Member Avatar for HostmanG

Hello,

I've seen this problem mentioned before on this and other boards but never with a solution or fix... hoping to have better luck this time.

I just replaced the LCD screen on my Dell 8600 Inspirion with the same model. Now, the LCD only displays a series of solid Red, Green, Blue & white screens.
I can hook up an external monitor and operate the computer just fine.

I took it to a repair shop and after two weeks of no phone calls, I finally called them back and they said they couldn't fix it.

Anyone have an idea on the fix?

Thanks
Graham

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Brief expert summary and practical follow-ups for this thread: the symptom — the internal LCD cycling solid red, green, blue and white while an external monitor works — generally means the panel is powering up but not receiving valid video data. In this topic originally replaced the panel with a like-for-like unit without success, warned that part-swapping can be wasteful, and the final repair required a board-level video card replacement.

Why that pattern appears: laptop internal display and external ports use different signal paths. A panel that shows solid primaries/white typically has power and backlight but no proper LVDS/eDP data or a failed panel scaler/T-CON. Causes to consider (in rough order): bad LVDS cable/connector, failed panel controller, or a failing GPU/motherboard video path that only affects the internal output.

Useful diagnostic checklist:

  • Check an external monitor during POST/BIOS and again after OS load. If the internal still shows primaries in BIOS/POST, the problem is hardware (not drivers).
  • Reseat and inspect the display cable at both the panel and motherboard; look for kinks, broken wires at the hinge, or damaged pins.
  • With the lid open, gently flex the cable near the hinge while powered on and observe any change (indicates cable/connector fault).
  • Swap the cable first if a panel swap already failed — cables are cheaper and often the weak point.
  • If the laptop has a removable MXM GPU, try a known-good module; for soldered GPUs, suspect board-level failure (BGA/cold solder or GPU IC failure).

Safety and cost notes: disconnect battery/AC and follow ESD precautions when probing connectors; inverter/backlight circuits can be hazardous. For older machines, compare repair cost to replacement or continued use with an external monitor. The course taken by — replacing the board/video card — is the typical next step when panel + cable swaps don’t help.

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Member Avatar for Suspishio

It's tempting to ignore your question because the answer is something you don't want to hear. But it's quite clear:

Either get the screen replacement and all interfaces right

or

Forget it and replace the laptop or use it without the integral screen.

Sorry. Anyone disagree? I hope so.

Member Avatar for HostmanG

Just wanted to follow up to let you know what the issue was with my LCD screen

Even though it displayed just fine on an external monitor, it turned out to be a bad video card.
Replaced the GoForce 5200 card and everything works great.

Best regards,
Graham

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