I’ve already hit the limits of what I can do with the existing set of cables, etc. The next step will likely require a new cable as the 500nit Sharp displays use 50 pin connectors.
Beyond that the only options are going up to 14 inches or down to 13.3 inches. A 14 inch model (assuming it fits within the max dimension available in the shell / form factor), will definitely need a new CNC’d back. A smaller unit meanwhile will require at minimum a custom top screen cover.
I guess beyond 500, I would mostly be looking to do this to scratch my itch for hardware tinkering. I’ve even gone so far as to look up bonding materials to see if i can achieve some kind of DIY non-permanent bonding solution so that I can have a macbook-like front glass. I’ve found some that are used in fiberglass splicing(and that may work here), but again, not experienced enough to know if this will work for this use case.
I blame Framework for this really - making this laptop so repairable makes it irresistible for some of us to push boundaries
I know the pain, the the oled that some of the newer thinkpads use it just a few mm too big and the next size down is way too small, in that regard the size of the 13 is quite unfortunate.
Oh boy that’s a rabbit hole, good luck with that.
Not really frameworks fault, I tried to put the oled in my t480s before I got the framework (it took a bit of damage but I managed to “repair” it).
Replying to main thread to add some additional things I have learned:
Some of the screens the latest laptops are using are not available on the Panelook database.
Most of these newer screens are using the 14" form factor
Mini LED screens are probably the best to get in terms of brightness and colour, but they use PWM instead of DC dimming, so we will need some kind of custom board to drive it
I read a lot of the display problem the past days (I have a FW 13 Laptop) and my conclusion is, that there is no option to really upgrade the display and it will not be better in the future because of the specs. HP, Dell and so on do not produce screens like that especially the 40 pin connectors seems to be a big issue. Framework itself wont produce a panel on its own and when the other big company’s use other standards in there notebooks there will be no solution in the future ans so also no other panels. Or get I something wrong in this discussion?
Hi Peter, what is your wishlist for a better screen?
Almost every BOE(and I believe AUO too) panel being manufactured for laptops (that is not a mini LED tech) is 40pin edp and used DC dimming, so basically, we can theoretically use the motherboard with any of these screens.
The only limiting thing here them is the form factor: its not a common one and does not fit any of the newer models that usually tend to be 14 inches. I have in the past week explored replacing the LED backlights, adding a custom flexible PCB backlight or maybe just cnc-ing a custom case that holds a bigger 14" panel. I have no experience in any of these, but i’m bugged by it enough that i might try one of these
Overall, I am pretty happy with the laptop except its brightness. Its colour reproduction is great, blacks are great, contrast is great, it uses DC dimming and its glossy. I don’t really care for anything else, but others in this thread have other wants (such as oled or higher refresh rate). I guess its hard to cater to everyone’s whims and they have overall done a pretty good job in something that at least has no major flaws.
And lastly Panelook db is unfortunately not up to date. Most newer models of screens are not available in the db and I have to scour new laptop reviews to find models that they have been using
Unfortunately I haven’t found any other usable one that fits. The only higher resolution 13.5" is the Panasonic one but that has a different pinout I believe. All 4k monitors are 16:10 or 16:9. I’m waiting for @Brandon_Wang 's attempt with the Tianma monitor as I think that’s a possible option that may work.
These Tianma LCDs are the ones used by Huawei in their matebook laptops. These are 15:10 aspect ratio and should fit the form factor. That said, Huawei have been bumping up their screens up to 14.2 inches at its current latest iteration. Panelook doesn’t have complete information on any of these screens and I’m struggling to find a decent supplier to buy it from.
I would like to have a better reaction time and maybe an oled Panel in the future. But right now there are no other options for other panels and the big notebook producer dont sem to produce panel that will fit in the future. It is a bit sad because in the theorie it is easy to change the panel but when there arent any panles on the market its just not possible to do so.
I am already using an alternative display and generally I find it slightly better and with slightly darker blacks. I am positive there are options out there that would fit, just not commonly known. Panelook is great but it also doesn’t actually have a lot of the newer models in its database.
