Trying to upgrade Toshiba NB550D screen from WSVGA to WXGA

[Neooo]

Well, isn't this thread coming in handy.
I am a big fan of my NB550D, despite the now quite slow CPU, and I came across this thread last week while I was looking for information on whether to try Windows 8 or not. I was quite engrossed in your discussion on the replacement of the LCD.
As it happens, yesterday I accidentally stepped on my NB550D while it was lying on the floor and the screen has cracked. After a short period of despair, I remembered this thread and decided to use this horrible event as an excuse for a resolution upgrade!
Am i to understand that the Samsung LTN101AT03 screen sold from the link posted by jbbandos is compatible? Do I have to be concerned about something else? I'm planning on ordering it today
Thanks in advance for any information.

By the way, I assume that anyone who has disassembled laptops in the past can tinker with the NB550D? I've never actually tried to open it...

 

[Wrathlon69]

Well, isn't this thread coming in handy.
I am a big fan of my NB550D, despite the now quite slow CPU, and I came across this thread last week while I was looking for information on whether to try Windows 8 or not. I was quite engrossed in your discussion on the replacement of the LCD.
As it happens, yesterday I accidentally stepped on my NB550D while it was lying on the floor and the screen has cracked. After a short period of despair, I remembered this thread and decided to use this horrible event as an excuse for a resolution upgrade!
Am i to understand that the Samsung LTN101AT03 screen sold from the link posted by jbbandos is compatible? Do I have to be concerned about something else? I'm planning on ordering it today
Thanks in advance for any information.

By the way, I assume that anyone who has disassembled laptops in the past can tinker with the NB550D? I've never actually tried to open it...

The laptop is actually very easy to open, especially the screen.

Just takeout the two screw covers on the bottom corners, remove the screws, run a credit card around the seam of the bezel and it should just pop off/unclip.

It's pretty self explanatory from there but you can change the panel without disassembling the entire laptop. The only thing to watch out for are make sure you don't get the LP101-WSH panel as although it should work, it won't. I still don't know why and ended up selling my WSH they incorrectly sent me to someone with a 10.1" emachine netbook who wanted a screen resolution upgrade.

In other news, my touchscreen is now installed and working perfectly - Bought a 4 port mini USB hub, removed the USB ports to flatten it out, removed as much circuit board as I could and installed it in the empty spot with the missing Mini-PCIe port. I removed the ribbon cable to the right hand USB ports and soldered a wire in its place for the 3xvoltage pins so the ports are still powered by the onboard USB and ran the data pins to the USB hub.

USB Hubs power I jumped off the back of the left hand port as that's a charge and sleep port so has slightly higher power supply and can also be set to leave it all on when in sleep mode.

Ran the wires for the touchscreen under the keyboard and to the hub and soldered it all together. It fits perfectly underneath the access panel and the power LED of the hub shines through the grill so you can see it's fine without opening it up.

I also pulled a fingerprint scanner from a different laptop that's USB powered - I wired it up to a USB cable, plugged it in and installed the software and it works perfectly, so I plan to mod that into the spare space at the top of the LCD bezel.

I was also thinking about getting a minipci-e USB3 card and some USB3 ports and replacing the ports on the right hand side with USB3 equivalents and using the spare port on that USB hub for a USB WiFi card.

 

[Neooo]

Well, isn't this thread coming in handy.
I am a big fan of my NB550D, despite the now quite slow CPU, and I came across this thread last week while I was looking for information on whether to try Windows 8 or not. I was quite engrossed in your discussion on the replacement of the LCD.
As it happens, yesterday I accidentally stepped on my NB550D while it was lying on the floor and the screen has cracked. After a short period of despair, I remembered this thread and decided to use this horrible event as an excuse for a resolution upgrade!
Am i to understand that the Samsung LTN101AT03 screen sold from the link posted by jbbandos is compatible? Do I have to be concerned about something else? I'm planning on ordering it today
Thanks in advance for any information.

By the way, I assume that anyone who has disassembled laptops in the past can tinker with the NB550D? I've never actually tried to open it...

