hi all,

I've decided that the ideal thinkpad for me would be an X61s with an SVGA+ display, from having owned an x220 (returned that) and an x200s (using this currently, unhappy with the non-ips display). So, I'm going to buy an X61s and anything I need to do the upgrade. As far as I can tell from google and this forum, I need to:

1. slice up the LCD cable of the x61s, as per this thread: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=102432
2. carefully pull stuff off an IPS display and then fit it into the x61s display housing, as described here: http://ithinkpad.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/x6xipsguide/

I'm unsure which LCD to buy. This: http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-1-LCD-SCREEN-HV121P01-101-HV121P01-100-For-Lenovo-Laptop-display-SXGA-NEW-/160706440617?pt=US_Laptop_Screens_LCD_Panels&hash=item256ad9ada9#ht_1324wt_1112 seems to be what I want, a matte SVGA+ display, but the ithinkpad wordpress specifically says not to buy it, because there is a glass piece on it that cannot be removed? This auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/12-1-LCD-screen-HV121P01-100-for-thinkpad-X60T-x61T-A-/320727954415?pt=US_Laptop_Screens_LCD_Panels&hash=item4aace033ef#ht_1937wt_1112 also looks good, and both auctions says the touchscreen is excluded. I expect this is a good thing and would save me the trouble of removing it. Please advise me on what sort of LCD to get, if I want a matte screen and ideally no digitizer or touch stuff.

I'm also unsure what issues could come up in the purchase of an x61s. I'd like the most processor speed and RAM I can get. I know that with the x60s, there were two different displays and display housings, UltraLight and normal, and that the ultralight version was not suited for a SVGA+ upgrade. Is that also the case with the x61s? Will any x61s I buy have the same display housing?

Finally, are there any resources I'm missing or leaving out of this post? Also, is this mod even possible? X61s to an SVGA+ screen? I've read so many threads and sometimes I get confused as to which model, exactly, they are talking about. I'm mostly concerned about the display housing of the x61s, slicing up the LCD cable won't be a problem for me.

Thanks very much

--mog

You might want to take a look at this. I believe you need a modified BIOS to get the LCD to run at SXGA+ in Windows. I believe it runs at the correct resolution in Linux.