Has anyone tried to upgrade their laptop screen from a 1366x768 TN panel to a 1080p IPS panel?

I have an Acer A515-51G-58GJ notebook that came with a 1366x768 resolution HD TN panel from BOE (BOE0675 - NT156WHM-N42)
URL: http://www.panelook.com/NT156WHM-N42_BOE_15.6_LCM_overview_25030.html

This panel is an eyesore and if I look at it for more than an hour, my eyes will start to hurt. The color depth is 45% (CIE1931) and the contrast ratio is 400:1 so the image quality deteriorates drastically when you increase the brightness and even if you don't, everything looks washed out.

I want to switch to an IPS panel with a Full HD 1920x1080 resolution, higher color gamut, higher contrast ratio and better viewing angles. Low response times would be great for gaming but I could live without that. I searched around and came up with these:

1. B156HAN01.1
http://www.panelook.com/B156HAN01.1_AUO_15.6_LCM_overview_19048.html

2. B156HAN01.2
http://www.panelook.com/B156HAN01.2_AUO_15.6_LCM_overview_19049.html

3. N156HCA-GA3
http://www.panelook.com/N156HCA-GA3_Innolux_15.6_LCM_overview_33518.html

4. B156HAN09
http://www.panelook.com/B156HAN09.0_AUO_15.6_LCM_overview_37729.html

5. LM156LF9L01
http://www.panelook.com/LM156LF9L01_Panda_15.6_LCM_overview_35612.html

I'm not sure if any of these are compatible. If you're performed a similar upgrade or know enough to recommend a compatible screen, please suggest one.
I also read that if the panel that came with my notebook uses a 1-lane eDP connector with 30 pins (which it does), then a panel that uses a 2-lane eDP connector with 30 pins won't work.
Is that correct? Will it not work at all or will it not work for screen resolutions above 1366x768?

Related: https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo-U-and-S-Series-Notebooks/Lenovo-U430p-screen-upgrade/td-p/2155302/

Accepted answers

JackE

One part number 50.GP4N2.008 for all listed screens. Jack E/NJ

All comments

JackE

These are the only FHD IPS LCDs listed as spec-compatible. If you find similar spec IPS LCDs, they should be fine. Most but not all 30-pin connectors & cables support both types. So no 100% guarantees Jack E/NJ

ihateapple

From here: https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/544348/want-to-upgrade-screen-of-acer-515-51g-hd-tn-to-fhd-ips-please-help

It seems jMon was able to upgrade the screen on his A515-51G series notebook to a panel model that uses eDP (2 lanes) and isn't in the list of spec-compatible models without purchasing a new eDP cable. I'll give it a shot too. Thanks JackE!

However, if anyone had attempted this before, please add your comment. I'd love to hear from you.

ihateapple

JackE said:

These are the only FHD IPS LCDs listed as spec-compatible. If you find similar spec IPS LCDs, they should be fine. Most but not all 30-pin connectors & cables support both types. So no 100% guarantees Jack E/NJ

Hey JackE, it seems you have access to the service manual. If that's the case, could you let me know if the eDP cables used in the FHD and HD variants of A515-51G have the same part number? That's be really useful to know.

JackE

One part number 50.GP4N2.008 for all listed screens. Jack E/NJ

ihateapple

JackE said:

One part number 50.GP4N2.008 for all listed screens. Jack E/NJ

Awesome! That means it must have 2 lanes. Thanks!

JackE

You might want to download and run speccy or hwinfo freeware to see what you're pcie bus connections look like. Jack E/NJ

ihateapple

JackE said:

You might want to download and run speccy or hwinfo freeware to see what you're pcie bus connections look like. Jack E/NJ

Could you clarify which section of HWiNFO or Speccy that is? This is what I see in HWiNFO under the Bus section

JackE

Sorry, I thought it'd show more. All listed IPS, TN & WXGA panels are either FHD(2 lane) or HD(1 lane) with same cable. Jack E/NJ

benlunkim94

Please let us know if you have successfully upgraded your display from 1366x768 to 1920x1080 and tell us specifically the panel you bought. I want to change this terrible HD TN panel. It dull and hurts my eyes.

ihateapple

benlunkim94 said:

Please let us know if you have successfully upgraded your display from 1366x768 to 1920x1080 and tell us specifically the panel you bought. I want to change this terrible HD TN panel. It dull and hurts my eyes.

I meant to reply to this post after my upgrade but it slipped my mind. I did indeed upgrade to a 1080p panel and it wasn't one of the spec-compatible panels that JackE listed above. I thought I'd risk it because the panel I upgraded to is objectively better in terms of color accuracy compared to the spec-compatible models listed here. I have to say, it's one of the best upgrades I've performed on my notebook after the HDD to NVMe SSD upgrade. Totally worth it.

I'll list the panel model and provide to link to the AliExpress listing I purchased it from when I get home in a few hours.

