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Looking to modify a laptop with an LED/LCD display, have already looked through eBay/Amazon to wee what's out there. Does anyone have experience ordering from other vendor websites? Any recommendations?

I have ordered multiple panels from Amazon and ebay and have never had an issue.

If you get the wrong lcd panel they will exchange it with little trouble.

(there are always a few bad apples but they are weeded out pretty quick)

I buy from laptopscreen.com - they give you options that they "guarantee" to fit your laptop, and once you become a return customer you get a discount. I've bought three panels from them over the last year, and every time it was a good experience.

If your laptop was available in different resolutions, is it possible to upgrade to a higher resolution panel? Their site warns you to make sure the resolution is the same as the existing panel.

derFunkenstein wrote:

I buy from laptopscreen.com - they give you options that they "guarantee" to fit your laptop, and once you become a return customer you get a discount. I've bought three panels from them over the last year, and every time it was a good experience.

Great setup they have. Unfortunately, no stock on any of the compatible part numbers I'm looking for. Will keep in mind for future, though.

just brew it! wrote:

If your laptop was available in different resolutions, is it possible to upgrade to a higher resolution panel? Their site warns you to make sure the resolution is the same as the existing panel.

As long as the connector is the same, I would think so, but I guess it's hard to tell. I've only ever bought 1080p IPS panels to replace 1080p TN displays.

I replace about 10 laptop screens a week, most of the replacements come from http://www.screencountry.com/

I don't do the ordering or anything, but since I've been doing this I've only ever had maybe 3-4 not come in in good condition.

I don't know the return policy, since I don't do that either, but I haven't heard too much in terms of complaints from three girls in purchasing.

just brew it! wrote:

If your laptop was available in different resolutions, is it possible to upgrade to a higher resolution panel? Their site warns you to make sure the resolution is the same as the existing panel.

You have to do your homework, for sure. Electrical compatibility is sometimes easier to obtain than physical compatibility, because of different PCB shapes and bracket holes.

In this case, I've got a Dell e7240. Older but generally excellent Haswell ultrabook, save for a dim, dull 13x7 TN panel straight outta 2005. It was originally sold with either that using a 30-pin eDP port, or a 1080p IPS touchscreen which also uses eDP but has a 40-pin combined display and digitizer, plus beefier hinges. After a couple hours parsing this NotebookReview thread and searching part numbers online, I've concluded I can swap just the LCD without dissassembling the base unit, but I'm limited to two options, both of which are out of production and becoming scarce:

LP125WF2-SPB1 -- LG Philips IPS 1080P -- $105-ish
LP125WH2-SPM1 -- LG Philips IPS 768P -- $60-ish

The first was used mainly in some Lenovo x240/250 models but is nearly a drop-in replacement for the OE 13x7 display in Dell 7240/7250 models, as long as you don't get mis-shipped the SPB2 which has a wider PCB. The second unit is an exact drop-in replacement and is what Dell should have used in the first place.

Part of me really wants the extra screen resolution. The other part of me knows my eyes are within spitting distance of four decades and can't handle that kind of nonsense on a small screen. Then again, Win10's desktop scaling options are much better than in past versions, so...decisions.

Yeah, I'm in pretty much the same boat. I have an HP EliteBook that I generally like, except for the low-res screen. My eyes are even older than yours, but I have prescription computer glasses that do a pretty good job.

Went ahead and ordered the 1920x1080 unit through Amazon, albeit a third party called Vtek. They had at least one positive recommendation in that NBR thread and Amazon protects the purchase, so...whatever, I guess.

If nothing else, "FHD" will be a good selling point if I have to sell off this laptop at some point. But I got a good price on eBay including Dell-bundled versions of software that I also use for work, which means I should be able to travel lighter on some of my business trips.

Should be fine. A few years back I ordered a raw LCD panel off some random Amazon seller as they guaranteed it fit the model laptop my father somehow managed to step on. Everything went smooth, no surprises or issues with the panel itself and it looked identical from what little I remembered of his machine.

As for upgrading the panel, checking the full list of display options offered on the exact model laptop should quickly give some options for a safe potential upgrade.

Yeah, we'll see. Based on pictures and descriptions I'm pretty sure the (...)SPB1 is a drop-in replacement, while the nearly-identical (...)SPB2 is not due to a wider PCB. The same seller (Vtek) has separate Amazon listings for each model number but is using the latter as their stock photo for both. Hoping that's just an oversight.

+1 for screencountry.com, though I'm glad you found one elsewhere. Hope it all works out.

For non-touchscreen compatibility generally you need to match the connector positions and the type of backlight used (everything is LED these days though). That's about it. If you're upgrading the screen resolution you have to be a little more careful, some older laptops only support 1 channel of LVDS vs 2, and might not support the panel's resolution. Oh, and make sure the size and aspect ratios are the same otherwise you'll need duct tape (but it can electrically work--I've seen a 15.4" laptop with a 13.3" replacement screen).

Source: Upgraded my old G50vt from 1366x768 to 1680x1050 years ago.

Hmm... I may attempt a screen upgrade on the EliteBook. Or maybe I'll experiment on the ProBook first (very similar to the EliteBook, but apparently takes a slightly different panel with a different connector location). Prices on the replacement panels seem quite reasonable, so if it doesn't work out I can chalk it up to a "learning experience" (provided I don't damage the original panel in the process).

Whelp, that was a bust. It shipped fast and the unit arrived in good packaging, except they didn't actually put tape over the tuck-flap (think of a motherboard-style box) and the box was halfway open when delivered. The goods inside had plenty of bubblewrap, but the unit had prior handling damage that bent the PCB a bit. Not surprisingly, it wouldn't do anything even though the eDP connector was a match. The return label is already on the box.

Bit of good news: The seller is very communicative. They are going to test the returned display and if it works in the shop, we have to assume the eDP cable in later versions of this laptop doesn't support 19x10 resolution, in which case I may be able to exchange for the IPS 13x7 option which they do have in stock.

And...success! Apparently I couldn't upgrade to FHD on this model without changing the eDP cable as well, and a compatible replacement is unknown for this model short of a touschreen conversion. But I did end up with an LG125WH2-SPM2, which is 13x7 but IPS. Night and day difference -- this laptop is finally usable without eyestrain.

Only physical modification was breaking off a couple small cable-routing tabs inside the lid that interfered with the PCB edge.