Is a broken laptop screen worth repairing

Haz33

I have a 5 year old Toshiba Satellite laptop that has a broken (cracked) screen. Is this expensive to replace or would I be as well to buy a new one. Have been using external monitor since and everything else is working fine. Any thoughts out there ?

dr.bollocko

If its a 5 yr old lappie u could probably ebay it for a cheap replacement screen. V. Easy to replace. as long as the connex is right, u could just gaffer tape any screen that fits on top of the existing and have a frankentop.

Haz33

dr.bollocko wrote: »

If its a 5 yr old lappie u could probably ebay it for a cheap replacement screen. V. Easy to replace. as long as the connex is right, u could just gaffer tape any screen that fits on top of the existing and have a frankentop.

never thought of that thanks. Also there is a funny smell from the screen is it possible that something dangerous could leak? Is this safe? will I grow an extra ear overnight?

dr.bollocko

Now that I am not so sure about. From what I have studied of comics, if you take on any animalistic qualities soon, or start talking to plants or have an alien come out of your stomach, its probably best to take a shower and scrub off that stuff with the ole cillit bang.

Haz33

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Now that I am not so sure about. From what I have studied of comics, if you take on any animalistic qualities soon, or start talking to plants or have an alien come out of your stomach, its probably best to take a shower and scrub off that stuff with the ole cillit bang.

Very reassuring thanks. I'll sleep well tonight

Ghost Train

i changed a screen once before and thought it was a very awkward job to do... plus they're expensive enough even on ebay. I would think its probably not worth spending money on a five year old laptop... you could put the money towards a nicer new machine and maybe use the old laptop as a media server or as a spare that can be used with a standard monitor

majiktripp

5 Year old laptop....replace screen.....too expensive not worth the time or the money! It'll probably end up costing €150ish for the screen and assuming your any way technicial will take about an hour or there abouts to change the screen, and as stated above its not as "easy" a job as you think.
If I were you I'd save your money and buy a vostro from Dell Business website!

AlmightyCushion

I doubt it would be worth it. Try and find a decent second hand laptop if you don't have much money.

Tom Dunne

Haz33 wrote: »

I have a 5 year old Toshiba Satellite laptop that has a broken (cracked) screen. Is this expensive to replace or would I be as well to buy a new one. Have been using external monitor since and everything else is working fine. Any thoughts out there ?

Personally, I wouldn't bother.

Capt'n Midnight

What model - someone may have something to spare !

You are looking for someone with a dead motherboard, probably one that's had cofee spilt on it

Another option is to use it with an external monitor, worth doing if you need to copy the data off it. Some will run with an LCD attached, others need the LCD attached. BTW A good few Tosiba's won't boot without a battery if you use an adaptor that is rated lower than the original one, but if the battery works will run off a lower power one.

Actually if the screen was cracked by being dropped I wouldn't trust the hard drive. If you closed the lid on a pencil then the drive is still 5 years old which means the HDD is getting near end of life, depending on how much it's been banged about.

New laptops are about €500
To keep the old laptop you've to compare to the cost of a new screen and new drive.

A quick look on ebay will tell you what it's worth now.

Haz33

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

What model - someone may have something to spare !

You are looking for someone with a dead motherboard, probably one that's had cofee spilt on it

Another option is to use it with an external monitor, worth doing if you need to copy the data off it. Some will run with an LCD attached, others need the LCD attached. BTW A good few Tosiba's won't boot without a battery if you use an adaptor that is rated lower than the original one, but if the battery works will run off a lower power one.

Actually if the screen was cracked by being dropped I wouldn't trust the hard drive. If you closed the lid on a pencil then the drive is still 5 years old which means the HDD is getting near end of life, depending on how much it's been banged about.

New laptops are about €500
To keep the old laptop you've to compare to the cost of a new screen and new drive.

A quick look on ebay will tell you what it's worth now.

