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How to Switch your Inspiron 9300 WUXGA LCD into an Inspiron 9400 - Photos Coming Soon

post #1 of 11
Thread Starter 
Guide to Switching your Inspiron 9300/M170 WUXGA into the Inspiron 9400/M1710:

You can't simply replace the display screens. The instructions below must be followed for your screen to work properly.


Required Materials:
- Small Phillips (I used #0 Phillips)
- Either 2 monitors (9400 and 9300) or part #YPNL-N017B (Google the # to buy it).

Step 1: Remove the display assembly. Dell has an excellent guide for this on their website.
http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...0/sm/index.htm (Click on Display)

Step 2: Remove the LCD Bezel (the gray trim around the screen). This requires removing the screws under the circular pads. I used a small flathead to pry open the bezel.





Step 3: Remove the 8 screws around the sides of the LCD. This will make it so your screen can be taken out. Do not worry about any screws on the top, they are for other things.

Step 4: At the bottom of the screen, there is a green circuit board. On the left side, you will see a screw holding the wire down. Remove this.

Step 5: Remove the LCD screen from the case.




Step 6: Look at the bottom circuit board again. This is the board we need to swap! Disconnect the 2 connections on the board. There should be on on the bottom and one on the side that is white.





Step 7: There will be 3 silver screws holding the circuit to the screen. Remove these screws. Note: This requires a very small phillips. I used a #0 Phillips to do the trick.

Step 8: Repeat steps 1-7 for your other monitor OR if you don't have another monitor...you will need to buy an inverter chip. The mfg # is YPNL-N017B. If you google that number, you should find a bunch of sites willing to sell it.

Step 9: Simply swap the bottom circuit boards between monitors or insert the new one that you bought.

Step 10: Follow steps 1-7 in reverse to reconnect everything back up! Before screwing everything back up. I suggest you plug it in first to test it out.

Congratulations. Your WUXGA LCD will now work properly on the Inspiron 9400. For anyone wondering, you MUST replace the bottom circuit board or the brightness controls will not work. You brightness will be stuck at the lowest setting and nearly impossible to see.

More Photos Coming Soon - My digital camera is at college!
post #2 of 11
Just wanted to know under what circumstance(s) would a user need to perform this swap? Is the 9300 LCD cheaper?
post #3 of 11
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by TurbodTalon View Post
Just wanted to know under what circumstance(s) would a user need to perform this swap? Is the 9300 LCD cheaper?
I had to yesterday, which is why I made this guide. My reason is because my Inspiron 9300 broke. I called Dell, and they sent me a new laptop. However, the new laptop had the WXGA screen and was a 9400 (Interestingly, they gave me a brand new 1 year warranty)...so I switched the 2 screens. So in case anyone else ever needs to make the switch, the guide is here.
post #4 of 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by TurbodTalon View Post
Just wanted to know under what circumstance(s) would a user need to perform this swap? Is the 9300 LCD cheaper?

Yeah I bought a 9300 Lcd Kit for cheaper than a 9400 screen in putting into a New/refurbish M1710 I am building.


P.S. Thanx again for the Screen switching breakdown.
post #5 of 11
Thats all good, and its a great writeup BUT... you could have called Dell and complained about it and they would have sent a tech out to replace the screen for you. They are not supposed to ship you a system with inferior parts to your original. Also by going the complaining route you would still have a warranty on the new screen. By doing this, the next time you need a replacement screen Dell will be shipping you a WXGA now and at that point you won't have any recourse. Just a thought... if you haven't shipped back the old system yet, I would swap the screens back and start calling Dell...
post #6 of 11
Now I got the new inverter but the screw do not match how did you mount it to the screen?
post #7 of 11
Dude I've done all of this many times, and I think out of EVERYTHING that I have done this process is by far the HARdest and most delicate of them all. It's an LCD for Christ Sake lol, but aside from that the Benzel could break and you sometimes have to use an extreme amount of force to get those screws out. Take your time is what I suggest. Those Corner Pieces were not fun at all, what makes all of this difficult is the simple fact that you must use Sheer Force while being delicate... Is that even possible? LOL but that's honestly how it's done.
post #8 of 11
Okay So I swapped the inverter I had to let the inverter hang because there was no place to mount as the 9300 inverter as 3 screws on top and the e1705/M1710 inverter as no screws on top just one at the end.

So I got it up and running it at full brightness but the dimmer does not work at all. The screen looks beautiful and is great.

But here is the million dollar question do I sell it like it is no dimmer, or should I just sell the screen, and buy a new screen for the M1710.

(PS does anybody know if you can buy a new service tag)
post #9 of 11
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by @smodeus View Post
Okay So I swapped the inverter I had to let the inverter hang because there was no place to mount as the 9300 inverter as 3 screws on top and the e1705/M1710 inverter as no screws on top just one at the end. So I got it up and running it at full brightness but the dimmer does not work at all. The screen looks beautiful and is great. But here is the million dollar question do I sell it like it is no dimmer, or should I just sell the screen, and buy a new screen for the M1710. (PS does anybody know if you can buy a new service tag)
Hmm that's interesting, because my inverters had the exact same screw spots. I was able to mount it back in the same place. I guess it would not need to be mounted anyway. As for the dimmer, once again...mine worked. Perhaps we had different inverters for some reason. Where did your inverter come from?
post #10 of 11
I bought mine of ebay from a Power Seller store it was a labeled as a Brand new 9400 E1705 M1710 LCD Inverter.

I mean it works almost perfect there is a small interlace like scan, when the screen starts up and no dimmer But full bright screen. I dunno think I just gonna sell the screen and buy one for a M1710

I think there might be a different inverter that will work with the 9400 and 9300 than the one I have.
post #11 of 11
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by @smodeus View Post
I bought mine of ebay from a Power Seller store it was a labeled as a Brand new 9400 E1705 M1710 LCD Inverter. I mean it works almost perfect there is a small interlace like scan, when the screen starts up and no dimmer But full bright screen. I dunno think I just gonna sell the screen and buy one for a M1710 I think there might be a different inverter that will work with the 9400 and 9300 than the one I have.
Hmm yeah, the only thing I can think of is that it is the wrong inverter. You'd probably be better of just selling it than trying to get another inverter, and doing everything over again.
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