Are laptop screen parts autodetected by the system?
May 19, 2013 12:33 PM Subscribe
Can I simply physically replace the 1366*768 LCD in my HP EliteBook 8440p with the 1600*900 part and have the laptop autodetect the new screen and show the proper resolution? Or is there extra logic or connectors or dongles or whatever in the main body that must also be modified in order for the display to work, (or maybe it Just Won't Work)? Put simply, is HP 594090-001 plug-and-play?
I am familiar with ribbon cables and ZIF sockets. I am confident in laptop repair and have done many, I've just never attempted a complete swap-out for a different screen part such as I would like to do here.
I am familiar with ribbon cables and ZIF sockets. I am confident in laptop repair and have done many, I've just never attempted a complete swap-out for a different screen part such as I would like to do here.
Best answer: Unfortunately the answer is... sometimes. I replaced the panel on my thinkpad and weirdly, the machine reads the panel specs from little jumpers on the flexy data cable that connects the panel. The cables configured with different traces jumpered/cut were different part numbers, but I was able to modify mine instead of replacing it.
As far as I know there is no general rule. In your place, I'd just try it.
posted by fritley at 3:55 PM on May 19, 2013
As far as I know there is no general rule. In your place, I'd just try it.
posted by fritley at 3:55 PM on May 19, 2013
Best answer: I have a similar HP (ProBook 4530s), and as far as I know the better panels will work, with the only caveat being that a 1080 panel would require a bidirectional displaylink cable to make the upgrade work. The transplant process takes a long time and has a lot of fiddly bits, especially the hinge covers and the screen bezel. Take your time and use the right tools, should be fine.
posted by 1adam12 at 5:49 PM on May 19, 2013
posted by 1adam12 at 5:49 PM on May 19, 2013
Best answer: HP is generally pretty good about these things just working, but you might want to find out if your exact product type was available with that option. Sometimes there will be two tiers of machine under the same model number. For example, the 8440p with integrated graphics and the 1366x768 screen, and then the 8440p+ with a different motherboard and bigger screens.
If it is a full spare (the whole top half) and the connectors are identical, I would bet on yes.
But you can probably download the maintenance and service guide for your model and see if that spare part number is listed without any special callouts. HP laptops can be somewhat tricky with disassembly, and having the service manual would be a good thing.
posted by gjc at 7:38 PM on May 19, 2013
If it is a full spare (the whole top half) and the connectors are identical, I would bet on yes.
But you can probably download the maintenance and service guide for your model and see if that spare part number is listed without any special callouts. HP laptops can be somewhat tricky with disassembly, and having the service manual would be a good thing.
posted by gjc at 7:38 PM on May 19, 2013
Best answer: Fritley has it right, it varies not just from brand to brand but from model to model.
Most of the time, if that same model was shipped with multiple screen options then it will be a drop in, but there's sometimes tomfoolery like the cable issue they mentioned.
My rule of thumb is to assume its possible, but google it quite heavily first.
As a random anecdote, I've owned several asus G series laptops that this was possible on. Both of them had this type of mod done to them before I owned them. I've also swapped screens between revisions of apple laptops, and between models of dell laptops(D series latitudes. I had a 15in screen on a 14in shell. It worked, but looked silly). What I will say is the cables were almost ALWAYS different. Sometimes I needed the longer original cable, sometimes the new one had(or needed, if I didn't have it) extra wires or an extra weird bend.
These days I'd be very hesitant to try this unless it was either a well known swap I could easily find on google, or I had the panel + all the brackets and wiring, or ideally just an entire top shell to play around with. I'd take what bluecore found to mean there were no software/bios issues stopping this swap, but that there may be irritating cable and bracket snafus ahead.
posted by emptythought at 3:59 AM on May 20, 2013
Most of the time, if that same model was shipped with multiple screen options then it will be a drop in, but there's sometimes tomfoolery like the cable issue they mentioned.
My rule of thumb is to assume its possible, but google it quite heavily first.
As a random anecdote, I've owned several asus G series laptops that this was possible on. Both of them had this type of mod done to them before I owned them. I've also swapped screens between revisions of apple laptops, and between models of dell laptops(D series latitudes. I had a 15in screen on a 14in shell. It worked, but looked silly). What I will say is the cables were almost ALWAYS different. Sometimes I needed the longer original cable, sometimes the new one had(or needed, if I didn't have it) extra wires or an extra weird bend.
These days I'd be very hesitant to try this unless it was either a well known swap I could easily find on google, or I had the panel + all the brackets and wiring, or ideally just an entire top shell to play around with. I'd take what bluecore found to mean there were no software/bios issues stopping this swap, but that there may be irritating cable and bracket snafus ahead.
posted by emptythought at 3:59 AM on May 20, 2013
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posted by bluecore at 1:20 PM on May 19, 2013 [1 favorite]