SB/SC/SE series 1600x900 screen upgrade SUCCESS

[niffcreature]

Can someone with an SC or SB series please open up their laptop and see if this is possible?
Anyone done it before?
Its a pretty cheap upgrade, it would be awesome if it just worked.

[niffcreature]

My attempt to swap screens and cables between SA and SB series did NOT go well.

I got the bezel off of the SB series just fine, a little glue on it. The SA series had WAY more glue.
I took a piece of metal and stupidly twisted between the bezel and the screen to pry it off. Screen cracked.
These screens do NOT have a metal frame on the front like most screens!! The only thing protecting the actual LCD glass on the front edges is metal tape!!

I have another SA screen so I continued acting like that didn't happen

Swapped the screen cables and screens no problem. The SB cable is apparently a 1 channel cable so I didn't expect it to work without changing the cables.
The SA did NOT work with the 1366x768 screen and 1 channel cable. All it showed was colored lines.
The SB did NOT work with the 1600x900 screen and 2 channel cable.

However... this is NOT conclusive because
The SA series did NOT work with the new screen and original cable!

So there is either something wrong with my SA or the new 1600x900 screen I have, even though the screen seems to be in good condition and is the same model as the last one.
Unfortunately I think there is nothing wrong with the screen... which would mean the SB series still cannot handle the 1600x900 res even though the cables match up... But then maybe there is something wrong with the 2 channel cable.

Need to do more testing. Keep checking the thread for updates. Tonight I may try the 1366x768 screen with the 2 channel cable in both laptops.

Also:

Changing the video cables does not force you to remove the motherboard, although the cable is tucked under it.

I plan to try a Sony Z 1600x900 panel in the SA series, I will post a new thread on it once I try it.

[darxide_sorcerer]

there are two DIP switched on the motherboard, and as far as i can see, one of them is directly related to the screen (it's right next to the display cable connector on the motherboard). i have attached to this post the pictures showing their respective positions on the motherboard. the first two pictures are showing the same switch. the last one is a different one.

[lovelaptops]

Can someone with an SC or SB series please open up their laptop and see if this is possible?
Anyone done it before?
Its a pretty cheap upgrade, it would be awesome if it just worked.

Even if you get this to work, you will only have increased the resolution, nothing else. The 13.3" of the new "Premium" SVS13 and the SA13 before it have terrible, low contrast, narrow color spectrum and terrible viewing angles. The Z's 900p screen will pose two problems:

1) I don't think it will fit into the SA, as it is a 13.1" screen and the SA/S13 takes a 13.3" screen.

2) Even if you can make it fit physically, the Z screen will cost you at least $400. Rather than up your investment in an SB - of some $1,000 pre-new screen - to $1,400, you would do better economically and performance-wise to sell your SB and buy a refurbished or clearance Z2 from the Sony Outlet or on eBay for around $1.500 minus proceeds of sale of the SB of around $600, so $900 net vs. $400+ to upgrade your mid-pack SB to a similar screen improving only in resolution.

Clearly, the most economical way to get a [vastly] improved display would be to buy any number of $200-$400 desktop monitors. This won't help you if you are not a permanent office location, but I can't see the investment of time and $ into upgrading the SB with an inferior SA screen.

I could be missing something here, though. Please correct any incorrect assumptions I've stated above.

[vkg123]

It would probably work for the S13 to the S13p/a, since Sony provides that upgrade option in their customization and it's only a $50 upgrade anyway so i'm assuming they won't use wildly different parts.

Not on the SB to SA tho.

[niffcreature]

First of all @darxide thank you for pointing that out and providing images.

@lovelaptops: All I really care about is the increased resolution for more workspace.

I now have the metal frame to my broken SA screen, the panel removed from it. I was thinking I could fit the 13.1" screen into the 13.3" frame.

The vaio Z 1600x900 screen can be found for around 250$ + shipping. I got the SB for 500$ with sheet battery.
Personally I don't care if I keep the SA with 6630m or SB with 6470m because I don't care much about detail in games. And like I said mostly I need the workspace.

@vkg123: I think its just as likely that SB to SA can work somehow seeing as how the motherboards are nearly identical.

[darxide_sorcerer]

since you have an SA screen available, could you please tell us the part number (or model number, whatever it is called)? or maybe take a picture of the barcode area where that number is mentioned and also the manufacturer?

[niffcreature]

It works!

I used the 2 channel LVDS cable from the SA, and changed the switch near the screen cable on my SB to match the configuration pictured (also what I found on my SA).

The screen is a CLAA133 something or other, sorry, forgot to type it while looking at it. The original screen from the SB is a Chi Mei N133BGE-L31.

Unfortunately, I don't remember which switches were originally flipped on my SB - but this information is only relevant to someone trying to downgrade their SA screen.

Typing happily on 900p.


Thanks again to darxide for pointing out the switches!

[darxide_sorcerer]

this is great news. i'm glad i could be of help. i did a quick google search, and the SA screen should be CLAA133UA01.

[niffcreature]

Unfortunately, the cable is kind of pricey, but its on ebay.uk
VPCCA100C A1841202A V030 LVDS 2CHANNEL CABLE | eBay
However, its possible that the 2 cables are actually the same and only the switch is required for it to work... I don't want to test this though, as I think either the 1 channel cable or the 1366x768 screen has damaged my SA when the switch was in position for 1600x900. So, attempting to use the 1 channel cable is not recommended.

Also unfortunately, I did have to modify the inside of the lid to get the screen to fit correctly. I don't know if there are other 13" 1600x900 screens that would fit better (perhaps the Vaio Z screen?). It seems the inverter of the 1366x768 is just a little bit smaller.