Replacing A Laptop Screen

[nikster]

Hi,

I want to get a new LCD screen for my PC laptop, a Acer TravelMate 8204. It's a 15.4" 1680x1050 screen. The built in screen still works but it's so dim I can hardly use the PC during the day.

I have a 3 year warranty - have complained about the screen before and they told me it's within spec and this laptop is known for having a very dim screen.

Does anyone have experience with this? Is it reasonable that a laptop repair shop can do this? Are these screens standardized?

I'd like to know this before even going to the Acer service center or a laptop shop, because I know the initial answer will be no, yes, respectively

[Guest Reimar]

It's easy on one hand and sometimes impossible on the other hand.

And if you want a new Screen very expensive as well.

The only reasnoble way is the get an 2. hand screen which could easy up to 15 k THB because of the size.

So, better start to thinking to buy an new Laptop which has even the advantage that you get the latest uptodate hardware and a new Warranty as well. Only if your Laptop still has Warranty I would suggest to go to the Service Head Center of Acer in Bangkok nat Rama 3 Road to get an replacement from them. Dont let them tell y6ou the screen is within the limitations.

Cheers.

[jayenram]

Does anyone have experience with this?

I had a new laptop screen fitted in 1999. The cost was approximately equivalent to what I originally paid for the laptop in the first place.

[stumonster]

it is not technically difficult to remove and replace a laptop screen - it will only be screws , plug in connectors and ZIF's

the problem is getting another screen - you can look at ebay etc , but they will probably still have the same problem and be expensive anyway.

best bet is to get a new laptop

[Crossy]

If it's working but dim then I'd bet that the problem is the backlight rather than the LCD itself.

Take it along to one of the laptop repair places in your local IT mall and see what they say, you may be in for a pleasant surprise (some screens have easily replacable backlights)

[nikster]

Hmmm... I may do just that thanks Crossy. Sounds like that would be my best bet

Seems like replacing the whole screen would be an expensive proposition. Certainly not helped by the fact that 1680x is pretty rare, and rarer still in Thailand.

[Guest Reimar]

Hmmm... I may do just that thanks Crossy. Sounds like that would be my best bet

Seems like replacing the whole screen would be an expensive proposition. Certainly not helped by the fact that 1680x is pretty rare, and rarer still in Thailand.

I would be very carefully with that option. Ok it's an option but Iwouldn't do that if there is any Warranty left on the laptop. And if you have an Re cord about youformer Claim Try, even your Warranty could extend a bit. That you've to check via Acer Inter!

5 time give an Laptop with damaged Backlights to repair and just 1 time was ok! The first time only, later no more! 1 time the whole screen wasn't work any more and one other was more bad after that "repair".

Really start to think about. Only if all Warranties ar gone, you could give them a try but do NOT expect to much.

Cheers.

[sensei]

Why not try an external monitor? It's the cheapest option. You can get the biggest without having to go through the pain of transferring all of your data from an old laptop to a new one.

[Macx]

Last month, I took my Toshiba to Pantip, bottom floor, back end shops. Got a quote for a new replacement screen 15.4" for 8000bhat. Decided that I wanted a new laptop.

[britmaveric]

Sounds like the back light as previously stated. Much cheaper usually then replacing the LCD. However get it priced if its dear, then either external monitor or buy a new notebook.

[whimsy]

I have one of these notebooks and do not find the screen particularly dim. It IS dim if trying to use it outdoors in sunlight, but this is true of just about any notebook. The new 'glossy' screens are somewhat better for this.

Just one thought.... You probably know this, but just in case...... You have tried adjusting the screen brightness setting haven't you? On this model, hold down the Fn key and press the right arrow key several times. There are 15 brightness levels available.

[nikster]

I have one of these notebooks and do not find the screen particularly dim. It IS dim if trying to use it outdoors in sunlight, but this is true of just about any notebook. The new 'glossy' screens are somewhat better for this.

