screen-Induced Brain Fog & Eyestrain – CCFL + Blue Light Glasses Seem to Help

DisplaysShouldNotBeTVs

update 1

second Yoga13 has the "same" LP133WD2-SLB1 panel but there are differences

i think it's a different revision of the laptop

even though my original one is perfect… this second one is not good

differences

still better than modern laptops, text is readable and not fuzzy — but i'm definitely getting noticeable eyestrain here + constant annoying "scratchy" feeling in eyes… (compared to my original Yoga13 where i get basically NO strain at ALL no matter where I look on the screen)

i notice a slight "oversharpening", "extra shadows", "contrast enhanced" look to the image… that simply isn't there on my original one, comparing side-by-side…

colors are similar but slightly off. blue is more saturated, green is more "olive". white looks same at first glance, but ever so slightly more orange on this "worse" one (not a yellow tint though)

i can reduce strain with really strong color adjustments — but that's a far cry from mine where i don't need to tweak ANY colors…… on my original, i can literally just stare at the pure display at near-default settings and it's so comfy (in fact, my original was still pretty nice even before i disabled temporal dithering on it)

(It feels different even in the BIOS. Also tried Windows 8.1 with same exact installation USB and drivers/settings, also tried Basic Display. I'm pretty sure the difference is NOT dithering or flicker-related. PWM is the same on both. Both have no color profile.)

not terrible, one of the better devices I've tested this year. but it's nowhere near the "legendary" status of my own Yoga 13.

i have that discomfort constantly lurking in the background while i'm using it, and the amount changes depending on the image like other modern devices — compared to my original, where it's absolute relaxation no matter what's onscreen

it doesn't solve that "last 20% of strain" like mine does. when i put them side by side, immediately relieved when i look back at mine…

it's a different revision?

despite having the same BIOS version, same LCD panel ID, similar manufacturing date, and identical appearance, there are some really odd differences I've spotted

My Yoga13 (incredible, essentially zero strain)

• Model Name in BIOS is just "Yoga 13"
• System Model "Mocca 2.0"
• System SKU "LENOVO_BI_IDEAPAD66" (weirdly literally only 4 results for this online)
• i7-3537U
• …can't compare bottom sticker since it's too washed out on mine

Second Yoga13 (readable but definitely get strained, not recommendable)

• Model Name in BIOS is "Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13"
• System Model "20175"
• System SKU "LENOVO_MT_20175"
• "Press F2 for Setup" font is different(!), despite same BIOS version, will post pics soon
• i7-3517U
• keyboard has way more travel (this one's probably not connected to revision though, just keyboard lottery)

what's really odd is that every used listing i've seen that posts specs, they line up with the second one, i can't find a single listing yet that says "just Yoga 13" in BIOS like mine does

will return this one. but since i need a "backup laptop" in case mine breaks, i will still be searching!

…of course, my original one is still as perfect as it's always been

@evthelegend @jordan

TLDR:

i still reccomend trying a Yoga13 because my original one remains great — but definitely check with the seller that it is Model "Mocca 2.0" in System Information or just "Yoga 13" in BIOS (and potentially avoid "Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13" shown in BIOS unless it's the only one you can find)

however this seems way more difficult than expected, given how obscure my original one's SKU is

also make sure you can return it

BTW let me know if there's any images you want me to take a close up macro comparison of before I return this

DisplaysShouldNotBeTVs

oddly enough, the only few results I can find for "Mocca 2.0" that aren't auto-generated benchmark/driver pages are from China/Japan (except for one result from a dev's personal site)

one of them translates to "Do you know what machine mocca2.0 is? I can't find it on the official website. […] The model detected is wrong, that is, BiOS is incorrect. Try to re-flash it."

definitely something unique with my (original, strain-free) Yoga13 since it has the "Mocca 2.0" name

mine is a US keyboard layout model, but it was sent in for repair once about 10 years ago, i feel like that might relate to the name/SKU difference…

evthelegend

nope.

i have other old devices that i've owned for a while, have used for a while (for example, late 2008 macbook pro 15" that i "used" pretty frequently between 2012-2017 -- tolerable but not a "safe" screen), but have always been "kinda unproductive" on compared to other hardware & consistently had more brain fog on & have leaned towards using other devices instead

the only difference is that before i knew i was screen-sensitive, i always jumped to other factors first when in reality it was the exact same thing i deal with today

• i thought i was less productive on MBP 2008 because "it was too heavy on my lap and that makes me tired" (Actually, it was generally hard to read and whatever the screen is doing gives me fatigue, even if it's on a table. If I compare the number of things i actually built/wrote/learned/read on it to my OG Yoga13, which I was also using in the same era, it's way less)

