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    Change display panel on t420 from 768 to 900 pix?

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by Herr Brun, Jul 5, 2013.

  1. Herr Brun

    Herr Brun Newbie

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    I have a t420 which sadly has a 1366*768 panel. I have been doing some research on changing panels, but I can't seem to find one important question answered: Will my laptop with a 1366*768 display accept a new 1600*900 panel?

    If you need more information on model etc. I can provide this later, just tell me what you need.

    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. PatchySan

    PatchySan Om Noms Kit Kat

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    Most likely you will need to change the LVDS cable to accept the signals of the higher resolution panels, the part number for this is 04W1618. You can have a read of this post as someone had done this procedure before.
     
  3. Herr Brun

    Herr Brun Newbie

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    Okay, so the only real difference is that I have to change the cable as well? I see the poster you are referring to is talking about soldering - if I do not blow a fuse, do I need to solder anything? And if I disconnect power, remove battery and do the repairs on an antistatic mat, the fuse shouldn't normally blow? I don't know how to solder at all... I could probably have somebody help me, but I'd rather not... The LVDS cable is loose in both ends?

    Thanks for the response!
     
  4. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

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    If you take the right precautions, you shouldn't blow anything.

    Most important thing is to be careful and take you time. The most stressful moment will probably be when it's time to power it back on.
     
  5. Herr Brun

    Herr Brun Newbie

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    And if I don't blow a fuse, there's no welding, only loosening cables and screwing?
     
  6. PatchySan

    PatchySan Om Noms Kit Kat

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    From what I'm aware it should be a straight cable and panel swap along with the screws. You shouldn't really need to solder anything unless you get into trouble similar to that poster. The key is to take your time and discharge potential static when working around the motherboard. I personally swapped the panel in my T420 and hadn't came across the need to solder anything.
     
  7. Herr Brun

    Herr Brun Newbie

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    So which panel should I look for? It must be matte and 1600*900, other than that I don't know really. And yeah it has to fit my T420 (obviously).
     
  8. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

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    I'd try looking for the panel Lenovo uses, I don't know if they whitelist LCD displays, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did.
     
  9. S.SubZero

    S.SubZero Notebook Deity

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    I did this with a T520 and it was very simple. The laptop had a (broken) 1600x900 panel, I went online and found the 1920x1080 upgrade panel for these cheap, so boom, ordered. No cable replacement or any of that. The entire process took about 15 minutes.

    The important thing is to get the right panel. Many panel resellers will say what laptop the panel is for, down to the exact model number. Your searches should include your model.
     
  10. Herr Brun

    Herr Brun Newbie

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    How do I check if my current panel is a LED or CCFL? Is it possible to check without removing the display?
     
  11. turqoisegirl08

    turqoisegirl08 Notebook Evangelist

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    I am 99.9% certain that Lenovo stopped using CCFL in their business series after the T500/R500/W500/X200 models. Click on the link HERE and save this PDF file. It is a manual issued by Lenovo that essentially instructs step-by-step how to perform a tear-down. It also has all the part numbers and FRU (field replaceable unit) numbers for every part of your T420. The part number and FRU should help you net the proper 1600X900 panel.

    After downloading and saving scroll down page 157 of the manual and note that there are only LED screen types. There are no CCFL screen types that were manufactured with the T420/T420i series.
     
  12. Herr Brun

    Herr Brun Newbie

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    Thank you very much for responding everyone! Massive help :)