Laptop screens and display panels: diagnosing a fault and matching the right panel

Replace a laptop display panel when the glass is cracked, or when the picture shows lines, blotches, dead areas or flicker but looks normal on an external monitor. The replacement must match the panel's size, resolution, connector, mounting, touch or non-touch, and matte or glossy finish. The part number on the back of the old panel is the surest match.

Also called: laptop screen, LCD screen, LCD panel, LED panel, display panel, display assembly, screen assembly, touch screen, LCM, panel

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What a display panel is

The panel is the screen itself: a thin layer that forms the image, and behind it the LED backlight that lights it. It sits inside the laptop's lid, between the back cover and the front bezel, and connects to the system board through a display cable that runs through the hinge. A touch screen adds a touch layer bonded to the front. Some laptops, especially thin and touch models, are serviced as a complete display assembly with the lid, bezel, hinges and cable already fitted.

How do you know the panel needs replacing?

  • The glass or the image layer is cracked, or there are ink-like blotches spreading from a pressure point.
  • There are vertical or horizontal lines, or blocks of colour, that stay in place whatever is on screen.
  • Areas of the screen are dark, very dim, or show dead pixels.
  • The picture flickers or the backlight fades out after some time.
  • Touch stops working on part or all of a touch screen.

Is it the panel or something else?

Connect the laptop to an external monitor. If the external picture is perfect, the graphics are working and the fault is in the panel or its display cable. A fault that appears or disappears as you move the lid often points to the cable or the hinge. If the screen is dark but you can just see an image when you shine a torch on it, the backlight, or the circuit that powers it, has failed. If the external monitor shows the same problem, the fault is in the system board or graphics, not the panel.

How to choose the right panel

  • Read the part number on the label on the back of the old panel. You will need to remove the front bezel to see it. It is the surest match.
  • Otherwise start from the laptop's exact model or product number, from the label underneath it, or its serial number. The same model is often built with several different panels.
  • Match the screen size, measured diagonally, and the resolution.
  • Match the connector. Panels use different cable connectors and pin counts, and the connector position differs between panels of the same size.
  • Match the mounting. Some panels have screw brackets on the sides, others are taped in place.
  • Match touch or non-touch. A touch panel is a different part, and the laptop must have been built for touch to use one.
  • Match the finish, matte or glossy, and the refresh rate if your laptop has a high refresh-rate screen.

Fitting tips

  • Shut down, unplug and disconnect the battery first.
  • Bezels are held by clips, tape or screws hidden under rubber covers. Work round them slowly with a plastic tool.
  • Taped panels are lifted with gentle, even pressure. Do not flex the panel, because it cracks easily.
  • Check the new panel works before you close everything up and refit the bezel.

Common questions

My screen has lines or a black stripe. Does the panel need replacing?

Usually, if the lines stay in the same place when you move the lid and also show on the start-up logo. Plug in an external monitor first: if the picture is clean there, the fault is in the panel or its display cable. Lines that change or flicker as the lid moves point to the display cable instead.

Can you check that a screen fits my laptop from its serial number?

Yes. Include the laptop's exact model and its serial number or service tag in your quote request. Many laptops were built with several panels that differ in resolution, touch and connector, and the serial number shows which one yours had.

Does a touch screen for a two-in-one laptop come with the glass?

On most two-in-one laptops the touch glass, also called the digitiser, is bonded to the panel and sold with it as one assembly, often with the bezel attached. Check whether the listing is for the panel alone, the panel with digitiser, or the whole display assembly, and match the part number or the exact laptop model.

Can I fit a higher resolution panel than the one I have?

Sometimes, but not reliably. A higher resolution panel may use a different connector or need a different display cable, and the laptop may not support it. Matching the part you are replacing is the safe choice.

What is the difference between a panel and a display assembly?

A panel is the screen alone. A display assembly is the whole lid with the panel, bezel, back cover, hinges and cable fitted. An assembly is a bigger part but is quicker to fit and is the only option on some laptops.

Will a touch panel work in a laptop that came without touch?

Usually not. The laptop needs the touch controller and the right cable, which non-touch models leave out. Choose the same type as the panel you are replacing.

How do I find my panel's part number without opening the laptop?

You cannot read it without removing the bezel, but the laptop's exact model or serial number lets us confirm which panels it was built with.

Find your laptop screen

Not sure which one you need? Send us the number from the label, or your machine's serial number, and we will confirm the match before you order. Ask us to find a part

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