Electronics 2 laptops... hmmm...

So i have 2 Compaq X6000 laptops - 1 has a bad video card, the other *should* work but I have no AC adapter at the moment to test it. SO! What should I do with them?

I want to use the displays in other projects; one in a coffee table (the laptop screen will flip up and be used as a second monitor for my HTPC) and one on an upcoming gaming PC.

HOWEVER! My question is how I would get the video signal from the motherboard (integrated x600 video card) to the display - I remember a while back that when harvesting laptop screens, you need inverters and some wiring to properly transmit the signal. Is this still the case?

 

You will need to just transplant the whole screen assembly, inverter, wiring etc.

 

I think I've read some where that Laptop screens take a different signal and need special and expensive adaptors. Therefore are very rarely reused in that fashion.

Seeing as you can't replace the vidio card as it is 'intergrated', why not use the AC adaptor on the working one?

Not quite sure whats so hard on this one.

 

I used to think that that was the case but it appears to have become much easier recently. All laptops that I know of use LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signalling) to communicate with the screen, it appears that you can now get VGA->LVDS converters for very reasonable prices Linkage

Best of luck

Moriquendi

 

The monitor in the coffee table sounds like an awesome idea. !

 

I don't have an AC adapter atm. However, looking at HP's website, I can order the processor separately, so it seems I can remove it. It's a 3.6ghz P4 with hyperthreading...so it's probably LGA775, yes?

 

Yes s478 P4 never reached that high clock speeds as standard so Im sure it is LGA775. Assuming it not some kind of mobile processor (by the sounds of it, it isnt I dont remember anything that high clock speed in a mobile solution in the time of the P4. Someone more knowledgable correct me if im wrong)

 

So yes


Why do you need a need CPU? Wasn't it just a dead power adapter?

 

I have a laptop that has a bad video card and one that I can't test because I don't have the ac adapter for either. The one with the dead video card will be harvested for parts/sellable stuff and the other one, which hopefully works, will be converted into a larger, better ventilated setup for a work PC.

I see that the LVDS controller works with most models - do you think it will work at a native 1680x1050 res?