Laptop LCD Selection

Display screen is one of the most frequently-replaceable parts in a laptop because it is prone to physical as well as electronic damage. Selecting size and resolution is very critical in replacing a compatible or original part.
If you had a chance to disassemble screen assembly of various laptop brands, then you will find that the most common brand of notebook screen are Samsung, LG Philips, AU Optronics. These screen brands are use by Dell, Sony and HP. Other OEM lscreen brands that serve as replacement screens are Chung Hwa, Chi Mei, CMO, Hannstar, Hyundai Boehydis and others.
Here are the following criteria in selecting a replacement screen:
LCD screen size :
measure the diagonal section of the inner display area, as shown below.

Screen Type
LCD (liquid crystal display) is the most common type. It employs a bulb or technically called CCFL (cold cathod flourescent lamp) somewhere at the lower portion of the display area. Another type of screen is the LED (light emitting diode) screen. The LED screen is the newest type but is more expensive than the regular LCD type.
LCD screen resolution :
screen resolution is measured by the number or pixels that run accross the horizontal and vertical display area.
Types of screen resolution

• XGA 1024×768
• SXGA 1280×1024
• SXGA+ 1400×1050
• UXGA 1600×1200
• QXGA 2048×1536
• WXGA 1280×720; 1280×768; 1280×800; 1360×768; 1366×768
• WXGA+ 1440×900
• WSXGA+ 1680×1050, 1680×945
• WUXGA 1920×1200, 1920×1080

The following photo shows important numbers on the LCD back panel for your notebook screen requirements. The red circleis for the screen size and resolution. i.e. 14.1″ SXGA+. The blue circle is the LCD part number, i.e. LTN141P2-L01. The yellow circle indicates the Dell in-house part number, i.e. ‘03F022′. Note: other brands of laptops have different in-house part number.

LCD Surface Finish
an lcd ‘finish’ comes in two variety: Glossy and Matte finish. Glossy is lustrous of shiny surface while the Matte is non-shiny finish. More picture DO NOT want glossy finish because of the light reflection which can hurt or distract the viewing area. Although most users want them just for aesthetic effect. There is no difference when it comes to their functionality. So, whether Gloss or Matte, is but a preference of the user.
Type of bulb or backlight used
LCD screen employs two types of backlights. The single-bulb and the dual-bulb backlight.
LED Screen Replacement
*** LED screen selection should be by part number. That means what ever is the part number that you find on the back panel should exactly match your selection, otherwise there will be incompatibility issues. LED screen, unlike LCD screen does not have any wire (pink/white) connector which is connected to an inverter board, which supplies power to the bulb or backlight. Here’s the photo of the LED screen.