display - Compatible laptop screen

08
2014-07
  • Seub

    My laptop screen was damaged and I would like to buy a new screen to replace it.

    My laptop is a LDLC and I was not given information on the screen other than 15"6 matte 1600x900, but when I took it out I could read on it: "LG display" and "LP156WD1(TL)(B2)".

    My question is the following: how can I know which screens are compatible, or do I need to buy exactly the same one? Subsidiary question: is it a bad idea to go for a higher resolution (like 1900*1080)? I am a bit worried about performance, all the more as my graphics card id badly supported by my Linux OS.

    • Answers
  • 0xAether

    The number you found on the inside is the correct number needed to determine the right screen needed for a replacement.

    In some cases it's possible to upgrade the screen to one that has a higher resolution. But the chance is mostly not worth taking. This is because the video card might not recognize the new screen. And a host of different things.

    I seemed to have found the screen you need at https://www.laptopscreen.com/English/screen-part-number/LP156WD1(TL)(B2)/

    There are two different ones: the only difference is whether the screen has a matte finish or a glossy one.

    Just as long as the numbers match up or if a screen is said to be compatible with the broken one you have now, it should be fine (Just in the case you don't wish to order from the website I found)

  • jdh

    You can check the specs from the laptop manufacturer to see what other resolution displays were available for that model. That will tell you what resolutions its graphics driver supports. The performance difference will be minimal. Images will look nicer. Text will be harder to read because it will be slightly smaller. For matte/gloss question - that's entirely an individual preference.


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  • TM.

    I'm currently in the process of deciding what kind of laptop I want to buy.

    I pretty much have it narrowed down to particular model that has a 15.6" screen.

    I have a little bit of a dilemma with regards to the display however.

    I'm tried to decide between a 1440x900 and 1920x1080 for the display resolution. The price difference is very minor ($25), so I'm not worried about that aspect.

    Normally, it'd be a no-brainer: go for the higher resolution.

    However, I am worried that at 1920x1080, everything will be very small and hard to read. After all, I'm used to a 24" monitor with 1920x1200.

    Readability is obviously very important, but I'm also worried that I might curse myself later for not getting the full 1920x1080.

    Does anyone have any experience with using small screens with resolution this high? Do you find it difficult/painful to read things?

    Update: I've tried adjusting DPI in the past on XP/Vista, and generally it seems to be annoying: things get misaligned and don't look right.

    I should note that while this notebook will have Vista (with Win7 upgrade option), I'll probably be using it mostly for linux. Does anyone know well the font scaling works in ubuntu?


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  • caliban

    For a period of time, I used a sony vaio tx that has a 11.1" lcd with 1366x768 resolution. 1 hour into working with it, my eyes started to tear, and I just told my colleagues that I was crying because i was broke and had no money for lunch. :)

    1440x900 is a good resolution for a 15", trust me on that. Make sure the notebook has DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort out so you can always connect to a bigger LCD monitor when you need the higher resolution.

    1920x1080 on a 15" is non-sustainable for long periods of staring at the screen - it gets really uncomfortable.

    You will curse yourself... if you get the 1920x1080 panel.

  • studiohack

    Higher DPI settings have been much improved in Windows 7 over XP (where they looked like a hastily added afterthought). Windows 7 has display options to enlarge everything by 125% (~120dpi) or 150% (~144dpi) over the default (96dpi) which give a very smooth looking interface thanks to Windows 7's improved scalability of icons etc.

    That said, if you do this with the higher res screen you're effectively reducing the screen resolution anyway, though you will have the advantage of being able to watch 1080 HD movies.

  • hanleyp

    All things being equal, the higher resolution display will look better. You can always adjust the text and icon sizes to fit your needs.

  • Multiverse IT

    I think this is a very personal decision and no one can really answer this. I wear glasses - have for nearly 20 years. My sight has been pretty steady since then. And I PREFER high resolution screens? How high? I have an 8 year old Dell Inspiron 8200 laptop with 1600x1200 in a 15" display. I LOVE IT. I've never had ANY difficulty reading it. I don't replace it in part because I can't find that screen size anymore. I don't WANT a WIDE screen laptop - it's getting too bulky - but to get a resolution even close to that (the last time I looked), I'd have to get a 17" screen. So I stick with old reliable. Frankly, I'd be ecstatic if I could get DESKTOP monitors that were 15" AND 1600x1200.

    My advice - go to a local computer store and check it out. Or find one with the same screen size and resolution if you can't find the same laptop.

    As much as I like to get high resolutions, as a consultant, I've seen plenty of people that complain about them. This is why the decision is yours and you need to witness for yourself and decide for yourself.

  • Ronald Pottol

    I know in Windows you can set a higher DPI value. The default value is 96, by increasing this to 120 fonts will be render at a larger size. This way you get clear visible text on the higher resolution screen.

    Edit: I assume these options are available on other OS's like Linux and OS X, but as I do not use them I am unable to confirm this.