Just one thought.... You probably know this, but just in case...... You have tried adjusting the screen brightness setting haven't you? On this model, hold down the Fn key and press the right arrow key several times. There are 15 brightness levels available.

Really, you have an 8204 and the screen is not dim? When did you buy it? On mine, it _is_ really dim, and yeah I have set it to max. brightness. This kind of gives me hope for a warranty replacement

[whimsy]

I have one of these notebooks and do not find the screen particularly dim. It IS dim if trying to use it outdoors in sunlight, but this is true of just about any notebook. The new 'glossy' screens are somewhat better for this.

Just one thought.... You probably know this, but just in case...... You have tried adjusting the screen brightness setting haven't you? On this model, hold down the Fn key and press the right arrow key several times. There are 15 brightness levels available.

Really, you have an 8204 and the screen is not dim? When did you buy it? On mine, it _is_ really dim, and yeah I have set it to max. brightness. This kind of gives me hope for a warranty replacement

Oops sorry, I have the 8104, the model before with the Pentium M CPU. However, I think the chassis and many of the parts including the screen are basically the same.

I found a post on the notebookreview.com forum re an updated bios increasing screen brightness. You may want to look into this and also post a question regarding your dim screen there. That forum has a lot of good info from Acer owners.

[naka]

If it's working but dim then I'd bet that the problem is the backlight rather than the LCD itself.

Take it along to one of the laptop repair places in your local IT mall and see what they say, you may be in for a pleasant surprise (some screens have easily replacable backlights)

Crossy, I also Have an Acer 82xx model slightly newer than the OP's. This very expensive

laptop, >100k in Thailand is notorious for its dim screen. You can find many comments on Google.

Naka.

[Crossy]

If it's working but dim then I'd bet that the problem is the backlight rather than the LCD itself.

Take it along to one of the laptop repair places in your local IT mall and see what they say, you may be in for a pleasant surprise (some screens have easily replacable backlights)

Crossy, I also Have an Acer 82xx model slightly newer than the OP's. This very expensive

laptop, >100k in Thailand is notorious for its dim screen. You can find many comments on Google.

Naka.

Yeah, I failed to read the OP correctly, I assumed the LCD had GONE dim. looks like it's actually a design fact

[Jimmy in Bangkok]

I have an Acer 8204WLMi and it's about 18 months old now and i haven't had any issues with the screen brightness at all. the only time it is hard to see is, as another poster stated, when it's in direct sunlight. I had a cooling fan die on me but was replaced under warranty here in Bangkok. Acer here in Bangkok have been fantastic with anything regarding my warranty. I show them the documents and they repair it no questions. I did buy both Acers here in Bangkok though so I don't know if that makes any difference? The only two issues I have ever had with Acer was one DVD burner in an old notebook I had died under warranty and was replaced without a drama and the fan issue. I would be taking it in to have it repaired.

Cheers

Jimmy

[nikster]

Will try the warranty replacement - Acer service (Chiang Mai) has been great to me as well. I also had a cooling fan go right in the beginning, and a hard disk died but was replaced by Acer under warranty before it was completely dead. I had found some bad sectors, made a backup, bought a new HD b/c it was the weekend and I had to get some stuff done, then took the old, naked HD back to Acer. They gave me a new one on the spot, no questions asked. Could not be better service, really.

As someone else has noticed, I have also read about a dim screen on this model on many forums, hence my initial thought of replacing it with a different model or different backlight. But now I am thinking they might have fixed the problem on later models...

[NanLaew]

While a particular model of laptop is in production, there may be several different manufacturers LCD screens installed, ie. Samsung, Hitachi or IBM. Each has different backlight assemblies that are not interchangeable, i.e. a Samsung screen will not work with a Hitachi backlight. I had this issue with a Dell Inspiron, discovering that Dell used 3 different LCD manufacturers. It was easy to get a replacement screen but it took over 6 months before a matching backlight turned up on the internet.