionally packed and came in three days from Taiwan. Much better than most of the stuff I buy from China. There are no bad pixels and it appears brand new (as the ad said).

Overall I'm very happy with the upgrade. Along with recently installed SSD, my 3-year-old T60 feels like a new machine.

- Jay

[ausmike]

...........seemms very nice

how much and whats their LINK?

maybe juz an advert for the seller ?

keen to see

[jayk]

Wow such cynics on this board.

It's hard to find reliable sellers, especially overseas, and I'm just trying to help people out. This is a great panel - high-res and bright with good black levels (seems much better than my old SXGA+ now that I've used it for a day). Feel free to ignore the info if you like. And you can easily search ebay and find the listing/seller yourself with the info I provided.

[ZaZ]

How about some pics?

There's a seller here on ebay that looks legit for $170.

[jayk]

Fred,

That's where I got mine. I had previously seen another post that referenced some folks in Taiwan as a reliable source for these, so these may be the same people.

I tried to take some pics last night but they came out pretty bad. I'll try again soon and post if I can get something decent.

- Jay

[ausmike]

Giday Jay*
might been much easier > if you posted a LINK and sellers info details etc
if he is that reliable and 'great supplier' than I be confident to do that!
I am sure most all Suppliers wouldnt object to come kinda +ve pulicity.... as I have seen voverr my 19+ yrs of using and repairing TPs (mostly for myself) lots of 'fly-by-nighters' from all over the world - let along Taiwan! I have equally seen 'horror'stories about 'screens' suddenly die and or have sever issues - far to many...

Also , I assume you have used it under a week using 'windows' OS ? I would be.am keen user of Lunix/Unix OS and Apps , so would appreciate any 'relaible' supplier ...

Still would like some more details of this supplier; if you could PM me details, be much greatfull > as I have a couple of T60x that could use a new screens.......I might even pick these screen up on my next trip to Tatung & Taipei Mid Jan11!!

Thanks in advance

[Peak2Peak]

Can confirm that the BOE-hydis HV150UX1-100 LCD panels sold by CGSP Technology Corporation (Also trading on eBay as cgsplcd) are genuine New-Old-Stock manufactured around 2008 - A colleague imported 10 of these panels directly from CGSP Tech Corp ALL are Grade-A, packed professionally and arrived within 5 days via FEDEX.

Earlier this year forum member JGA was also selling these panels and assume that they may have sourced them from this supplier?

[wild_bill]

Earlier this year forum member JGA was also selling these panels and assume that they may have sourced them from this supplier?

you are correct sir!

not only that, but I have heard nothing but fabulous reviews about CGSP Technology Corporation from my Taiwanese friends!

I also have one of these under the tree for a Christmas present to myself! - woohoo!

[ausmike]

Thanks for info ; much help jay > supplier even ack. your purchase
Great help

got 3 on order , due soon > lookin forward to the installs and new life to my FAV TP of all time

cheers everyone

[westsailor]

This is good to hear as I just ordered a UXGA panel from 'cgsplcd' before I stumbled across this thread.

I'm also glad to hear that you can swap out the LCD by removing only the bezel. I wondered about that as the cgsplcd site shows that's all you need to do yet the T60 H/W maint manual has you disassembling everything.

[ausmike]

...for anyone who might need it....

I found this video; of T60 lcd replacement-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTkp7zC0wGg

Cheers

[hhmcsv]

Hi guys!
I have noticed, that a lot of authors of topics are using these abbreviations for the LCD-properties (UXGA............)
I don't seem to be able to see that information for my T60, from where do you find it?

[Norway Pad]

These are simply standards for the maximum display resolution, and this a measurement for the pixel matrix that creates the picture on your panel. An UXGA panel is made up by 1600 x 1200 pixels. (This is a 4:3 ratio panel, while the WUXGA is 1920 x 1200, and is the Widescreen 16:10 version of this specific standard) For a LCD panel this is also what is referred to as the native resolution, at which the panel produces the very best picture/display. So if you go to your Display Properties and find the maximum resolution (Highest numbers) your panel works with, you can also find the name of the standard. Read this article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_resolution to see a proper description of all standards.

[hhmcsv]

Hi Bjorn!
Thanks for a speedy reply.
As my screen is 1400x1050 that means that my screen is a SXGA+?
But again, I see nowhere in my system using this terminology?

