Is it difficult to replace the LCD of a laptop?

[Antoneo]

Hey guys, I was wondering if this operation is way out my league and requires special tools, soldering skills, and esoteric knowledge. My friend has a Dell Inspiron 3500 and cracked the LCD screen. Oddly, the thin plastic film in the front of the display was intact but I suppose that's what it was supposed to do. First time dealing with cracked LCD screens. It would be nice if I could just get the entire LCD assembly (bezel/cover and LCD in one piece) but my selections on ebay and budget would allow me to get just the bare LCD itself. I'm asking here before I jump into the ordeal and become stuck with a laptop in parts and two LCD screens.

Experiences and comments are appreciated!

 

[Nebor]

Sadly it's usually cheaper to get a new laptop.

 

[Antoneo]

Originally posted by: Nebor
Sadly it's usually cheaper to get a new laptop.

Hrmm, I doubt you can get a new laptop for ~$100 .

 

[redbeard1]

You wouldn't need soldering tools. You may need some really small screw driver tips. The plastic bezel usually has some sort of hidden plastic catches that you need to gently pop apart, though some are held together by screws hidden under the rubber closing stops. Be sure that you have the exact LCD you need. Some models of laptops used two or three LCD's within the same model line. The last one I did, I basically practiced, by taking the screen apart first before I ordered any parts, which also gave me the model LCD I needed.

 

[moretoys]

For my laptop the screws in the top & front (under stick on covers) needed to be removed then the screen side cover slid up a little to come off. Maybe the same for yours? Might save you from breaking clips (like I did )