Broken Laptop Screen:
What Gets Replaced, What Does Not?

First determine what exactly is broken

The sentence “the screen is broken” corresponds to three very different situations at the service centre, and distinguishing between them determines from the outset how much work will be involved.

The most practical way to make this distinction is to connect the laptop to an external monitor or a television via HDMI. If the image on the external screen is perfectly clean, the computer itself and the graphics card are sound; the problem is on the lid side. If there is a fault on the external screen as well, the fault is not in the panel but deeper.

The answer to the question “Can just the glass be replaced?”

This is one of the questions we hear most often, and the answer depends on the design of the model:

• On conventional laptops without a touchscreen the glass and the panel are a single part. The layer that produces the image and the front surface cannot be separated from each other; the panel is therefore replaced as a whole. The “glass replacement” logic used on phones does not apply here.
• On touchscreen models on top there is a separate touch glass layer. If the image is intact and only the glass is cracked, on some models it may be possible to replace the glass alone. However, this is a more delicate operation than the panel; because the panel may be damaged during separation, it is not preferred on every model.
• On models whose lid is a single aluminium body the panel may be glued to the lid. In this design the panel is replaced separately, but the work takes longer and requires heating/separation equipment.

When you give us your model number, we can tell you which design you have and which option is possible before you even bring the device in.

The price of continuing to use a broken screen

If there is still an image, people naturally say “it will do”. At the service centre we often see how this ends:

• The stain grows. The liquid crystal inside the panel slowly spreads from the point of the break. A black area the size of a coin on the first day can cover a significant part of the screen within a few weeks.
• Closing the lid advances the damage. The edges of the crack flex; every time the lid is closed, new pressure points form on the panel.
• Glass fragments get into the hinge and the keyboard. Small fragments of glass can get under the keyboard and cause keys to stick.
• Risk of cuts. Particularly with panels broken along the edges, cuts to the fingers are common when holding the lid.

The best course of action is to switch the device off the moment the screen breaks and bring it to the service centre without closing the lid. If it is not possible to keep the lid open while transporting it, place a thin cloth or a sheet of paper in between.

What we do during the replacement

Screen replacement is an operation that looks simple from the outside but leads to a second instance of damage when the order of the steps is disrupted. The order we follow is as follows:

• Identification of the model and panel. The same laptop model may have panels with different resolutions, different brightness levels and different cable connections. When the wrong panel is fitted, the device powers on but the image either does not appear at all or flickers. For this reason we read the code on the panel itself.
• Disconnecting the battery. If the panel cable is disconnected while under power, the display line on the mainboard may be damaged.
• Separation of the bezel and the lid. Models assembled with adhesive require controlled heating; forcing them open deforms the lid permanently.
• Check of the cable and tape. The panel cable and the connection ribbon are the actual cause of most flickering and colour distortion complaints. These are also checked when a new panel is fitted.
• Testing. Dead pixels, brightness distribution and backlight bleed are checked with white, black and colour transition screens; the hinge is opened and closed in order to test for a trapped cable.

Panel quality: what to look out for

There can be considerable quality differences between panels that fit the same model. When we ask for your approval, we state clearly which panel will be fitted and how any alternatives differ. The points you should look at are:

• Resolution. Fitting a panel with a lower resolution to a Full HD device takes the device backwards visually.
• Panel type. When a TN panel is fitted to a device with an IPS panel, the colours wash out when viewed from an angle. This is usually the reason for the difference in price.
• Brightness. A panel with the same resolution but lower brightness looks noticeably dim in daylight.
• Coating. If a glossy panel is fitted to a device with a matte panel, reflections can be distracting.

When something other than a replacement is discussed

Not every broken screen leads directly to a replacement. In the following cases we discuss the device as a whole:

• If the impact to the lid has also reached the mainboard, replacing the panel alone will not solve the problem.
• On very old models for which panel supply has become difficult, the cost of the panel can approach the value of the device. In such a case we tell you so plainly and leave the decision to you.
• If the device already freezes frequently or overheats, it is more appropriate to assess the overall condition together before carrying out the screen replacement on its own.

You can bring your device with the broken screen to our centre in Çankaya, send it by courier, or write its model via WhatsApp and find out the price first. Fault diagnosis is free of charge and no work begins without your approval.