• i ended up always using an old 2014 ASUS netbook in Linux "console-only" mode to write all my english assignments in high school, instead of my at-the-time current 2016 MacBook Pro, because "i thought it had less distractions" (Actually, the screen is SO much better to read long documents on, console mode is what reduces strain the most since it's monochrome, and remains good for writing to this day -- although now I have better options. One time I tried to write on Mac instead, and I vividly remember the text shimmering and the brain fog)

• i never completed a video game on my 2015 GPD XD android handheld because "i thought it had too much input lag" (Actually, input lag was totally fine in retrospect, but it was one of the first screens that was bad enough where I actually noticed the "false 3D effect" even back then which made games difficult-to-play because my vision keeps going in and out of focus, and it's still uncomfortable now)

• Motorola Atrix Laptop Dock (11-inch portable TN monitor) that i've technically owned since 2013, but have literally only used once or twice so i basically don't have any "tolerance". i finally remembered it again last month and seriously tested it for the first time -- image was already better than modern screens, but still was getting some strain.

• BUT THEN… i used the Laptop Dock with a basic Linux console, and out of nowhere, it suddenly felt even better for writing than the 2014 netbook that i'm "used to". i realized that it was doing something messed up whenever actual "shades of colors" are involved, but pure black/white/red/green/blue was fine.

• finally, i had the idea to make the Windows desktop "pure green and black" too (i.e. not even grayscale) with NegativeScreen + High Contrast and BOOM… as long as that limitation is in place, i've actually been productive writing on it for a week now because that seemingly works around it's display controller's post-processing. (btw the LCD controller is Realtek RTD2482D)

• nothing "imaginary" here, doing this literally killed it's oversharpening and "contrast enhancement" and i can write better on it than my 2014 netbook now, even though this is basically my first time using it.

  (this method is actually unique to the Laptop Dock. the same strategy doesn't fix my other strainy screens…)

update 2

cc @photon78s

The LP133WD2-SPB1 panel just arrived which I'm now trying in my ThinkPad T480. According to Panelook it's supposed to have the exact same specs as the Yoga 13's LP133WD2-SLB1 but with an eDP cable instead of LVDS.

This is literally the only 1600x900 IPS that connects to modern laptops.

yes, T480 is 14" but this is 13"…I just have it taped to the lid LOL. if it's good, I'll exchange the T480 for a 13-inch like L380 or X390 (as long as the other laptop renders the same way, ofc)

We now know there's panel variation in the SLB1, since the second Yoga13 is strainy. So just same specs doesn't necessarily mean good.

But…

First impressions: this is already doing a better job at emulating my Yoga13, than an actual 2nd Yoga13

Of course, I can't say "it's good" or anything yet, but I'm testing some images that caused strain on the "new" Yoga13 and they feel way closer to my original one here -- particularly in the way my eyes focus.

What's even more -- I wasn't even expecting this at all -- but apparently the LCD decides the font for "To interrupt normal startup, press Enter" on the BIOS since it changed. This is notable because it's literally rendering the same font as my original Yoga13 and not the weird one the second has.

Given the font, and that this SPB1 is in a "modern" laptop with UHD 620 and it's already way better than the "second" SLB1, this possibly means that the revisional difference was in the SLB1 panel itself? (arguably, only have Basic Display Driver enabled for now, but I also tried Basic Display on the "new" Yoga13 too and it didn't solve things, so I'm surprised that this is already way more comfortable than that)

It's also way better than the terrible Innolux that came with the T480, and I can tell it's a significant step up from the two LP140WF3-SPD1 that I tried recently (which were kinda more tolerable than Innolux, but still too much strain/blurriness for me and had a weird "mesh" pattern over the screen)

Note: Panelook says both SPB1 and the SLB1 are matte. Yoga13 is totally glossy, so I'm starting to think that the way it's used there is actually still a matte panel underneath, but with a glossy layer on top for the touch digitizer. (Yet another thing that makes Yoga13 unique, but definitely not "what makes it good" since the second revision of Yoga13 is strainy despite this.)

Currently, haven't pulled off the "protective covering" tab on SPB1, which adds some gloss, but I'm starting to think it truly is matte underneath since I see less reflections than on my Yoga13. I'm actually keeping the covering on for now since I'm getting a really good first impression. Not sure if the protector's gloss plays into this, but because I'm already liking what I'm seeing I don't want to touch it.

Will let y'all know how this goes.