Thanks to everybody for the advice, much appreciated.
Ordinarily I wouldn't bother either, except I only changed the hard drive to a bigger one a year ago and upped the ram as well. The laptop was never dropped, just closed on something hard.
I have been looking on ebay and will continue to do so. I'm not in a major hurry and am working it on external monitor at the moment.
If anyone knows where there is a suitable spare please PM me.
The make and model are: Toshiba Sattelite S1800-921
model no. PS183E-00HTT-EN
THANKS AGAIN

Capt'n Midnight

The LCD may be a UB133X01
there are probably others that will fit too

Haz33

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

The LCD may be a UB133X01
there are probably others that will fit too

Removed screen
Its Samsung model no. LTN141X7-L06

jd83

Have an old toshiba satelliete pro 4600 with 15 inch screen. Lappy doesnt work anymore but screen is fine, not sure if it wud work but ill give the screen free to good home.

mutherboard

got a price for a cracked screen €384.75 ..... dunnes selling laptops for €449 on special... no competition

Tom Dunne

mutherboard wrote: »

got a price for a cracked screen €384.75 ..... dunnes selling laptops for €449 on special... no competition

Please keep on topic. Dunnes selling laptops is not relevant to this discussion, especially when they are not the same spec.

dr.bollocko

Hey Brother Tom. I think he is just saying that because the OP is wondering if it's worth the cost of repair, and at 500 bucks for a new laptop, vs. minimum of 200 for a screen (unless a kind friend can donate one to the user) it just makes sense to get a new laptop alltogether when the time is right.
That was my take on it. Sorry if I Off Topiced again.

Haz33

rory1983 wrote: »

Have an old toshiba satelliete pro 4600 with 15 inch screen. Lappy doesnt work anymore but screen is fine, not sure if it wud work but ill give the screen free to good home.

Thanks for the offer but my screen is 14.1 inches and I think your screen probably wouldn't fit, though you are very kind.
I think I will bite the bullet and invest in a new one as knowing my luck I would buy a screen and something else would break.
I will keep this one on monitor as back up. I appreciate everyone's feedback. You have made a hard decision easier.
Slan agus go raibh maith agaibh

Capt'n Midnight

might have something from an older tosh, will have a root around

Overheal

5 years old = obsolete. The laptop has devalued so much that replacing the screen doesnt seem worth it at all to be honest.

You'd be better off to remove the lid and treat it as a desktop machine.

dr.bollocko

Why dont you just take the free 15" on offer, add the connection and tape it on over the current cracked screen? A frankenlaptop indeed, but still functional as a laptop without lugging a monitor around. U spend no money and the problem is fixed. Who cares if its not the right screen model so long as it works and looks cool.
Just imagine how cool it will look with all the cracked masking tape around it etc.

Haz33

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Why dont you just take the free 15" on offer, add the connection and tape it on over the current cracked screen? A frankenlaptop indeed, but still functional as a laptop without lugging a monitor around. U spend no money and the problem is fixed. Who cares if its not the right screen model so long as it works and looks cool.
Just imagine how cool it will look with all the cracked masking tape around it etc.

Probably as cool as my car at the moment. It's definately a frankenaudi !

Capt'n Midnight

Found that old LCD

Anyone know if LTM13C417 from a Satellite 4070CDT would do - from an earlier series of laptops 1994

Satellite 4030CDT, Satellite 4060CDT
Portege 7020CT Satellite 4030CDT
Portege 7140CT Satellite 4070CDT
Portege 7200CT PP720L-6D904

http://pchub.com/uph/laptop/526-9579-927/Toshiba-LTM13C417-13.3-XGA-LCD.html

The internal connector is the same width as a one cent coin with 14 connectors - it's down in the bottom left beside the red/copper coloured strip.
That LCD picture is upside down if your cable is wider or won't reach to within 2 inches of the top of the panel this one won't fit.

chat2joe

Anyone got a screen that would work on a Fujitsu Siemens Amlio Li 1705??

Cracked as well. It's a 15.4” LCD WXGA, 1280 x 800 pixels

How compatible are laptop screens? If you match size and resolution, are there standard connectors?

Capt'n Midnight

I'd say connectors AND having a long enough cable are the problems. Resolution is nice but I don't think it's essential.