[Norway Pad]

Hello

That's correct, your panel is SXGA+. I do believe I have seen the actual standard listed somewhere, either in the properties for the display driver or in the CCC, but since I am not on the T60 now, I can't confirm that. But usually the max resolution is the best way to find out. In case of a T60 SXGA+ we are talking about an IPS panel (In Plane Switching) but this is another story. Generally this is a LCD technology that provides wider viewing angles than a regular panel.

Edit: No, I can't see any reference to the display standard listed anywhere. I confused it with the display description, which in my case is "Wide viewing angle & High density FlexView Display 1600x1200". This lists the resolution and tells that this is an IPS/FlexView panel.

[wild_bill]

As my screen is 1400x1050 that means that my screen is a SXGA+?

if it is 1400x1050 on a T60, then it is likely it is the LG Philips unit, and therefore probably much yellower and dimmer than you realize (we get used to it over time) so you REALLY want to consider the UXGA screen being discussed here, not only for the higher resolution, but even more for the reason of getting rid of dim & yellowed for brightness, whiter whites and blacker blacks!

The Boe-Hydis UXGA IPS is the screen that causes all of the UXGA owners to be so crazy about how good their screen looks.

My 1400x1050 original LG Philips thinkpad screen was quite underwhelming even when new, but with this new HV150UX1-100 installed, I see what all of the fuss was about!

[Norway Pad]

If you ever consider such a conversion, take a look at the pictures taken by dr_st and me in this thread:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=90382

I have to mention that something was probably wrong with my SXGA+ panel, I have never seen any as dim as mine. The IPS panel in my T43 (2 years older) was much brighter. But the yellowing effect, which can be seen in some of the comparison pictures, would be pretty much the same.

[wild_bill]

I have to mention that something was probably wrong with my SXGA+ panel, I have never seen anyone as dim as mine.

you darn right something was wrong with it, it is a FACTORY DEFECT and I have the same panel, just as dim & yellow, made by LG Philips

Lenovo/IBM should really be reimbursing us for these new UXGA panels and our labor, since this should be a factory RECALL on the defective SXGA+ panels

[hki]

Excuse my ignorance, but does this panel come with a new backlight as well or is it a separate part? I guess that Intel based T60 can drive this panel too?

[wild_bill]

Yes, backlight is built into the panel, and yes this is the factory original panel for some very high-end UXGA Thinkpads

[91011]

@hhmcsv

If your SXGA+ question relates to the 2007-VPX in your sig, then the LCD is a 14" and therefore not an IPS panel and shouldn't be showing the 'yellowing' that is common to the 15" SXGA+ displays.

Also, there were no factory 14" T60s with an IPS display, only 15" UXGA & SXGA+, so you don't really have an easy upgrade path available.

FWIW I have one of each and the LG SXGA+ shows no signs of yellowing, even when compared to the UXGA Boe-Hydis.


Product: ThinkPad T60 2007-VPX [change]
Operating system: All [change]
Original description: Based on 2007-CTO: T2400(1.83GHz), 2GB RAM, 100GB 7200rpm HD, 14.1in 1400x1050 LCD, 64MB ATI Radeon X1300, CDRW/DVD, 802.11abg wireless, Bluetooth/Modem, 1Gb Ethernet, UltraNav, Secure chip, Fingerprint reader, 9c Li-Ion batt, WinXP Pro

[dr_st]

if it is 1400x1050 on a T60, then it is likely it is the LG Philips unit, and therefore probably much yellower and dimmer than you realize (we get used to it over time) so you REALLY want to consider the UXGA screen being discussed here, not only for the higher resolution, but even more for the reason of getting rid of dim & yellowed for brightness, whiter whites and blacker blacks!

Putting aside the fact that his is most likely the 14" version, we _are_ discussing the 15" panel here

Now - the dimming and yellowing on an LG-Philips is a fact, however its significance is often overrated - at least that is my opinion based on my findings which are evident from the comparison pictures in the thread Norway Pad linked to.

It's not just that we get used to the yellowing in time - it's also the fact that there is almost no way to define absolute white. What we perceive as white varies depending on the surroundings. The light of an incandescent bulb seems white when compared to a candle, but yellow compared to a fluorescent, which in turn can seem blue. The notion of color temperature aims to capture these differences.

