Fellow Thinkpad users, I need to figure out whether the screens on two similar models are interchangeable: the T420 and the T430. I went to eBay to buy another used ThinkPad, looking specifically for a T420; but I messed up in at least two ways. I carelessly bought a T430--and, to boot, one that had a broken screen.

I have decided to keep it rather than re-selling it or trying to cancel the sale. I guess I'll buy a functioning screen for it later. But I wonder if the T430 and T420 (if the same size laptop, of course) use compatible screens so that I could cannibalize the screen from one of my T420s the next time one of them dies on me. (Because it's usually not the screen that has anything wrong.) My research implies they use compatible screens, but hasn't shown me a definite answer. Has anyone tried it and seen from experience that it would work?

I think the best thing you can do, is go to Levono's web site and look up the part numbers you have on the T420 and T430. With that, and their web site, you may be able to sort it out. Here is a link to the T420 info.

-->https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/ca/en/p...%20Type%204177

There are several T420 models. That info should be on stickers on the bottom of the machine. I looked up a model 4177, odds are that is not one of the models you have. Personally, I would not plug in a panel from one model into another model unless the product part numbers are the same, or you can find a list of compatible part numbers. You might just 'Let The Smoke Out'.

In the days IBM made these things, you could get Hardware Maintenence manuals online, complete with part number information. That seems to have disappeared with China and Lenovo.

Best of luck with it.

Here are the thinkwiki.org pages for the T420 and T430. It shows they both use a 14" HD TFT Display but I have no idea if they are interchangeable. The NITS figure is a brightness measurement:

https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T420

https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T430



I would ask at the Thinkpad forums to be sure:

https://forum.thinkpads.com/

Thanks, I would have tried the ThinkPad forum first had I known of it.

I'll have to look at part numbers as Camorri suggested. Nevertheless, FYI, someone at the Thinkpad forum explicitly said yes--the screens are compatible.