Bad screen replacement Vostro 1500 just arrived - and the verdict is....

Gorgeous screen!!!

I had my Vostro 1500 replaced because my WXGA+ screen (AUO2077) was grainy, had uneven backlighting, light leakage and poor viewing angles.

Just firing up the replacment, I could tell it looked better right away because the letters in the Dell logo weren't grainy. The new screen (LG) has much better horizontal viewing angles, even lighting and NO GRAIN! There's a bit of light leakage, but I can live with that.

I had to fire up the old Vostro to get the WEP key for the new one, and it hurt my eyes just to look at it. I'm definitely glad I decided not to just put up with the screen I originally got.

There's a lot of naysayers on this forum who say that the screens can't be expected to be good because the Vostro is a budget notebook. Don't believe it. Dell can and does use quality screens. The more fuss we make about the bad screens, the sooner Dell finally takes care of this problem once and for all.

I am now a happy Dell customer.

 

Sorry for being off topic, but are you on fbtz as well?

 

When did you order yours?

 

The original order was placed on 9/18 and received on 9/24. The replacement was ordered on 10/5 and received today (10/9).

 

you simply got lucky.. there are other like myself who went through many replacments.. i had a total of...... 5 OF THEM... and they were all horrible. i tried as hard as i could to get a lg screen and got no where. so trust me you sir simply got lucky...i would have kept mine as well had they done what they promised and gave me a good screen. i will not say all dell screens are crap. but it seems only perhaps 25% are good right off the bat..

 

Sorry, don't know what fbtz is. I post on Arstechnica fairly often.

 

I can't argue with someone who went through 5 of them. Right now, I'm feeling really lucky.

 

sweet! glad you got a good one.

 

I went through 4 Vostro 1500 exchanges and finally gave up and settled with 1400 which also has a not so good screen. I've thrown in my towel and probably just stick with the Screen I got.

 

Glad to hear you got a good screen. If you have a moment, do you think you could post the part number for the LG WXGA+ screen? If you go to Dell's website, into My Account, select My Systems, and pull up the Vostro there should be a part number next to the LCD screen. For my AUO, it says GU429 (for example). You may need to click on the Current Configuration tab if it's still showing the old screen.

I'm planning to call Dell to get a replacement screen and I'd really like to have the part number to try and get an LG.

 

I was just at the Dell site, but their search wasn't working. I'll have to enter the numbers from the laptop later. However, from a thread at another forum, the Dell part number for the LG WXGA+(1440x900) panel is XP059.

 

Thanks! I noticed that number is only really found in threads regarding Inspirons, but I guess it's likely the same part for the two systems?

 

I rather doubt that Dell's current processes allow for one to specify which LCD by part number. Tech support, customer support, and the actual building cells in Malaysia or in Ireland are separate entities.. they don't communicate to each other as one might think. Its a game of chance and can be a fairly frustrating road if you are expecting a certain model of LCD (LG). Just be prepared for the worse. And also expect that some CSR's or sales reps may tell you things that are not even remotely true.

 

I can see that on the initial build, but I've seen at least one or two posts that seem to indicate people were able to specify which part number on replacements. It's worth a shot anyway.

 

Its possible, but more likely they just got lucky. If you have home care you might be able to get the tech to bring a specific panel. I hope you are right, but more likely if they tell you LG and that is what you end up with then you probably just got lucky. If you are talking about new systems coming from Malaysia, I highly doubt that the CSR's can control whats going on in build cells. However, if dealing with a home care tech, or a dell depot repair facility, you might have more control. Just remember, when one reports that a rep tells them LG, and that is what they get, there is probably a 20 percent chance that luck will produce that result. Thats why you will see "a few" posts where people where told one thing and got it. I personally don't believe for one second that CSR's can control whats going on in the build cell. If this were true, then every replacement system on this board would be a positive one.. but thats just not the case.

Having said all that, it can't hurt trying as you say. Good luck.

 

I've also gone through 2 replacement 1400s, both screens were grainy (even an LG one). I stuck with my original 1400 screen. It's not grainy, but that's about the extent of its strengths.

 

Dell's website finally accepted the Service Tag number for my replacement Vostro 1500 and the Dell part number for the LG WXGA+ screen is XP059.

 

Thanks DerKaiser, much appreciated.

 

Just a quick update on my situation. I talked to tech support yesterday. At first the person I talked to said he could order a specific part, but when it came time to do so, it wasn't an option for him.

The onsite tech came today to replace the screen and had another AUO with him. He pulled out the current screen and was getting ready to drop the new screen in when I noticed that the new screen was curved. After he finished hooking it up we were greeted with a shattered panel.

While he was talking to his contact, he passed on the information about the specific part and was told that there was only one option for ordering a replacement.

So it looks like either it's still going to be a random manufacturer, or maybe they can't get the LG any more. I told them that if all I could get was AUO, then probably shouldn't bother, but the onsite tech went ahead and ordered another screen anyway. If the new screen is AUO as well and looks the same or worse, I'll just make a decision about whether to keep the laptop or not.

 

I got an LG replacement and its awesome! So, its there, you just need to be persistent about getting it.

 

How do you check what kind of screen you got?

 

Why does it matter if you like the screen you got?

Otherwise you go to the Device Manager, expand Monitors, double-click the icon for your screen, click on the Details tab, choose HardwareIDs from the pull-down menu. My AUO screen was called a AUO2077. It's the 15.4" WXGA+ screen. My LG replacement is called a LPLDF00. The Samsung is SEC3157.

 

I ordered another Vostro a couple days ago off of the outlet and it came with this (LG #XP079) screen. It is excellent; little to no graininess, no backlight leakage, no color washout, and the color profile is spot on requiring no adjustment via the nvidia control panel. This is easily the same quality level as the screens in store bought laptops, and I hope Dell can work out a deal with LG to provide this kind of quality screen from now on.

 

Are they still using the AUO screens for 1400's? I'm thinking about getting one for school, but I don't want to be stuck with a crappy screen. My brother's Compal HEL-80 has a Samsung screen, and I find that one barely passable.

 

My Vostro 1400 that I got yesterday came with a SEC screen...

so your guess is as good as mine