I am not looking to explore OLEDS as there are not really many suppliers and the options are limited. As well, we will need custom circuitry for these OLEDs. I am however exploring options with another person here on higher-refresh rate screens that should match the size / aspect ration closely. If we can procure one of these screens successfully, we can have at least 90Hz displays.
In the longer run, I will dig into mini LED screens or custom backlighting mod for the screens. Personally, I need brighter screens and OLED just doesn’t cut it for me.
Whatever grouses I may have about Framework laptop, the fact that we can try to push the envelope here is really cool for me. I reckon if there is enough interest, we can even do a proper run of alternative displays with the respective cables / circuitry
What about options for different aspect ratio? There would obviously be extra problems here, but I’m thinking a long the lines of razers 13". It has a pretty close size but the bezel is a lot thicker on the bottom portion of the screen. So what about something similar? Plop a 16x9 screen in and 3d print a bezel? Possibly a bracket if needed?
Certainly not the most ideal option, there are several compromises here - one being obvious screen real estate - but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible?
Hey, I am actually considering this path as I want one with way higher brightness. Unfortunately, the options for these are limited to 13" or >=15.6".
I used a caliper to measure the space available, and its 291.0(W) X 202.8(H). This is the maximum outline and not the visible dimensions after you put in the black cover. Anything that is less than these dimensions should fit though, and so its possible.
You have lots of options at 13.3". If you find one that may work and need a second opinion, feel free to post it here
I did a little bit of digging and it looks like the HP spectre x360 is the same aspect ratio but with an OLED panel? I was have a really hard time finding any sort of details about the display though so I gave up and figured I’d dig around later
What information do you need? I can’t help with OLED, but I’m pretty deep into finding better LCD options. Primarily, OLED panels are built by a small number of manufacturers and they don’t follow standard eDP inputs.
My ultimate goal would be to have a mini LED screen, but for now, there aren’t any in the market that is the size we need. As I have mentioned in my previous posts, i am using a different LCD (B135QAN01.0) than the stock one (BOE)
I am looking at Tianma’s 13.4" 90Hz display and HP’s 1000nit 13" displays currently as the next move up in my little escapade. The HPs are 30-pin IVO screens but i believe they follow the standard eDP pinout and I can actually use these with 40-pin to 30-pin converters.
I’ve also recently found 40-pin 0.5mm pitch to 40-pin 0.4mm connectors. This means that my options for more screen types have opened up. I also suspect that the laptop can theoretically support PWM LCDs (instead of DC dimming), but this is something I am still investigating.
I’m actually pretty happy with the contrast of the current displays. They already have pretty nice blacks for me unless i’m in the dark. I would however like better brightness, so maybe the IVO ones will work.
To anyone here, and also the framework team, may I ask:
What is the maximum power rating for the display that the motherboard can drive? Is it 18W(24Vx0.75A) or maybe current limited?
The current lcd has a pwm in (and I believe is the standard eDP 1.2). Does that mean DC dimming is handled by the monitor and hence, we can theoretically put in a pwm-based lcd?
Compatibility list for displays into the framework repository - can we create a list and add to the FW13 repository? If yes, do you have a title you would like to have it under (say unofficial compatibility list, or community sourced compatibility list)
I’m mostly happy with the stock display too. For my use it has plenty brightness and the calibration is pretty good for what it is.
Personally, I would like better color. 8-bit works for say to day but if I want to do editing it’s meh. I don’t really think OLED is necessary personally, but LED/MiniLED would be awesome.
Higher refresh rate would be welcome too. Definitely don’t need anything over 90-120 though.
The only actual issue I ever have with the display is getting the resolution to look right. I find windows (like the web browser) don’t always fit correctly, so I have to adjust resolution and/or zoom depending on the application I’m using.
What I normally use the laptop for is web-browsing and writing. Hands down the best laptop I’ve ever used for writing.
Gaming and media consumption is pretty comfortable on it too. I just would edit videos and stuff with the current display/audio
- making this laptop so repairable makes it irresistible for some of us to push boundaries 