The laptop is actually very easy to open, especially the screen.

Just takeout the two screw covers on the bottom corners, remove the screws, run a credit card around the seam of the bezel and it should just pop off/unclip.

It's pretty self explanatory from there but you can change the panel without disassembling the entire laptop. The only thing to watch out for are make sure you don't get the LP101-WSH panel as although it should work, it won't. I still don't know why and ended up selling my WSH they incorrectly sent me to someone with a 10.1" emachine netbook who wanted a screen resolution upgrade.

In other news, my touchscreen is now installed and working perfectly - Bought a 4 port mini USB hub, removed the USB ports to flatten it out, removed as much circuit board as I could and installed it in the empty spot with the missing Mini-PCIe port. I removed the ribbon cable to the right hand USB ports and soldered a wire in its place for the 3xvoltage pins so the ports are still powered by the onboard USB and ran the data pins to the USB hub.

USB Hubs power I jumped off the back of the left hand port as that's a charge and sleep port so has slightly higher power supply and can also be set to leave it all on when in sleep mode.

Ran the wires for the touchscreen under the keyboard and to the hub and soldered it all together. It fits perfectly underneath the access panel and the power LED of the hub shines through the grill so you can see it's fine without opening it up.

I also pulled a fingerprint scanner from a different laptop that's USB powered - I wired it up to a USB cable, plugged it in and installed the software and it works perfectly, so I plan to mod that into the spare space at the top of the LCD bezel.

I was also thinking about getting a minipci-e USB3 card and some USB3 ports and replacing the ports on the right hand side with USB3 equivalents and using the spare port on that USB hub for a USB WiFi card.

Wow, that's quite a bit of work. It's a bit above my technical expertise, though😛
Anyhoo, the screen arrived and it's definitely compatible - I simply plugged in and everything works more or less fine. As reported, the brightness buttons/slider are now reversed.
The colors seem a bit off, and the green especially seems a bit too glaring. Has anyone tinkered with the colors so I don't have to experiment on my own?
As for this particular screen unit, I'm getting uneven backlight distribution near the center and a bit by the edge, which is quite noticeable while booting up and on darker scenes. Is this normal? Should I seek a replacement from the ebay seller?
In any case, I'm very happy even though 1366*768 is now taxing my non-perfect eyesight.
Thanks all for the valuable information.

By the way, how come I don't hear complaints about the CPU? Whenever I open a few tabs in Opera or god forbid play Flash video it becomes quite slow. I won't even mention the new interfaces of Gmail/Facebook and other implementations of HTML5. When I'm the lone voice complaining it makes me feel I'm doing something wrong😛

 

[jbbandos]

Wow, that's quite a bit of work. It's a bit above my technical expertise, though😛
Anyhoo, the screen arrived and it's definitely compatible - I simply plugged in and everything works more or less fine. As reported, the brightness buttons/slider are now reversed.
The colors seem a bit off, and the green especially seems a bit too glaring. Has anyone tinkered with the colors so I don't have to experiment on my own?
As for this particular screen unit, I'm getting uneven backlight distribution near the center and a bit by the edge, which is quite noticeable while booting up and on darker scenes. Is this normal? Should I seek a replacement from the ebay seller?
In any case, I'm very happy even though 1366*768 is now taxing my non-perfect eyesight.
Thanks all for the valuable information.

By the way, how come I don't hear complaints about the CPU? Whenever I open a few tabs in Opera or god forbid play Flash video it becomes quite slow. I won't even mention the new interfaces of Gmail/Facebook and other implementations of HTML5. When I'm the lone voice complaining it makes me feel I'm doing something wrong😛

I don't think I'll be brave enough to add the USB hub inside mine, but you never know...
As for the screen, I don't see any problems with the colours or with the back-light. But my eyesight isn't perfect either...
CPU - I've found that adding a 8GB memory stick helps a lot. My next step will be to get a 7200RPM HDD. But you're right, the CPU is a little slow. Still incredibly faster than the Atom netbook I used before, though. The main "slowness" I see now is flash, and the AMD/ATI drivers in Linux that aren't as fast as the ones in windows for some games. Maybe if this becomes too much of a bother I'll buy a faster AMD APU netbook next year...

