Alienware 15 R2 display panel mystery

Damn, havent heard of undeadpixel did it sort out the problem?

How's the overall quality, like brand new?

 

Well the pixel was bright red, now its blue/black but strangely can't be seen on a white background... So not really sorted, I've already emailed the supplier.

Other than that the panel looks awesome compared to the lifeless panel I took out!!

 

Haha great, glad its going well. Looking forward to getting mine now I was a bit apprehensive about outlet machines before.

 

Well aside from the non-retail packaging (generic brown box), mine is brand new. It is absolutely spotless and I went straight in with a 4GHz oc. Just ran out of time tonight, I will continue tomorrow, much to my girlfriends delight!

 

outlet machines are a no brainer. Congratulations!
If you want I can sell you this LG panel I have it has no dead pixels. Tough to find the perfect LG panel through a third party supplier. Let me know if they don't have a wf6, I think it's very slightly better than wf4

 

Thanks Nick, I'll see what they have to say tomorrow, hopefully they'll replace the panel. They did for you, no?

 

Yeah they did. I suppose I'm trying to shift this one as well let me know if you need it for whatever reason

 

I got the LP156WF6 straight up, but it tops out at 220nit on the dot for some reason... Not sure if Dell crippled the firmware or the controller... I'm also in a similar situation with a bright pixel but I cant be bothered hassling for a single pixel that i only notice if i stare up close at the screen.

 

That's really odd, my WF6 panel is bang on the quoted 300 nits and its undoubtedly brighter than the stock panel. In fact its nearly as bright as my old Latitude which when cranked up, could burn your retina's!
Yeah the pixel for me is really annoying, I can't un-see it!!

 

So it looks like I will be having my screen replaced which is really good of the company considering how many dead/stuck pixel are apparently tolerated these days!

 

Was it easy to replace? Does your bezel still fit nicely into place etc after replacing it? My bezel became wonky after a technician replaced it.

 

Yeah, really easy. Had the old panel out and new one in within 10 minutes. I have a load of plastic pry tools as I repair phones and popped the sides first, then up the top round the camera (which was not aligned with the lens btw!), Once the sides and top are done, you have to be a little careful where the Alienware logo is because there is some adhesive the sticks the bezel to the bottom edge of the panel. The clips around the bottom edges were a little tight but easily persuaded with a plastic spudger, then pop the clips around the hinges and lay flat on the keyboard.

The screen is held with 4 screws, once undone, also lay the screen on the keyboard and unclip the eDP cable (use something plastic). Reverse to fit a new panel.

My bezel went back on perfectly so if yours isn't then it might be some of the clips haven't clipped in properly. Could be worth popping it off, checking nothing is in the way and re-seating.

I will inevitably have to do this again so I'll take pictures of the process and post.

 

there are pics already somewhere in this forum.. Surprised to hear that another user had a wf6 at 220 nits. I will put the wf4 back in to verify but for sure my screen is bright I can use it in the light and the previous Samsung was a struggle.. I'd be shocked if it's 220 nits. Colors are popping and it is very bright, too much so at night

 

Ah ok, no worries. I'll leave the pictures for now then!

Yeah I'm surprised about that, mine is unmistakably brighter however, it will be replaced. Here's hoping I get a good panel.......

 

Thanks for the information. I suspected it would be like this from the service manual. But I am worried about the adhesive if I want to change the screen in the future. Did you lose some stickiness from removing it?

My current R1 will be picked up next week and I am currently waiting for the replacement R2. But worry ofcourse about the screen quality. I hope newer R2's have at least a bit better screens.

I tried to find them but I couldnt anymore :S

 

I didn't seem to lose any of the stickiness, I'm fairly sure its there just to stop the light bleeding from the logo into the bottom of the screen. Worst case scenario, you could use some thin double sided tape to ensure its stuck down.

I'm afraid you are going to be a little disappointed with the screen on the R2 after having the R1 but at least its a relatively easy fix, even if it does cost a little extra.

If you like, I could PM the pictures to you?

 

Thanks, photos are always appreciated!

 

No worries, I've swapped the screen back and took a few pictures but the site I upload to was having some maintenance done (seems to be ok now). Will PM you the pics shortly.

Yeah I used a longer, pen type spudger to gently pry the bottom, you'll kinda see in the pics!

 

Well I guess Dell crippled the panel firmware then like the Samsung panel... Um, 220 is already way too bright for night use, but the wf6 is still significantly brighter than the 170 nit of the samsung panel when i had that... Though colours to me don't pop, its just reasonably accurate. I calibrated mine for 80nits which is bright enough for use indoors all throughout the day and night and that works out to be 36% brightness.

Kek, i just used my fat fingers.

 

Thank you so much for the photos!

I dont think Dell has anything to do with with the brightness of the panels in terms of firmware etc. There is something up within the LCD manufacturers market new panels are significant less bright than their predecessors.

 

No problem at all, I hope they're useful.

 

Mine shipped yesterday afternoon!

Apparently it's shipping from Poland, and will arrive on or before 25th.

Strange I thought UK outlet orders were shipped from Ireland.

 

Maybe it's a cancelled order that never left the manufacturing facility?!

 

Haha maybe, would be pretty sweet if that were the case!

 

Strange, mine is coming from China, the previous one was sent from China as well.

 

Yeah I guess my 2 previous XPS laptops came frrom China as well. No idea I'm pretty sure outlet shipments to the UK should be coming from Ireland though.

The question I'm facing now to keep my 950 Pro and have 2 512GB Pcie drives or return the 950 pro and get a 1TB SATA SSD to replace the 1TB spinner drive.

