Im retired on a minimum SS allowance...
the screen on my sony (model PCG 7H1L) is washing out.. I can barely my screen ('washed out', I can barely see any contrast).

Can I get a replacement video card? I wonder How Much...

OTOH... If anyone has a serviceable laptop that's 'gathering dust'.... Can we talk?

Id appreciate any ideas/help, Thanks

I've had a lot of good luck with Bob Johnson Computers at www.bobjohnson.com. You can get really good used laptops from him and he also may be able to help your problem. But when it happened to me, I just got another laptop from him because the display cost too much. I've bought 4 computers from him over the last 12 or so years.

You can't get a new video card for a laptop. I suggest getting a Samsung series 3 quad core amd laptop. Same one I have and only cost $470.

It sounds more like the screen.

I know this sounds stupid, but did you check the contrast and brightness settings?

Parts are always just expensive enough to make it useless to fix the computer.

My nephew sat on my 2 month old Vaio (you'd think at 13 he'd be smarter than that...:( ) but the screen was $265 to replace. Had my computer not been worth $800 ($1,100 new), I of course would have just bought another.

This defeats the purpose of the laptop, but if your computer has a video out port of some kind, you can get a relatively cheap monitor and plug into it. I did that with my old Macbook when the screen went out and created a really thin desktop (lol) for just $75. That also might be your cheapest solution in the meantime.

He knows a lot. He helped me put my desktop together last year.

Managed to break his laptop screen... I went on eBay and found a replacement screen by searching with the brand and model number of the computer. Got one for 69 bucks plus like 15 bucks or so shipping.

My only complaint is that screens are a big ol' pain in the @$$ to install!

Give it a Viking burial and buy a Mac...

surprised the mac comment took so long to come, Mac Vs PC should be considered political!!! You're probably more likely to hurt someones feelings with a good Mac V PC debate than a Romne/Obama on lol

PCs for the win btw

Well fair enough, some people clearly like 'vintage' computers...

Nice reposte, I like it, unfactual, but it made me grin :)

...as an incessant Mac vs. PC debate.

FOREVER.

<Sigh> I know what you mean. I have to go to the drivethrough @
Starbucks. They won't let me inside because I don't own a Mac. Just not cool enough to associate with the Fanboys.

Most of my engineering software is not available on Mac.

Do you want to try to tackle replacing the screen yourself?

Does the perimeter of your display have a 3 or 4 rubber bumpers per side and across the top? Take a sharp knife like an exacto and pry a couple of them out. There ought to be some phillips head screws that hold the bezel to the back of the lid.

If it doesn't have screws, the bezel probably snaps on the back. Take your knife and gently pry between the parting line between the bezel and the back. The bezel should pop off the back.

After the bezel comes off, the display is held in with a few screws on each side. Remove the screws and gently tilt the display forward. Unplug the two cables. Some cables have a metal latch, so you squeeze the latch before you remove the cable

I googled your model and came up with about $75 for a replacement screen.

If you don't feel comfortable doing this yourself, I've seen I5 laptops as low as $350 on sale at various places.

Good luck!

guynoir,

I failed to mention one important step in replacing your screen.

Please remove the battery and ac power source before you work on it.

Also, PCG 7H1L is a group of computers, not a specific model. Somewhere on this beast is a label with it's actual model number, such as VGN-XXXX

You will need that number to order the correct part.

OG