Cost guide · Screens
What decides a laptop screen replacement price
A 15.6-inch screen is not one part. The same size comes as HD or Full HD, TN or IPS, 60 Hz or 144 Hz, touch or not, with 30-pin or 40-pin connectors. Those differences, not the shop, explain most of the price gap you see between quotes.
Quick answer
Ask for the panel specification, not just the size. A budget HD non-touch panel and a 144 Hz gaming panel for the same laptop can differ by three or four times. Anything cracked needs a new panel; a black or flickering screen may only need a cable, which is much cheaper, so insist that the cable and board are tested first.
Size, resolution, panel type, refresh rate, touch, part grade and availability for your model.
The six factors, in the order they matter
- Size: 11.6 to 17.3 inches. Bigger panels cost more, but not proportionally.
- Resolution: HD (1366×768) is the cheapest tier; Full HD is the volume tier; QHD and 4K are premium.
- Panel type: TN, IPS or OLED. IPS costs more than TN and is worth it; OLED is a different league.
- Refresh rate: 60 Hz is standard; 120, 144, 165 and 240 Hz gaming panels are specialist parts.
- Touch: a bonded touch assembly is a different part, not a panel with glass on top, and costs considerably more.
- Part grade and availability: original-grade, refurbished original, or compatible; and whether anyone still stocks a panel for your model.
The cheaper outcomes people miss
Not every dark or misbehaving screen needs a panel:
- Display cable: flicker that changes with lid movement, or lines that come and go. A fraction of a panel price. Lines and flicker.
- Backlight circuit: a faint image visible under a torch means the panel works.
- Loose connector: sometimes just re-seated.
- Hinge: fix the hinge and the cable stops being damaged. Hinge repair.
Can you upgrade the panel while it is open?
Often, yes. Many laptops that shipped with an HD TN panel accept a Full HD IPS panel of the same size and connector, and some gaming models accept a higher refresh rate. The connector pin count, the bracket positions and occasionally the BIOS decide. We check before offering it, and it costs less than doing it as a separate job later.
Questions people ask
Before you decide
Can a cracked laptop screen be repaired instead of replaced?
No. Laptop panels are sealed; a crack means a new panel. Only phones have glass-only repairs, and even there it is a different construction.
How much does an HP / Dell / Lenovo screen replacement cost?
It depends on the panel your specific model takes, not on the brand badge. Two Dell laptops of the same model number can use different panels. Send us the model number and we identify the part exactly.
How long does a screen replacement take?
We tell you when you drop it off. If the panel is in stock the job is short; if it must be ordered for your model, you get the expected date rather than a guess.
Not sure which one you have?
Describe it in a sentence or send a photo. We tell you what it is before you spend anything.
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Next step
Bring the laptop, or send a photo. We tell you what it needs.
Free diagnosis at the Whitefield workshop, or free pickup nearby.