The average LG SXGA+ IPS panel in a Thinkpad will be still plenty bright enough even after a few years of normal use, even though the difference in brightness will be glaring when compared to a new screen of the same kind or to the brighter and better Hydis panel.

[wild_bill]

The significance is not overrated if you happen to be one of the poor saps that is stuck with one of these DEFECTIVE panels!

I repair laptops all day, every day, it is my job, so I see thousands of laptop panels in a year, and these 15" 4:3 LG Philips SXGA+ panels that are defective are the dimmest and yellowest panel I have ever seen, they are so bad it is shocking, I am using one as I write this!

what's even worse, is they went bad very early in their life, like in the first few months of use, and the warranty replacement was just as bad! - Lenovo, are you listening to this? (hint: recall)

[Norway Pad]

and these 15" 4:3 LG Philips SXGA+ panels that are defective are the dimmest and yellowest panel I have ever seen..

Since we discuss this anyway: Are the IPS SXGA+ panels in the T43 a different brand than the T60 SXGA+? I have always believed they were the same. That's why I made the conclusion that there was simply something wrong with my T60 IPS panel, since my supposedly identical but 2 years older T43 IPS panel was much brighter. But maybe these are different kind of panels.

[wild_bill]

to be more specific, the 15" standard aspect T60 panel that is a yellow & dim piece of junk is FRU 13N7078 (LG Philips model LP150E05-A2)

I have no problem with the Boe-Hydis SXGA+ panel which was also original on some 15" T60's

PS - the PC-Wizard 2010 program from the makers of CPU-Z is a great tool for figuring out the exact panel you own if it is still inside the bezel! - faster than decoding the EDID and just as accurate!

[Troels]

Since we discuss this anyway: Are the IPS SXGA+ panels in the T43 a different brand than the T60 SXGA+? I have always believed they were the same. That's why I made the conclusion that there was simply something wrong with my T60 IPS panel, since my supposedly identical but 2 years older T43 IPS panel was much brighter. But maybe these are different kind of panels.

Hydis supposedly also makes one in SXGA+ (HV150P01-100) but i don't think i've heard of anyone finding one or getting one with their T60/p. Probably just as rare as the HV150UX1-102... haven't seen serial numbers exceed #320 (!).

LG also supplied panels for the T43 SXGA+, but so did IDtech (now defunct). The T42 i formerly owned has/had a 15" SXGA+ IDtech IPS panel and it's still extremely bright after 5-6 years of daily usage. No red tint yet - but it actually seems a little greenish in color compared to what it was like, when new. The original panels manufactured in Japan or Phillipines by IDtech (IASX12, IAUX14, IAQX10) does seem to have a better white point than the ones produced when Chi Mei took over everything (N150P01, N150U3).

There's an easy way to test if the T43 has an IDtech IPS panel:
On a ~50% gray background, drag a 100% white box around, and see if you see a shadow/echo of the box below the box. This only applies to the latest generation IDtech Panels.

[wild_bill]

The only downside I've found is that my T7200 now has trouble playing Hulu at full-screen resolution, even with the X1300 graphics adapter (it seemed to be able to manage it at 1400x1050).

I would recommend making sure that the system is well optimized, and that DirectX is installed (version 9 if using XP).

In my experience, when hulu or you tube can't play a video correctly, it is more often system bloat stealing CPU cycles rather than the graphics chip, which I know seems counter-intuitive.

I have the X1400 chip and will do a test on my new UXGA screen as soon as it is installed if you will give me an example of the file that is messing up.

I think our systems are the same in specs except for X1300 vs. X1400 which is negligible and not going to be the difference in this problem!

[dr_st]

The significance is not overrated is you happen to be one of the poor saps that is stuck with one of these DEFECTIVE panels!

I repair laptops all day, every day, it is my job, so I see thousands of laptop panels in a year, and these 15" 4:3 LG Philips SXGA+ panels that are defective are the dimmest and yellowest panel I have ever seen, they are so bad it is shocking, I am using one as I write this!

what's even worse, is they went bad very early in their life, like in the first few months of use, and the warranty replacement was just as bad! - Lenovo, are you listening to this? (hint: recall)

Being a long-time user of a T42 and a T60 with LG SXGA+ IPS panels, to this date I've owned 3 different laptops with SXGA+ IPS screens, and the screen on each of them was replaced at least once during the warranty period for reasons unrelated to brightness.