 

I received my R2 today. The screen is indeed not great. Could fix the colors wthout losing brightness. The panel in mine is an LG 156WF6, My old R1 had a WF4 is I remember correctly. Hope I can find one without any dead pixels again.

The screen lid on my R2 is not aligned correctly with the laptop base.but less than a millimetre more to the left. Hope I can align it myself with losening the hinge screws and then move the lid in the correct position. No idea if there is some kind of play left to do this.

 

Pretty sure LP156WF6 is 300 nits one. The bad one is Samsung 156HL08

 

You're right, all WF6 models are listed as 300nit. Except for one, which strangely doesn't have a brightness rating on Panelook.

http://www.panelook.com/LP156WF6-SPB4_LG Display_15.6_LCM_overview_26557.html

That is the SPB4 variant, seems odd that no brightness rating is given, no?

 

Well I got the info from HWinfo and the brightness difference is huge next to a 6 months old LG156WF4. I have them side by side now

 

well i put the wf4 back in after reading this and you're right its brighter than the LG WF6 ! so i'm going to use it after all lol.

it would appear the Dell samsung is really trash ,the LG WF6 is usable, but not 300nits.

 

There are multiple WF6 versions though, some are 300nits, mine is 220, my desktop screen is 250nits and the R2 WF6 is a bit less bright.

But annoying I just bought a panel on ebay and then the seller states that they dont have any LG stock but will shop a compatible Chimei. I want an LG, now I have to get to the trouble to get it cancelled again.

 

I just replaced the original panel with Samsung LTN156HL02-201.
all I can say is WOW! HUGE difference!

I think it's much better than AUO B156HAN01.2

 

As I've been saying for a couple months now....

Out of curiosity, does anybody know of a reputable panel source in Australia?

 

It is fairly annoying to get a good panel. Many merchants out there say they have it in stock but the small letters say they can send a compatible panel. I heard the LG panels now are for example hard to find.

 

Pretty sure one of the sellers i asked from aliexpress said they have LG WF6 in stock but after bad experience i got, i bought the samsung panel from ebay. A bit more expensive but the service and safety are worth the money.

 

What are some of the things you noticed other than the display being brighter? Do the colors look more vibrant? Would you say the upgrade is worth the money? I recently purchased a 15r2 and I am pretty disappointed with the display. I am contemplating returning it and getting a 4k. I am not sure what kind of display I have. HWinfo reports it as LG Phillips Model: LGD04BP.

 

You need a different cable for 4k. But you have a panel that i didnt see yet in these laptops.

 

I placed my purchase in the beginning of Feb of this year. I just received my laptop last week 19th of Feb. Maybe a new display they are using? HWinfo marks the display as an unknown model. Even when I look at the driver details It displays LGD04BP so not sure. My bad when I said replace I meant return the laptop and place an order for one with 4K. IMO the display I have is not bad, just not good for my taste. I am also considering replacing my stock display with the Samsung one. Decisions decisions.

 

I received mine exactly the same day. The LG I have is okayish. After calibrating the colors are okay, the brightness is between 220~250 nits but the old WF6 SB1 was really much better.

 

hay guys i have a alienware 15 R1 with the 350 nit or 300nit 4k display and is touch enabled............had lots of issues with my laptop and dell is sending me out a new R2 with exact same specs except an upgrade from 4gb of video memory to 8gb.

my question is to my understanding the newer models dont have touch...........is there a way to keep my current 4k screen and move it over to my R2?

i really got like the option of the touch sometimes.....

 

Yeah but it seems LG panels are easier to find than Samsung ones...

I checked ebay and most of the sellers seem dodgy/are based in the UK which is a hassle to send back to... Which seller did you buy yours from?

My part number is LGD04B9, so it seems like a very minor difference. Use the HWiNFO tool and find out the model number if you want to compare displays lol. It will be something like 156WF6 [DELL P/N: KFKV0].

 

the color looks more vivid and crisp even by its default setting especially after I had to live with ****ty panel for couple months.

I bought mine from eBay USA seller though I dont live in USA.
was a bit pricey, 64USD and I had to pay for the shipping and custom fee but it is better than dealing with dodgy chinese sellers.

how do you check the brightness (nits) of your monitor?

 

You can do it with an SLR camera, see here:

http://www.hermitage-ps.co.uk/Files/CheckMonLum.pdf

 

So my replacement panel has just turned up, an LP156WF4-SPH1

http://www.panelook.com/LP156WF4-SPH1_LG Display_15.6_LCM_parameter_20611.html

I had the WF6 sent to me prior to this but had a rather annoying "stuck" red pixel in the middle of the screen which the supplier kindly said they would replace.

Will fit once I get home this afternoon.

 

Nice that is an excellent panel!

 

Yeah, I'm really hoping it has no dead/stuck pixels.

I'll post some some pictures of this and the old panel (using the same back ground and manual camera settings of course) to give an idea of the difference between the two.

 

This is the difference between my old LG 156WF6 SB1 and the new 156WF6.

 

Loving my new 15R2 (outlet new), except the meh screen (HWINFO states its a LGD04B9, 156WF6 - Dell Part # KFKV0). I don't want to spend $80 on a replacement. Whats a good one that is in the $40-$50 range I can get from the USA (via ebay, or whatever?) - Please provide a link.

 

Well I guess I made an interesting discovery. So the WF6 in my 15 r2 is the LP156WF6-SPM1. Searching the web got me onto an Inspiron 7559 thread which has this which is very similar to my experience:

So I guess the WF6 panel mystery is solved...