7. Display Upgrades

Though replacement of a defective or deteriorating LCD is often left to the experts, it can be a fairly simple procedure and requires little time and effort. However, you really should know what you're getting yourself into by taking this on. For more information on this tricky but fascinating subject, see How to Replace a Broken Laptop or Notebook Display. Notebook displays use highly- sensitive components, the most important of which is the ultra-thin ribbon cable used to mate display with the video adapter (damaging this crucial part is all too easy). That said, a working swap-out is doable, and with remarkable results - there's nothing like breathing new life into a faded display on an otherwise perfectly good notebook.

Take for example ScreenTek, a leading manufacturer in third-party LCD replacement for notebook computers. ScreenTek will provide you with a fresh new display to replace your current one at a fairly decent cost. Replacement requires only a few small screwdrivers, perhaps from a jeweler's kit, and a few hours of your time. It's amazing how much improvement comes from such a seemingly complicated (though really quite simple) upgrade.

Furthermore, ScreenTek can provide (at additional cost) a high-gloss PixelBright coating for your LCD screen that is something like Dell's TruLife technology. This enhancement provides better viewing angles and sharper image quality than traditional anti-glare treatments, which may offer a major improvement over your notebook's factory-installed display. ScreenTek also provides installation instructions online and technical service help to assist you in upgrading your display.

Processor Upgrades

Upgrading your notebook's powerhouse - namely, the CPU - is sometimes possible, although it may not be entirely practical. Installing a faster CPU of the same type and model can be feasible when sockets are sufficiently accessible to permit a swap, but your ability to pull this off will be limited by voltage supplies, thermal cooling requirements and BIOS support. Thus, there are more factors than the socket and the CPU itself to consider. Your power supply must be able to handle the difference in voltage requirements for the replacement part, the internal cooling mechanism must be able to properly cool a new component and the BIOS must be able to recognize this new component as well. After all this trouble, the performance gain may or may not be a lost cause - but only you can decide.

Conclusion

The 80-20 rule applies to notebook upgrades as it does to other aspects of computing life - namely, that 80% of the gain from upgrades will come from only 20% of the options available. To our own way of thinking, storage and memory usually represent the best upgrade options and produce the best gains. Under some circumstances an LCD replacement may help keep your notebook in service longer or breathe new life into a second-hand unit. However, other replacements normally involve more work, research and expense (this is especially true for CPU upgrades) and may actually argue more forcefully for a new notebook than you might initially think. But at the end of the day, it's your notebook and you can do what you want.

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