JackE

Thanks for the update ihateapple Jack E/NJ

ihateapple

So here's what I ended up buying: Innolux N156HCE-EN1
You can find the detailed specs of this panel here: http://www.panelook.com/N156HCE-EN1_Innolux_15.6_LCM_overview_30969.html

It was pretty much a drop-in replacement and I'm happy to report that you DO NOT lose brightness control capability after making the switch. The panel is bright and it's supposed to be brighter than the old panel that I switched out (NT156WHM-N42) but I can't seem to notice a difference. What I did notice is that colors are way more vivid on this new panel and everything looks much sharper. It supports 16.7 million colors and Windows even reports that it's capable of streaming HDR videos but I doubt that since I couldn't get YouTube to play any HDR content for me with this panel installed. If you know how to properly test HDR capability, let me know.

It's supposed to draw more power as well but I haven't really paid much attention to that since I've swapped out the hard drive in my system and replaced it with a SATA SSD along with an NVMe SSD so the laptop seems to consume less power now (or maybe there's no change) and feels lighter.

N156HCE-EN1 is a fantastic panel without a doubt. I compared the colors of this panel with a MacBook Pro (2015 edition) and the difference is almost indistinguishable. Its response times are slower than the TN panel but frankly I've yet to notice any disadvantage because of this since my games run just fine and I can't notice any stuttering whatsoever.

I purchased the panel from AliExpress. I'll leave a link to it below if you'd like to get the same panel I did.
Links:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33002839550.html?spm=a2g0s.12269583.0.0.169d2228uTg0v5
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32999089171.html?storeId=3615108&spm=2114.12010615.8148356.2.3a9c7c23S2dHV4

Let me know if you need any more info on this and I'll help you out.
NOTE: This panel can also be bought without brackets. Make sure you purchase it WITH BRACKETS.

ihateapple

ihateapple said:

So here's what I ended up buying: Innolux N156HCE-EN1
You can find the detailed specs of this panel here: http://www.panelook.com/N156HCE-EN1_Innolux_15.6_LCM_overview_30969.html

It was pretty much a drop-in replacement and I'm happy to report that you DO NOT lose brightness control capability after making the switch. The panel is bright and it's supposed to be brighter than the old panel that I switched out (NT156WHM-N42) but I can't seem to notice a difference. What I did notice is that colors are way more vivid on this new panel and everything looks much sharper. It supports 16.7 million colors and Windows even reports that it's capable of streaming HDR videos but I doubt that since I couldn't get YouTube to play any HDR content for me with this panel installed. If you know how to properly test HDR capability, let me know.

It's supposed to draw more power as well but I haven't really paid much attention to that since I've swapped out the hard drive in my system and replaced it with a SATA SSD along with an NVMe SSD so the laptop seems to consume less power now (or maybe there's no change) and feels lighter.

N156HCE-EN1 is a fantastic panel without a doubt. I compared the colors of this panel with a MacBook Pro (2015 edition) and the difference is almost indistinguishable. Its response times are slower than the TN panel but frankly I've yet to notice any disadvantage because of this since my games run just fine and I can't notice any stuttering whatsoever.

I purchased the panel from AliExpress. I'll leave a link to it below if you'd like to get the same panel I did.
Links:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33002839550.html?spm=a2g0s.12269583.0.0.169d2228uTg0v5
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32999089171.html?storeId=3615108&spm=2114.12010615.8148356.2.3a9c7c23S2dHV4

Let me know if you need any more info on this and I'll help you out.
NOTE: This panel can also be bought without brackets. Make sure you purchase it WITH BRACKETS.

Also make sure you calibrate the display after you install it. I'd recommend using an ICM file from Notebookcheck.net that matches your panel model. For example, N156HCE_EN1.icm from this review of the Asus ZenBook Pro UX550VD.

mortac8

ihateapple said:

benlunkim94 said:

Please let us know if you have successfully upgraded your display from 1366x768 to 1920x1080 and tell us specifically the panel you bought. I want to change this terrible HD TN panel. It dull and hurts my eyes.

I meant to reply to this post after my upgrade but it slipped my mind. I did indeed upgrade to a 1080p panel and it wasn't one of the spec-compatible panels that JackE listed above. I thought I'd risk it because the panel I upgraded to is objectively better in terms of color accuracy compared to the spec-compatible models listed here. I have to say, it's one of the best upgrades I've performed on my notebook after the HDD to NVMe SSD upgrade. Totally worth it.

I'll list the panel model and provide to link to the AliExpress listing I purchased it from when I get home in a few hours.

I would like to do the same for my ES1-572-3729 but I'm not sure where to start. How do I determine what 1920x1080 panel would be compatible? Thanks!

ihateapple

mortac8 messaged me privately and I've replied to him. Basically, you start by finding out everything about the panel that's currently in your system using something like HWiNFO or AIDA64 and scour panelook.com for a panel that's as close to your panel in terms of size, dimensions, mounting type, number of pins in the cable, etc. but a much better resolution, color gamut, contrast ratio, etc.

I've made a video about the difference in color and contrast between the default panel that came with my A515-51G and the new panel that I bought and replaced it with. I put it up on YouTube if anyone wants to check it out.