T14s touchscreen replacement options

[robca]

For incomprehensible reasons, Lenovo only offers very limited screen choices if you want a touchscreen on a T14s: a crappy (45% NTSC, 262k color) FHD monitor, or a much better FHD monitor with Privacy Guard, very expensive and with limited side readability (by design, obviously).

Since I wanted a touchscreen, I went with the crappy 300nits, 262k colors option. The FHD Privacy screen would have added $315, and I'm hoping to be able to find a better touch panel for less. I'm not afraid to open the laptop and swap components

In looking at options, I see that my screen uses a 40 pin narrow connector, which is been used from 2020 onward. There seem to be a lot of good FHD touch panels from past generations (e.g. X1 Carbon Gen , but all have the 40 pin standard connector. I also know that the LCD cover might be different between different panels. I can see from the parts list that my version, 20WM0082US, has a specific cover different from the privacy option, for example. But hopefully it can be addressed, if needed, with a Dremel and/or epoxy resin

I have a few questions for the experts...

• Do you know of any FHD touch panel with 40 pin narrow connector that could work in the T14s Gen 2? For example, one of the options is the B140HAK03.4 panel and from the same family, the B140HAK03.4 has 16M colors but standard 40 pin connector
• Is there a cable that would connect my mainboard to a 40 pin standard LCD? Looking at the parts list for the X1 Carbon, the cable seems to be similar on the mainboard side and with a standard 40 pin connector (not sure about dimensions)
• What do I need to look out for when swapping an LCD panel when there's no direct Lenovo replacement for the specific model?
• Is there a reliable seller I could ask questions? I wouldn't mind paying a bit more if I can get good answers and some assurance of the panel having no problems

I plan to keep updating this with any relevant finding while I keep exploring my options (I will need to wait a bit to swap, just in case there are any other problems that require a warranty ticket). The T14s is a great laptop with a crappy touchscreen, so I think other people can benefit from this

[RealBlackStuff]

Can't help you with screen details, but before you start working on ANY screen,
make sure to DISCONNECT the charger and all batteries (except CMOS)!
If not, you are guaranteed to blow at least the backlight fuse!

[robca]

Can't help you with screen details, but before you start working on ANY screen,
make sure to DISCONNECT the charger and all batteries (except CMOS)!
If not, you are guaranteed to blow at least the backlight fuse!

Thanks for pointing that out. Yes, I was taking it for granted that any power should be removed, including disabling the internal battery via BIOS. But always good to be reminded of something this important, thanks.

[iamdmc]

Hey Rob

almost any modern eDP panel will work in your machine. You just need the correct cable, and a panel with the correct dimensions for your lid. A good starting place is to find the dimensions of your existing panel and go from there. Keep in mind that some physically larger (slightly thicker, slightly wider) might fit but probably won't fit without modifications.

If FHD - 30 pin eDP.
If FHD+touch, 40-pin FHD+touch cable (not UHD cable - or you could fry the panel and your board)
If QHD or UHD, 40 pin UHD cable (not FHD+touch 40 pin, for reasons above) - note there are 2 different pin pitch widths (0.4mm and 0.5mm) panel-side. Newer panels (2020-onward) tend to use the narrow 0.4mm pitch. Older panels tend to use the 0.5mm pitch.

You can find excellent panels on ebay and aliexpress from reputable sellers (feedback scores, ask them questions and they'll reply). Some older panels are a far better choice than newer panels. For instance, at 14" the B140QAN02.0 from 2017 is excellent (100% Adobe RGB), albeit glossy... the B140QAN02.3 is a decent second place option with 80% AdobeRGB and a matte finish. I've heard of people using the JDI LPM140M420 with good results too. At UHD a lot of 14" BOE panels have terrible performance. Newer AUO panels are better but impossible to find. The newest ThinkPads use the BOE NE140QUM-N6A but these often review poorly due to the bad anti-glare coating BOE uses - the most common comment is that it looks 'blurry'. Lenovo has also started using CSOT UHD panels that also look good on paper, but CSOT is a much newer player in the panel space and frankly does not have the good reputation for quality and longevity that LG and AUO do.

I'm using a fantastic LG LP150UD1-SPD3 UHD panel in my T480s but had to make extensive modifications with a dremel to get it to fit... and even then not perfectly. The picture quality is so good that I can't complain one bit - but the T14s lid is far slimmer and is unlikely to fit the thicker and wider bezel LG I mentioned.

IMHO for a good all-rounder, go for a QHD panel. UHD panels tend to cost a similar price, but can be thicker/older, or newer but impossible to find at retail

[robca]

Thanks for all that info, super helpful

As I mentioned, I want a touchscreen (and matte), so that limits my choices quite a bit and only FHD resolution. I have identified a few potential panels, but the biggest problem right now is that all the best FHD touch panels I can find, have the 40 pin standard connector (0.5), while the existing cable in my laptop is 40 pin narrow (0.4)

So now I have 2 alternatives:

• Find a 40 pin cable that has the right pinout on the motherboard side, and 40 pin standard on the LCD side. That's really hard to find
• In alternative, get a cable with the right connector on the motherboard and the 40 pin standard on the LCD side (e.g. a 4k or QHD cable) and rewire the cable, if necessary lengthening the wires. I'm very competent with a soldering iron, so not a big problem (and, yes. I know that the pinout for the QHD or 4K 40 pin is completely different from a 40 pin touchscreen)

From the T460 onward, all the touch LCD panels seem to use the narrow connector, according to blisscomputers.net and laptopscreen.com. The T440 and T450, use 30 pin+separate touch panel. So none of those cables will work. At this point, using a soldering iron to rewire a 4k/UHD cable seems to be the best option. I too read that obnly newer panels should have the narrow 40 pin connector, but seems to go much further back in time

Unless someone here has better suggestions or can provide info that change what I wrote above (I'd love to be wrong and find a FHD 40 pin cable with 0.5 pitch)...

