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iMac 20" LCD Replacement

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bpopilek

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 7, 2011
11
0
Flint, MI
Hello, I am hoping for a little advice. I recently acquired a early 2009 iMac with a cracked LCD. The original display is a model LM201WE3 (TL) (F8). I have had bad luck when attempting to buy 2 previous replacements from eBay with completely different model numbers, but models that did come in other versions of the 20" iMac.

I now have the chance to pick up a 3rd, and hopefully final LCD, to get this back up and running so I can do some home movie editing. But first I need to know if a LM201WE3 (TL) (F5) will work. The model numbers are identical except for the F8 vs F5 at the end. Can anyone tell me if these 2 displays are interchangeable and what the differences would be? I would be very grateful for any information. Thanks for reading!
 
R

RedCroissant

Suspended
Aug 13, 2011
2,268
96
bpopilek said:
Can anyone help me with this? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I have no idea. This obviously doesn't help, but you could call Apple and ask them. This is not a support question and should not cost you anything. I've called them regarding model number compatibility questions before for RAM, HDD type, and Superdrive and they are always happy to give me the information at no cost.
 
M

Mike Valmike

macrumors 6502a
Feb 27, 2012
551
0
Chandler, Arizona
bpopilek said:
Can anyone tell me if these 2 displays are interchangeable and what the differences would be? I would be very grateful for any information. Thanks for reading!
Click to expand...

I haven't worked on that hardware specifically, but I have to retrofit displays fairly often for arcade hardware, and I can tell you that if it physically fits (and it should), the most you might have to deal with is that the pinout uses a different coupling end -- and a lot of the time, even that is no different. It's possible your connections also go to slightly different places on the circuit board. But in terms of will it function electronically, assuming you can get all the hardware to fit together physically, the answer is yes. So the issues you'll be looking for are whether there are any changes that affect how it goes together physically.

LCD outputs are just RGB, color grounds, sync, +12v, and ground, pretty much no matter what display you're using for anything. Long gone are the days of monitors with inverted sync, and most don't even split hsync and vsync anymore. Direct AC in went away with the CRT. Hope this helps.
 
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bpopilek

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 7, 2011
11
0
Flint, MI
Thanks for the replies. I did order it and it should hopefully arrive the first part of next week. I figured for $100 it was cheaper that the exact match and worth a shot. I'll post my results after I receive it. Thanks again!
 
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bpopilek

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 7, 2011
11
0
Flint, MI
Well, the LCD finally arrived today and it does not work. :( I'm not sure if it is a compatibility issue, or a defective screen. One of the backlight connectors had a wire dislodged from it, so I'm not sure if was handled roughly or if there is a difference between the 2 screens (F8 vs F5). I guess at this point, considering I have bought 3 different screens that were different models from the original and did not work, that I will need to get an exact match. Unless someone can point me to a list of compatible screens for the LM201WE3 (TL) (F8). Thanks!
 
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