Laptop screen half shaded
Half the screen white and half black: a dead half stays the same whichever side is white. Run the test above to swap the halves.
Plain colours, full screen:
Half of a laptop screen shaded or dim — split top/bottom or left/right with a clean edge — is the panel's driver or its ribbon connector: half the rows or half the columns are not being driven.
Test it now
Full-screen white, black and grey: the dead half stays the same on all three. Take a screenshot: the screenshot will be complete. Plug in an external monitor: the full image will be there. Tilt the lid: a connector fault sometimes comes and goes with angle.
What it is
Half of a laptop screen shaded or dim — split top/bottom or left/right with a clean edge — is the panel's driver or its ribbon connector: half the rows or half the columns are not being driven. A dim half with a soft edge is different: one of the backlight LED strips has failed, or the diffuser has slipped. It is not the graphics chip (a graphics fault affects the whole image and shows on an external monitor) and it is not software. A split that appeared after a drop or after the lid was flexed is physical.
Can it be fixed?
Panel driver or ribbon: on a laptop or monitor the panel is replaced; the ribbon can occasionally be re-seated by a shop. Backlight strip: replaceable on monitors and TVs. A clean split with no drop or pressure is a panel fault and a warranty claim.
What to do
- White, black, grey; screenshot; external screen or other input.
- Split on the built-in screen only, complete elsewhere = panel.
- In warranty, no drop: claim it.
- Out of warranty: panel quote versus a new one; on a phone, display quote.
What a repair costs
| United States | $100–300 for a new panel (parts $50–150 plus labour); budget and 1080p panels at the low end, touch and high-refresh panels at the high end |
|---|---|
| India | ₹3,000–8,000 for a new panel at an independent repair shop; ₹6,000–15,000 at the brand service centre |
Typical ranges from repair-shop and manufacturer price lists, 2026-09-06. Get two quotes; prices vary by model and city.
Warranty
Most makers replace a panel under warranty for physical panel faults that are not accidental damage; pressure marks, cracks and liquid damage are treated as accidental and are not covered. For dead pixels, each brand has a threshold (typically 3–5 bright or 5–8 dark pixels on a laptop; Dell's premium-panel guarantee replaces at one bright pixel).