Why Laptop Screen Costs Vary So Much
Laptop screen replacement costs can range from under £100 to over £500 for the same basic task — replacing a broken screen. That range isn’t arbitrary pricing; it reflects genuine differences in the components involved.
Understanding what drives the price helps you assess whether a quote you’ve received is reasonable, and makes it easier to compare options.
Factor 1: The Display Panel Type
Not all laptop screens use the same technology. The main panel types you’ll encounter are:
TN (Twisted Nematic): Older technology, found on budget and mid-range laptops from the 2010s. Low cost, lower quality — limited viewing angles and weaker colour accuracy. Replacement panels are inexpensive and widely available, making TN screen replacements typically cheaper.
IPS (In-Plane Switching): The current standard on most mid-range and business laptops. Better colour accuracy, wider viewing angles. IPS panels cost more than TN but are still well-supported by the parts market.
OLED: Found on premium laptops (Dell XPS, Samsung Galaxy Book, ASUS ZenBook range, and others). Significantly higher replacement cost — OLED panels for laptops are expensive, and not all are readily available for independent repair.
Retina / High-DPI panels (Apple MacBooks): Apple’s Retina displays are proprietary and substantially more expensive than equivalent third-party laptop screens. See the MacBook-specific section below.
Factor 2: Resolution and Size
Higher resolution panels cost more to replace:
- 1366×768 (HD): The oldest standard, found on budget laptops. Cheapest replacement option.
- 1920×1080 (Full HD / 1080p): The most common current resolution. Parts are widely available and competitively priced.
- 2560×1440 (QHD / 2K) and above: Less common, more expensive to source and replace.
- 4K panels: Found on some premium Windows laptops. High replacement cost.
Screen size also affects price. A 15.6-inch screen is cheaper than a 17.3-inch screen of equivalent quality, simply because there’s more material.
Factor 3: Touch vs Non-Touch
Touch screens cost significantly more to replace than non-touch equivalents — often £50–£150 more for the same laptop model.
The reason is that a touch screen is not a single component. It consists of the display panel bonded to a digitiser layer that handles touch input. When a laptop is dropped and the screen cracks, both layers are typically damaged and both need replacing. Separate sourcing and the more complex reassembly both add to cost.
Additionally, touch screen replacements require more careful calibration after fitting, and there’s less margin for error during assembly — a poorly fitted digitiser can cause touch response issues even if the display looks fine.
If your laptop has a touch screen, expect to pay more for a screen replacement regardless of brand or model.
Factor 4: The Laptop Brand and Model
Part availability and part cost vary by brand and model.
Common Windows laptops (Dell Inspiron, Lenovo IdeaPad, HP Pavilion, Acer Aspire): Screens are widely available from multiple suppliers. Parts competition keeps prices reasonable. These are usually the most affordable replacements.
Business/premium Windows laptops (Dell XPS, Lenovo ThinkPad, HP EliteBook, Microsoft Surface): Parts can be harder to source and more expensive. Some Surface models are particularly difficult — Microsoft’s design intentionally makes display replacement very challenging, which is reflected in higher repair costs.
Apple MacBooks: Discussed separately below.
MacBook Screen Replacement: A Different Category
MacBook screen replacement sits in a separate pricing tier because:
- Proprietary parts: Apple’s Retina displays are not interchangeable with generic laptop screens. Genuine or high-quality OEM panels are more expensive than Windows laptop equivalents.
- Higher quality baseline: Even the entry-level MacBook Retina display is a significantly better panel than the average Windows laptop screen, and replacing it costs more accordingly.
- Integrated display assemblies: Many MacBook screens are supplied as complete lid assemblies (panel + glass + housing + hinges), which affects parts cost.
Typical MacBook screen replacement ranges:
- MacBook Air (M1/M2/M3): £200–£350
- MacBook Air (Intel 2015–2020): £180–£300
- MacBook Pro 13-inch: £220–£380
- MacBook Pro 14/16-inch (M-series): £300–£500
- MacBook Pro 15/16-inch (Intel): £280–£450
These ranges cover quality replacement parts professionally fitted. Apple’s own out-of-warranty screen service is priced higher.
Typical Windows Laptop Screen Replacement Ranges
These are guide ranges for common Windows laptop models at a professional repair workshop:
- Budget/mid-range (HD or FHD non-touch, 14–15.6"): £80–£130
- Mid-range FHD IPS non-touch: £100–£160
- Touch screen (FHD, 13–15.6"): £150–£250
- QHD/4K non-touch: £180–£300
- QHD/4K touch: £250–£400+
- OLED (where parts available): £250–£450+
Parts for older models that are out of production can sometimes be harder to source, which can increase cost or extend lead time.
What Isn’t Included in the Screen Price
A screen replacement quote should cover the panel and the labour. But there are a few additional things to be aware of:
Hinges: If your laptop screen has been cracked because the hinge broke or seized (common on some models), the hinge may need replacing at the same time. A replacement screen fitted onto a broken hinge will fail again.
Bezel: The plastic frame around the screen is sometimes damaged when a screen cracks. If it needs replacing, it’s usually an additional cost.
Webcam/microphone: On some laptops the webcam and microphone are integrated into the display assembly. When replacing the panel, these are usually transferred from the old assembly — but check with the repairer that they’re included.
Is It Worth Replacing?
For most laptops under five years old, a screen replacement is almost always worth doing if the rest of the machine is in good condition. The cost of a new mid-range laptop starts at £400–£600 — a £120 screen replacement is a clear win.
For older machines, or if the repair cost approaches 50% of the machine’s replacement value, the calculation becomes less clear. We’ll always give you an honest view.
Our Putney workshop handles screen replacement for all laptop brands and MacBook models. Call 020 7610 0500 or contact us with your laptop model and we can give you a quote.