 

[deflix]

I bought the samsung screen and it worked for me too - great thread guys. I did however have a small problem that I'm still confused by. After installing the screen and testing it I then disconnected the battery, and fitted it properly, taking care to put everything back together correctly. When I turned the machine on I noticed a small trail of smoke coming from the LDVS connector on the laptop itself and it shut down. When I dismantled the machine I found that the new screen was kaput (only backlight on) and the LDVS connector had a missing gold pin presumably burnt off. I installed a new cable and the old screen and laptop works fine so it was only the cable connector and monitor that were damaged. It seems in my case that installing the new screen caused too much current somewhere - i cant see how a short would have occurred really. I am currently seeking a new LDVS cable for the 550d so if anyone knows where i can get one Id appreciate it, as my other 550d is currently out of commission.

 

[TooClever]

Wrathlon69 you're a true genius, and trooper never giving up!

Honestly mate makes me feel inferior in some ways and that worries me a little (note to self must learn even more)

Brett thinks he knows everything about screens ay! Go watch your TV Brett!

Just a note for upgrading screens - If you try and go FHD (1080) from HD (720) you’ll need a dual channel LVDS cable, shame you cant get 1080 in the LTN101 range ay lads!

 

[TooClever]

Wow, that's quite a bit of work. It's a bit above my technical expertise, though😛
Anyhoo, the screen arrived and it's definitely compatible - I simply plugged in and everything works more or less fine. As reported, the brightness buttons/slider are now reversed.
The colors seem a bit off, and the green especially seems a bit too glaring. Has anyone tinkered with the colors so I don't have to experiment on my own?
As for this particular screen unit, I'm getting uneven backlight distribution near the center and a bit by the edge, which is quite noticeable while booting up and on darker scenes. Is this normal? Should I seek a replacement from the ebay seller?
In any case, I'm very happy even though 1366*768 is now taxing my non-perfect eyesight.
Thanks all for the valuable information.

By the way, how come I don't hear complaints about the CPU? Whenever I open a few tabs in Opera or god forbid play Flash video it becomes quite slow. I won't even mention the new interfaces of Gmail/Facebook and other implementations of HTML5. When I'm the lone voice complaining it makes me feel I'm doing something wrong😛

I don't think I'll be brave enough to add the USB hub inside mine, but you never know...
As for the screen, I don't see any problems with the colours or with the back-light. But my eyesight isn't perfect either...
CPU - I've found that adding a 8GB memory stick helps a lot. My next step will be to get a 7200RPM HDD. But you're right, the CPU is a little slow. Still incredibly faster than the Atom netbook I used before, though. The main "slowness" I see now is flash, and the AMD/ATI drivers in Linux that aren't as fast as the ones in windows for some games. Maybe if this becomes too much of a bother I'll buy a faster AMD APU netbook next year...

Hey, check with Wrathlon69 but i'd add an SSD not the 7200 😉

 

[hobo_elias]

Great discussion, thanks for all the information!

Reading about your experience I tried to upgrade my nb550d screen to a 1280x800 version. After some research I decided to use a AU Optronic B101EW05 V.0 10,1" screen. It worked without problems and the netbook started up with the correct resolution. Everything works fine, without the small issue of interchanged brightness shortkeys (as described in another post before).

The screen is really great, very bright with good contrast. No problems as described with the LG Philips.

But as it is a 16:10 screen mounting is not that easy and the bezel should be adjusted. The screen has a noticeable bigger height and is less wide than the original one, leaving 1 or 2 millimeter of the metal frame of the display uncovered on both sides. It also has mounting holes typically for tablet screens which doesnt make things easier.

However I did not do this bezel mod yet, because I will send the screen back for replacement, as I ordered a matte version and got a glossy one 🙁 I am not sure if there is a matte version available, so maybe I will stick with the 1366x768 version.