[RealBlackStuff]

Have a look here: https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comme ... an_i_find/

On schematics they usually also print the P/N or model-number under the connectors.

[robca]

Have a look here: https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comme ... an_i_find/

On schematics they usually also print the P/N or model-number under the connectors.

Do you know for sure that the sqltechbloq com site actually has a T14s schematic? The reason I ask is because on that page it never mentions T14s, and I found that same page referred as a source for a MSI motherboard. The name "ThinkPad T14s. X13 GT4A5-GX3A5 NM-C791 motherboard " was bolded and it looks like a direct copy of a BIOS file posting. And the survey they use is one of those unending survey sites that send you on a circular route and never exit (and, yes, I live in the USA). Most of the accounts claiming to have successfully loaded the file are also very new and seem highly suspect (semi-random text copied from elsewhere)

Or did you find that link like I did searching on Google? If so, we are simply giving that fake link more publicity

EDIT: now that I look at the diy-laptoprepair com site, it seems to be completely fake. I highly recommend to edit your previous messages and remove those links

[RealBlackStuff]

I was actually looking for "NM-C791" but that may also be wrong.
So I corrected my post.
It seems that nowadays Vietnamese websites have the upper hand in obtaining schematics...

[robca]

Thanks anyway, I really appreciate you trying to help.

[ipaq8888]

Hi Sir,

Can i check if you manage to find a narrow 40 pin touchscreen panel?

[robca]

In the end, I gave up on trying. So, no, can't suggest a connector, sorry

The T14s Gen 2 screen I have is not ideal, but not horrible enough that I wanted to mess with taking it apart while still on warranty

[eleganttirespeaks]

Hey Rob

almost any modern eDP panel will work in your machine. You just need the correct cable, and a panel with the correct dimensions for your lid. A good starting place is to find the dimensions of your existing panel and go from there. Keep in mind that some physically larger (slightly thicker, slightly wider) might fit but probably won't fit without modifications.

If FHD - 30 pin eDP.
If FHD+touch, 40-pin FHD+touch cable (not UHD cable - or you could fry the panel and your board)
If QHD or UHD, 40 pin UHD cable (not FHD+touch 40 pin, for reasons above) - note there are 2 different pin pitch widths (0.4mm and 0.5mm) panel-side. Newer panels (2020-onward) tend to use the narrow 0.4mm pitch. Older panels tend to use the 0.5mm pitch.

You can find excellent panels on ebay and aliexpress from reputable sellers (feedback scores, ask them questions and they'll reply). Some older panels are a far better choice than newer panels. For instance, at 14" the B140QAN02.0 from 2017 is excellent (100% Adobe RGB), albeit glossy... the B140QAN02.3 is a decent second place option with 80% AdobeRGB and a matte finish. I've heard of people using the JDI LPM140M420 with good results too. At UHD a lot of 14" BOE panels have terrible performance. Newer AUO panels are better but impossible to find. The newest ThinkPads use the BOE NE140QUM-N6A but these often review poorly due to the bad anti-glare coating BOE uses - the most common comment is that it looks 'blurry'. Lenovo has also started using CSOT UHD panels that also look good on paper, but CSOT is a much newer player in the panel space and frankly does not have the good reputation for quality and longevity that LG and AUO do.

I'm using a fantastic LG LP150UD1-SPD3 UHD panel in my T480s but had to make extensive modifications with a dremel to get it to fit... and even then not perfectly. The picture quality is so good that I can't complain one bit - but the T14s lid is far slimmer and is unlikely to fit the thicker and wider bezel LG I mentioned.

IMHO for a good all-rounder, go for a QHD panel. UHD panels tend to cost a similar price, but can be thicker/older, or newer but impossible to find at retail

Thank you so much very very helpful! I didn't know about the edp cables.

So, after I read this comment, I successfully replaced my T14s G3, sad looking TOUCH 47% NTSC 1920 300nit BOE panel to 2240x1400 non-touch 100% sRGB Panel. This was my first time replacing any LCD panels so I ordered the panel and WQXGA 40pin edp cable from Lenovo. It took a while to take the bezel off but after that it was pretty much straight forward procedure.

I'm very happy with my new WQXGA panel

Thank you!

[iamdmc]

Thank you so much very very helpful! I didn't know about the edp cables.

So, after I read this comment, I successfully replaced my T14s G3, sad looking TOUCH 47% NTSC 1920 300nit BOE panel to 2240x1400 non-touch 100% sRGB Panel. This was my first time replacing any LCD panels so I ordered the panel and WQXGA 40pin edp cable from Lenovo. It took a while to take the bezel off but after that it was pretty much straight forward procedure.

I'm very happy with my new WQXGA panel

Thank you!

Glad I could help!