OT: "Recycle" Laptop Monitor

As a longtime lurker I know there are a lot of tinkerers here. Has anyone made a monitor for a PC from a dead laptop whose screen is still ok?

My 4+ year old laptop died recently. (Dell Inspiron 8100.) But the screen is only about 1.5 years old and it still works. It has 1600x1200 resolution and I'd really like to "recycle" the notebook screen into an LCD monitor to connect to a desktop PC. Here is the link to the manuals.

formatting link
I found this article googling. "DIY LCD TV(monitor)"
formatting link
The author mentions a "converter" and an "inverter" and has pictures of them.

If I can figure out what to order I'm sure I can put the pieces together. I appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks.

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Jerde
Loading thread data ...

So not worth your time and effort. Prices on new LCD monitors are falling through the floor. Your kind of message shows up regularly on these groups and the answer will always be the same.

I've converted a few older screens to desktop use and every time the amount of effort, equipment and time required are totally out of proportion to the shoddy, lackluster results. Some things are just not worth it.

Reply to
a7yvm109gf5d1

Reply to
Tom Gardner

Ok, so I *should* have started the message like this.

I know this doesn't make sense economically, but for sentimental reasons I'd like to make a monitor from the screen of my recently dearly-departed laptop.

Besides, 1600x1200 LCDs aren't very cheap yet.

Sounds like a business opportunity then.... maybeee....

Reply to
Mark Jerde

Sell it on eBay and buy something else with the money. Someone wants that screen to fix their otherwise good dell laptop. Also list the maker's part number, not just the dell tagged part number, because laptop screens are close to universal.

Or maybe not. But if it's a hardware hacking for the sake of hardware hacking project, I definately can relate and respect it as such.

Reply to
Dave Hinz

Still cheaper than undertaking the task of converting a laptop monitor. I never hear messages like this: "I just bought a 1600 x 1200 LCD monitor but I'd like to build my own video card."

For the possibly three people in your situation, I don't think so. The laptop's video chipset is tightly integrated to the display, there's no reason why the circuit for your screen will work with another brand/type/size whatever.

Reply to
a7yvm109gf5d1

formatting link

You have to buy a special video card which is in the few hundred $ range to drive it.

Reply to
Eugene Nine

To put behind one of those tablets for overhead projectors, to make a relatively compact monitor. Not for TV, not for hi res, just for one of my CNC machines.

So, I'd like to power up the backlight, but way too many inputs to the inverter for a 5-minute "aha"...

Anyone done this? /another mark

Mark Jerde wrote:

Reply to
Mark

Sorry I can't be of too much help actually doing it but;

A friend of mine is using laptop monitors in cars as a video screen. I have no idea where he gets his circuitry but he had done several conversions up to 2 years ago (last time I saw him). I moved to Phoenix and lost track of him. Whatever he was using to make the monitors work was fairly cheap so you may look around in the lowrider, vato mobile, rice racer, auto system areas to see how it's done.

JohnF

Reply to
JohnF

Perhaps build a decent projector.

formatting link
Very possibly a future project of my own.

Shawn

Reply to
Shawn

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.