Another thing I wanted to try was soldering a mini pci-e connector to the empty slot on the board. I was not able to do so. The standard connector didnt fit. It seems like toshiba cut off the board, so the first row of soldering contacts is missing. Well it is not exactly missing as there is such a row but the space between both rows of contacts is only half of that it should be. So soldering the connector I had was not possible.

I saw that the first row of contacts seems to be connected on both sides of the board. So it may be possible to solder a connector using the contacts on the other side of the board for the first row. This means bending the pins of the connector 180° before soldering the second side. Another chance would be connecting the first row using short cables, but to me this seems to be a lot of work. The connector I had didnt survive bending, the pins were not fixed to the plastic and jumped out trying to bend them.

I ordered another connector with pins partially covered by plastic and hope it will work better. Btw does anybody know if the mini pci-e contacts of the board are properly connected to result in a full working slot?

 

[Lezuziusz]

That's great! I'm going to order from there too.
Did you receive a Samsung LTN101AT03 screen or is it a compatible screen?
It says in the listing you receive a compatible version of that model, but hopefully all compatible versions of that model will work in the NB550D...

I got a compatible screen. I was ready to repack and send it back when I checked the ID on the lcd I received and couldn't find anything like LN101AT03, but I decided to test it first, and I am glad I did. It works perfectly, no colour washouts, no problems at all.

Correction - one issue- back-lighting is working the wrong way, increasing decreases the brightness, decreasing increases. Not a problem for me, but might be for some.

Hey folks, jbbandos !

Ive cracked my screen too , and trying to upgrade to LTN101AT03-D01. Ive ordered from ebay , from jbbandos link, and they sent me an LG , which doesnt work , same issue as Wrathlon69 described. I will RMA the screen , but whould like to know if you could somehow tell your screens manufacturer, as they maybe change it(Hope they got one of those left).

Thanks for all your works.

 

[jbbandos]

Hey folks, jbbandos !

Ive cracked my screen too , and trying to upgrade to LTN101AT03-D01. Ive ordered from ebay , from jbbandos link, and they sent me an LG , which doesnt work , same issue as Wrathlon69 described. I will RMA the screen , but whould like to know if you could somehow tell your screens manufacturer, as they maybe change it(Hope they got one of those left).

Thanks for all your works.

Hi,
You're lucky I have notifications enabled for Tom's Hardware, it has been a long time since I visited this thread.

Anyway, I ended up ordering my screen from here - http://www.befr.ebay.be/itm/280733555210
It has been working well ever since, so hopefully it will work for you. Which link did you use from me, the one for the 1280x800 screen? I never used that one.

 

[Lezuziusz]

Hi,
You're lucky I have notifications enabled for Tom's Hardware, it has been a long time since I visited this thread.

Anyway, I ended up ordering my screen from here - http://www.befr.ebay.be/itm/280733555210
It has been working well ever since, so hopefully it will work for you. Which link did you use from me, the one for the 1280x800 screen? I never used that one.

It's my day ... maybe Thats the link ive ordered from (http://www.befr.ebay.be/itm/280733555210) , almost , but the connector is on the bottom left. Seller is lcd4laptop. They sent the LG , ive asked them to swap it , they said i should post it back and they refund. Now im asked them again to swap please , any other brands they have. Waiting for their reply. Thats why ive asked if you could tell the brand of yours.

 

[jbbandos]

Hi,
You're lucky I have notifications enabled for Tom's Hardware, it has been a long time since I visited this thread.

Anyway, I ended up ordering my screen from here - http://www.befr.ebay.be/itm/280733555210
It has been working well ever since, so hopefully it will work for you. Which link did you use from me, the one for the 1280x800 screen? I never used that one.

It's my day ... maybe Thats the link ive ordered from (http://www.befr.ebay.be/itm/280733555210) , almost , but the connector is on the bottom left. Seller is lcd4laptop. They sent the LG , ive asked them to swap it , they said i should post it back and they refund. Now im asked them again to swap please , any other brands they have. Waiting for their reply. Thats why ive asked if you could tell the brand of yours.

