Laptop screen as stand alone monitor?

motolog

Member
Feb 14, 2003
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Is there a way you can disconnect the monitor from an old laptop and use it as a stand alone monitor?
 

Kenazo

Lifer
Sep 15, 2000
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really? maybe if you had a detailed sheet of all the pinouts on the laptop screen....
 

ProviaFan

Lifer
Mar 17, 2001
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Laptop monitors usually have proprietary connections to the integrated graphics card, so unless you are an EE with lots of time on your hands, it is for all practical intents and purposes, impossible.
 

edro

Lifer
Apr 5, 2002
24,326
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Originally posted by: motolog
Is there a way you can disconnect the monitor from an old laptop and use it as a stand alone monitor?

No.

You need the LCD controller. That alone is like $150 at teh cheapest. Then you need to program the EEPROM for the same settings as the LCD you have. You also need the exact pinout of the LCD (which is next to impossible to find).

I know many people who have tried this, it can't be done.....
 
Nov 7, 2002
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Yes you can. It is pretty simple. You just need a digital video card that will work with the monitor, the wiring it not hard at all, its pretty much pin for pin, and many cards, like mine, can also power the inverter for backlighting. Intersted in buying a card to do this? I have a cable too(but no lcd any more, it went back into the laptop). It is an ISA card, 2mb, windows dectects drivers automatically, made by chips and tech(now intel). PM me if you are intersted.

Garrett.