How hard to replace backlight in laptop?

[ringtail]

Old Dell D520 screen is dark. If you r e a l l y strain you can just barely make out the Windows login screen.

1) How difficult is it to replace the backlight?

Also, is there's a place here that sells them in LED for $80
http://lcdparts.net/XBDetail.aspx?ProductID=3858

but the other kind (CCFL?) is on ebay for around $20.
I guess the CCFL type is what it has now.

2) Is the LCD kind worth it for an old laptop?

 

[paul878]

You might want to get the LCD of ebay or something.
Backlight replacement is not an easy task for the inexperience user, you might break a few in the process.

 

[Aquila76]

1) If your good with removing tiny screws and carefully detaching / reataching a handful of very fine static-sensitive cables it's not too bad.

2) Generally, you can't replace a CCFL backlight with an LED backlight (different voltages, regulators, etc.).

I echo paul878: check eBay for the EXACT model number of panel. They're usually pretty cheap. Do NOT trust anyone selling an upgraded panel or higher-resolution panel as these generally will not be hardware compatible. Laptop display components are extremely model (sometimes even build-date) specific.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I think it varies greatly with the laptop. I've replaced the back lights on two. One was a walk in the park that took 15 minutes and the other had to be disassembled and reassembled 3 times taking about 1 1/2 hours each time.

I third the recommendation for replacing with the exact model light.

 

[DefRef]

At my work (all-Dell company), we just replace the entire panel. I didn't even know you could replace the backlight separately.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

At my work (all-Dell company), we just replace the entire panel. I didn't even know you could replace the backlight separately.

Again, depends on the laptop. Some you can and some you can't. People rarely buy laptops based on how easy they are to upgrade or repair.

 

[Zebo]

Very easy. I replaced my IPS in t60 took about 5 min.

One word of warning is use a exacto knife to pull plastic tabs covering screw holes or you won't get them back in place. hand oils or bending them will ruin them.

And you don't replace backlight but whole display.