Looking for 17" PowerBook G4 compatible panels

[netsrot39]

Hello guys, I have two spare 17" PowerBook G4s (1.33 GHz and 1.5 GHz) which do work perfectly but have busted screens. I had a look online and it is difficult to gather information about compatible panels for those machines. I am wondering if a LP171WP4(TL)(01) would work in said machines. This panel particular isn't rare and I've already found a couple of sellers but I do wonder if there is more to compatibility than a fitting LVDS socket and backlight connector. I kindly appreciate your help.

 

[eyoungren]

Hello guys, I have two spare 17" PowerBook G4s (1.33 GHz and 1.5 GHz) which do work perfectly but have busted screens. I had a look online and it is difficult to gather information about compatible panels for those machines. I am wondering if a LP171WP4(TL)(01) would work in said machines. This panel particular isn't rare and I've already found a couple of sellers but I do wonder if there is more to compatibility than a fitting LVDS socket and backlight connector. I kindly appreciate your help.

Are you outside the US?

Having replaced both the backlight and the actual display on my A1013, I can tell you that replacing the entire display is probably the best way to go. There are hooks on the inside of the back panel that will lacerate you good if all you're trying to do is replace the screen itself.

eBay should have some decent replacements. Also, if you search for dead Macs you can scavenge the display for cheap as well - and use the rest for spare parts for your working Macs.

But for some countries eBay is not a good option - which is why I asked if you were outside the US.

 

[pipetogrep]

https://www.dvwarehouse.com/ could be an option

 

[netsrot39]

Are you outside the US?

Having replaced both the backlight and the actual display on my A1013, I can tell you that replacing the entire display is probably the best way to go. There are hooks on the inside of the back panel that will lacerate you good if all you're trying to do is replace the screen itself.

eBay should have some decent replacements. Also, if you search for dead Macs you can scavenge the display for cheap as well - and use the rest for spare parts for your working Macs.

But for some countries eBay is not a good option - which is why I asked if you were outside the US.

I'm aware of the fact that it is a difficult repair. I am in fact responsible for one busted screen (because I wanted to replace the inverter and I kind of punctured the LCD in the process unfortunately). I tried it again with the another defective LCD which also has no backlight and I learnt from my mistakes of the first attempt. I could remove the second LCD without any problems. Sadly with that LCD in particular it turned out not to be the inverter that is at fault but the CCFL lamps. Nevertheless I got the panel itself out of the assembly so now I would only have to swap in a new panel. I'm located outside the US but eBay would honestly be my best bet. Panels are available from a couple of EU sellers so I don't have problems getting a hold of panels but the panel compatibility (i.e. the lack of information about it) is a concern of mine.

 

[alectrona6400]

if you were to buy something from the US on eBay, don't bother with their global shipping program. i've heard many horror stories about things being damaged or not delivered in full. maybe they are trying to find "the forbidden drugs" in a sealed iPod box?? it's just awful. i live in the US myself so i wouldn't have to deal with it, but i know people who have dealt with them.

 

[netsrot39]

After some research online I concluded that LP171WE2-TL-02 and LP171WP4(TL)(01) should be compatible with the 17" PowerBook G4s. I actually bought both of these LCDs (in perfect condition) for about 50€ in total which isn't too cheap for a machine that old but I really want to restore them. Right now the compatibility of those specific models are only my estimation so I can't guarantee if they are actually compatible but I will try both models in November and confirm or disconfirm (hopefully not) my statement. Anyways if it actually turns out that those two LCD models are compatible then it isn't difficult to get replacement screens for 17" PowerBooks since the same LCDs can be found in many other notebooks (from what I've gathered from my research).

 

[netsrot39]

I had some free time on my hands today and tried the LP171WE2(TL)(02) which I already got (the other model is still in transit). I am happy to confirm that LP171WE2(TL)(02) works for an A1085 PowerBook G4 17". My "surgery" was a complete success – not only do I have a working screen for my spare 17" PowerBook G4 now but also does this LCD output a higher resolution – it is in fact equal to the screens of the A1139 17" PowerBook G4s (1680x1050). Not bad for a laptop from 2004 and for a replacement screen I got locally for 15€. Brightness control is also working perfectly in case anyone is wondering. Below are some pictures of the repair showing

1. the initial (rather quick & dirty) method of testing if the screen is actually working
2. the broken LCD (upper one) that is to be replaced with the fully working and upgraded one (lower one)
3. some cutting through the (strong) adhesive – as if 12 screws holding the screen to the frame would not suffice ...
4. the metal frame that was reused for the new screen
5. new screen in the frame
6. a new test after the screen was put into the frame
7. screenshot of System Profiler under Leopard indicating that the LCD is fully recognized
8. screenshot of System Settings under Leopard indicating that brightness control is fully functional

One thing is to note however. The new LCD (LP171WE2TL02 in particular) does not have corresponding mounting holes for the frame on the top – both sides (left and right side) of the LCD do nevertheless match the mounting holes of the frame so the LCD can at least be held in by 8 screws (instead of the usual 12 screws). I just used some Kapton tape on the top and the screen fits and is secured just fine. Before I put the entire PowerBook together I have to take care of its noisy left fan (rattling noise) and look for some appropriate storage in my boxes of computer spares (I'll probably use a CF card or mSATA for this PowerBook).

I'm still gonna test the other screen after it arrives so I'll keep you guys updates (and fellow 17" PowerBook G4 users from the present and future that are looking for replacement screens). BTW the screen that will now continue its life in the PowerBook came originally from a Sony Vaio with a dead motherboard.