I don't recall which brand is mine, but I'll check if you want. Its really bad luck that the screen doesn't work for you.

 

[Lezuziusz]

I don't recall which brand is mine, but I'll check if you want. Its really bad luck that the screen doesn't work for you.

That whould be nice ! One more specific brand to check.
I'll be waiting for your reply then

 

[Neooo]

That's great! I'm going to order from there too.
Did you receive a Samsung LTN101AT03 screen or is it a compatible screen?
It says in the listing you receive a compatible version of that model, but hopefully all compatible versions of that model will work in the NB550D...

I got a compatible screen. I was ready to repack and send it back when I checked the ID on the lcd I received and couldn't find anything like LN101AT03, but I decided to test it first, and I am glad I did. It works perfectly, no colour washouts, no problems at all.

Correction - one issue- back-lighting is working the wrong way, increasing decreases the brightness, decreasing increases. Not a problem for me, but might be for some.

Hey folks, jbbandos !

Ive cracked my screen too , and trying to upgrade to LTN101AT03-D01. Ive ordered from ebay , from jbbandos link, and they sent me an LG , which doesnt work , same issue as Wrathlon69 described. I will RMA the screen , but whould like to know if you could somehow tell your screens manufacturer, as they maybe change it(Hope they got one of those left).

Thanks for all your works.

The brand that worked for me was Samsung, I believe. I'm 99.9999% sure about that. If you really need it, I may have time to crack the laptop open over the weekend.

 

[Lezuziusz]

That's great! I'm going to order from there too.
Did you receive a Samsung LTN101AT03 screen or is it a compatible screen?
It says in the listing you receive a compatible version of that model, but hopefully all compatible versions of that model will work in the NB550D...

I got a compatible screen. I was ready to repack and send it back when I checked the ID on the lcd I received and couldn't find anything like LN101AT03, but I decided to test it first, and I am glad I did. It works perfectly, no colour washouts, no problems at all.

Correction - one issue- back-lighting is working the wrong way, increasing decreases the brightness, decreasing increases. Not a problem for me, but might be for some.

Hey folks, jbbandos !

Ive cracked my screen too , and trying to upgrade to LTN101AT03-D01. Ive ordered from ebay , from jbbandos link, and they sent me an LG , which doesnt work , same issue as Wrathlon69 described. I will RMA the screen , but whould like to know if you could somehow tell your screens manufacturer, as they maybe change it(Hope they got one of those left).

Thanks for all your works.

The brand that worked for me was Samsung, I believe. I'm 99.9999% sure about that. If you really need it, I may have time to crack the laptop open over the weekend.

Hello Neooo !

If you are sure it's Samsung, then don't. The "original" Samsung is confirmed working. The main problem is that if you search on ebay for Samsung LTN101AT03 , the most hits are replacement screens "confirmed" to work. In our case LG isnt good , as Wrathlon69 and I can state. I ordered from here : ebay link

If you scroll and read carefully , not as i did , then you see Screen Brands in the specification :

AU Oprtonics
Chunghwa
Chi Mei
HannStar
Hyundai-BOEhydis
Innolux
IVO
LG Philips
Quanta
Samsung
Sharp
Toshiba

I assume these are the manufacturers that made LTN101AT03 compatible screens. Ive asked the seller if they got any of other than LG, but they didnt replied yet.

 

[cjbf]

Following this very useful thread I have very recently bought a 1366 x768 LTN101AT03 screen from here (the page says WSVGA but the resolution is listed as 1366 x768 and that what Windows reports when fitted. It works fine, and is a useful upgrade given that my screen had cracked anyway. The make of the screen is Chunghwa (part no. CLAA101WA01). Apart from the swapped brightness up/down behaviour mentioned by others, everything appears to be working well.
(The first screen I bought was fron Lcd4Laptop and that was made by LG, and it indeed had the same probems as others have reported. The company checked and said they had no other makes in stock.)