For a brief period I actually owned two T60s, one with a brand new LCD, one with a 2-year old one, and right now I own a T42 and a T60 with about 1.5 years age difference between the panels.

This means that I've had the opportunity to compare numerous new and old units side-by-side.

In all cases, when compared side by side, it was easily noticeable that the older panel is dimmer and yellower. However, not once did I have a panel that could be called bad - they were all sufficiently bright, and very much usable. I have not had anything remotely close to what Norway Pad has shown in that other thread.

So either you are exaggerating, or perhaps not all LG IPS panels were equally problematic. Would you say that each and every 15" SXGA+ IPS panel by LG you've got to see was dim and yellow?

BTW, each time one of mine was replaced, the replacement was clearly brighter, from which I conclude that Lenovo does replace most of the time with new and unused parts. The fact that they are all designed in a way that makes them lose brightness over time is not Lenovo's fault, especially considering that during certain periods of time, LG was their only supplier of SXGA+ IPS panels.

[beeblebrox]

I think, I have had quite a lot experience with these screens so far to give some comments.
I used several ID-Tech SXGA/UXGA screens on the R50p, T42p and they were really good, although an older technology generation. IDTech IPS was one of the finest displays I have ever seen.
Then I had a few T60 SXGA+ with the infamous IPS from LG-Philips. They had a very poor supplier with CCFL lamps which lasted only about 6 months and then started fading drastically. After about 2 years all LG-Philips SXGA screens were yellow and dim. I replaced the CCFL lamps myself (as usual) and used lamps from a broken Samsung LCD which are known to be bright and have a blueish tint.
Result: excellent SXGA displays. So the problem was the subpar CCFL supplier for LG-Philips.

I am using now a T60 with the BOE Hydis Viewiz (the -100 UXGA type 13N7075) and it is by far the best I have ever seen. However, the directional foil on the surface concentrates the light beams very much perpendicular to the surface.
Somewhat different to IDTech IPS screens which are very uniform, but darker due to more light diffusion to the angles. You have to get used to it.
>The good side effect of this is that less light is lost to your eyes and you can dramatically turn down the CCFL power.
>A somewhat negative effect is that the brightest spot is always in line of eye sight. The corners of the picture outside of perpendicular view are darker, but still very well readible. That is somewhat confusing.

My tests revealed that my T60 with a new IDTech IPS UXGA requires about 18W at a fixed brightness, while it is only 14W with the Hydis AFFS UXGA at the same measured brightness. The light focusing technology at Hydis seems to be very effective.

My next experiments will be the QXGA IDTech displays. Unfortunately the shipping costs to Europe where I am at the moment are ridiculously high, so I might want to postpone this.

[wild_bill]

I think, I have had quite a lot experience with these screens so far to give some comments.
I used several ID-Tech SXGA/UXGA screens on the R50p, T42p and they were really good, although an older technology generation. IDTech IPS was one of the finest displays I have ever seen.
Then I had a few T60 SXGA+ with the infamous IPS from LG-Philips. They had a very poor supplier with CCFL lamps which lasted only about 6 months and then started fading drastically. After about 2 years all LG-Philips SXGA screens were yellow and dim. I replaced the CCFL lamps myself (as usual) and used lamps from a broken Samsung LCD which are known to be bright and have a blueish tint.
Result: excellent SXGA displays. So the problem was the subpar CCFL supplier for LG-Philips.

I am using now a T60 with the BOE Hydis Viewiz (the -100 UXGA type 13N7075) and it is by far the best I have ever seen. However, the directional foil on the surface concentrates the light beams very much perpendicular to the surface.
Somewhat different to IDTech IPS screens which are very uniform, but darker due to more light diffusion to the angles. You have to get used to it.
>The good side effect of this is that less light is lost to your eyes and you can dramatically turn down the CCFL power.
>A somewhat negative effect is that the brightest spot is always in line of eye sight. The corners of the picture outside of perpendicular view are darker, but still very well readible. That is somewhat confusing.

My tests revealed that my T60 with a new IDTech IPS UXGA requires about 18W at a fixed brightness, while it is only 14W with the Hydis AFFS UXGA at the same measured brightness. The light focusing technology at Hydis seems to be very effective.

Wow, what a great post!

I learned more about Thinkpad IPS panels from this single post than I have in the all of the other posts I've read in 2010 combined!

This is the kind of post that makes this a great group, thanks for the early Christmas present, you just made my whole year!