 

[netsrot39]

It has been three weeks but I finally found some time to test the LP171WP4(TL)(01) panel. This time I didn't bother to take any pictures since it is a standard resolution display (1440x900). Just like the LP171WE2TL02, the LP171WP4(TL)(01) worked out of the box with no problems whatsoever but I have to admit the LP171WP4(TL)(01) looks extremely inferior in comparison to the LP171WE2TL02. This is not only due to the higher resolution of the LP171WE2TL02 but also because of the fact that the LP171WE2TL02 is much better backlit. I'm even toying with the idea of buying another LP171WE2TL panel once I find a good offer since it is way better than the LP171WP4(TL)(01). The difference is night and day which doesn't really surprise me since the production date between those two panels are also 3 years apart. In conclusion, both (i.e. LP171WP4(TL)(01) and LP171WE2TL02) work great as a replacement panel for the 17" PowerBook G4s BUT if you really go through the hassle of changing the screen (it usually takes me 2-3 hours just to get the display assembly apart without breaking anything) I'd suggest going for LP171WE2TL02 which will be better quality in every way.

 

[netsrot39]

Quick update on the repair of my two PowerBook G4s.

In the last post I forgot to mention that while the LP171WP4(TL)(01) is fully working without any problems, the CCFL cable is a little to short so you have to route it differently (not through the intended hole but behind the LCD). I have learnt from my research that almost all 17" LCDs with the appropiate CCFL connection and a 30pin LVDS connector should be working but the CCFL cable will be too short on most of them.

Next I'd like to show you all how I modified my back lid so that potential future panel upgrades/replacements will be a breeze instead of a time-consuming nightmare.

Basically I ripped the sheet metal with the clips out and cut it with special scissors for metal so that I can reuse a small portion (2 clips) which I reattached in the middle (super glue works great for that purpose). As far as I can tell only the clips in the middle are necessary since everything else is held together just fine by said clips in the middle and the 2 screws on the bottom of the display assembly. I can't really tell the difference between before and after, meaning both pieces (assembly and lid) are held together just fine without a noticable gap in between. If it were like this in the beginning, a panel swap would be so much easier but I think Apple intended the display assembly never to be taken apart (not even by service providers I guess since it is a real pain with all those clips, not to mention the time one is wasting on such procedure). It would make sense for a hobbyist to go through such trouble but definitely not for a business.

If you intend to do a similar modification please be careful when ripping out the sheet metal as you can cut yourself really easily. In fact I did twice but nothing that a patch can't fix haha. When you are ready to reattach some clips with super glue, bear in mind that the placement has to be precise (in the second picture you can see that I measured and used a pencil to mark where the sheet metal was before and has to go again afterwards). Also don't just rip out the sheet metal with pliers but try to carefully pry it off (because the clips you are going to reuse will have to be straight and not bent)

 

[ajacocks]

Thanks for the information! I just picked up a cheap 1.67GHz 17” G4, with one of the problematic W8 series serials. Mine has the colon vertical lines in the screen, so I ordered a new LP171WE2(TL)(02) panel, thanks to the information here.

My machine came with the TL-01 panel, but it’s the 128MB Radeon 9700 Pro GPU model, so I am going to try to the the TL-02 panel for higher resolution support.

Has anyone tried to install a 1920x1200 panel into one of these machines? I’d guess it’d work if it uses compatible LVDS signaling.

- Alex

 

[netsrot39]

My machine came with the TL-01 panel, but it’s the 128MB Radeon 9700 Pro GPU model, so I am going to try to the the TL-02 panel for higher resolution support.

Has anyone tried to install a 1920x1200 panel into one of these machines? I’d guess it’d work if it uses compatible LVDS signaling.

If your machine came with an LP171WE2(TL)(01) panel then you already have a DLSD – or are you referring to LP171WP4(TL)(01)? Either way, the LP171WE2(TL)(02) will work flawlessly in your 17" PowerBook G4. And since you're asking, I'm glad to report that a 1920x1200 panel will work in a 17" PowerBook G4, it even works with a 1.33 GHz model! Information about my experiment here My findings so far have been that pretty much any LCD with CCFL backlighting and 30pin LVDS will work

I'm also planning on building a full HD 17" PowerBook G4 but I have to "repair" my panel before (it has some annoying imperfections but I have a donor I can use to get rid of them).

By the way high res panels will even work with PowerBook G4s that have less than 128MB of memory and quite reasonable too. I don't understand why Apple didn't put higher res screens into PowerBook G4s before 2005 but I guess they were too expensive or not common back then.

Anyways, let us know how it goes, I always love to hear the perspective of other people (I'm especially interested in how difficult you find it to disassemble the display assembly) Take your time and if you need help you can message me (I've successfully upgraded the LCD of 3x 17" PowerBook G4s – why do I have 3? because I'm a maniac/collector )

 

[Amethyst1]

By the way high res panels will even work with PowerBook G4s that have less than 128MB of memory and quite reasonable too.

You can run 1920×1200 with as little as 8 MB video memory. I’ve done it. I've also run 3840×2400 off a 32 MB Mobility Radeon 7500.

I don't understand why Apple didn't put higher res screens into PowerBook G4s before 2005 but I guess they were too expensive or not common back then.

Good question. x86 laptops with 1680×1050 or 1920×1200 LCDs first appeared around 2003 AFAICS.