DisplaysShouldNotBeTVs LP133WD2-SPB1 (temporarily attached to ThinkPad T480)

other things this WD2-SPB1 panel is getting right, even while connected to Windows 10 1809 on modern hardware:

(BTW, I am using Basic Display Driver to reduce possible variables, but given that Basic Display didn't fix the other ThinkPad panels I tried, these improvements seem to be at the panel level!)

• a few optical illusion images "that are supposed to move" are actually STILL on this panel -- the only other screens that achieved this are my original Yoga13 and 2004 Nintendo DS

• low-contrast stuff like fine-pixel-detailed light blue text against an equally washed-out blue background is actually still readable and looks just as sharp as normal text (but no oversharpened look) -- not even my Yoga13 achieves this(!) so this is actually super cool

• when I two-finger zoom in to a webpage, my eyes don't have to refocus to see the larger text, and it doesn't appear closer to me i.e. large UI and smaller UI seem to appear at the same depth and don't require focus shifting (again only other PC screen that does this is my OG Yoga13. The second Yoga13 totally failed this test BTW LOL)

• bitmap pixelated fonts and "pixel art" icons in older areas of Windows look SO good. so crispy and satisfying. and I don't notice any "blue/gray haze" around them unlike most modern screens

• the backlight and appearance of white color is SUPER relaxing (but still cooler temperature, which I prefer on screens). I've heard others here describe this kind of white as "Windows 7 milky white"

It still has slight PWM (mild incandescent-like flicker, not strobe) and pixel inversion, the same as my OG Yoga13, but just like on that laptop they're mild enough to not be annoyed by flicker.

Also, no "intense pulling on my eyes feel" like the second Yoga13 was doing (AKA no "obvious" strain yet).

So far so good.

DisplaysShouldNotBeTVs

Just took off the glossy film and now using the LP133WD2-SPB1 as matte. Still good.

Image now feels even more stable/relaxing.

Surprised actually because I thought matte screens might have been one of the strain causes (which is why I was leaning towards glossy recently). This doesn't seem to be the case since it feels even better now…

However, that might be because the matte coating is REALLY good. I don't see any rainbowing or strange mesh patterns. No shimmer!! (Totally different from the low quality fuzzy one on the LP140WF5-SPB3 which made me feel weird even when I looked at it turned off)

Best way I can describe the coating is that it feels like the older "paper-like" matte screens in Windows XP-era laptops or mid-2000s matte flat-screen TVs

Also, the IPS viewing angles and uniformity is great, it doesn't have that weird "moving black stripe that follows your head" thing at all (that so many modern IPS panels seem to have).

I'm honestly starting to think, 90% chance, that this is the same exact panel and revision as the one in my original "strain-free" Yoga13 (with the only difference being modern eDP support!). Colors are literally IDENTICAL, I know these specific shades of green and blue by heart.

Still no strain

If it stays like this, this is 100% the most promising screen I've tried yet -- if that's the case, I'm actually going to reccommend buying this panel instead of trying to find my exact "obscure" Yoga13 revision

DisplaysShouldNotBeTVs BTW even the BIOS on this SPB1 panel feels way better than the previous 3 panels swapped into the ThinkPad (and better than the weird one in the second Yoga)

So there is certainly some big improvement at the panel level since it's a still a UHD 620 "driving it" but it remains significantly better

For example, I don't feel disoriented after moving the selection up or down in the BIOS. Usually only my first Yoga13 and a few old TN monitors feel like this for me. (on the other hand, this was first thing I noticed was wrong on the second Yoga13)

DisplaysShouldNotBeTVs

So far have read longer documents, frequent note taking, some coding / terminal, browsed social media, watched videos, did some music production all on the LG LP133WD2-SPB1, still connected to my T480. I am impressed.

Especially surprised by coding, felt so similar to coding on my safe screen and didn't get brain fog at all. Usually coding has a totally different "heavy" kind of feel on "strainy" screens but not here.

The muted colors + higher than average brightness combo is so good. It's simultaneously crisp and bright yet whites aren't blinding at all.

I've viewed many images on the panel with strange distorted perspectives or high contrast between blurry and clear areas, the type that usually causes immediate disorientation or eye pain on strainy screens — they were fine here, I could move my cursor around them and keep the image AND cursor in focus at the same time. Generally felt very flat paper-like in the best way.

For example, a dark-color large pillar in a photo felt like pretty much the same flat depth as the panel bezel. Very few screens achieve this for me.

Just a few more days before I can confidently give an ultimate verdict.

But I'm actually shocked how good this seems to be.

DisplaysShouldNotBeTVs

Just a quick update, even though it was succeeding at the basic stuff, eyes kept getting gradually more abnormally dry/slight burning feeling after each time I used it (not because I used it for too long, because some screens don't do this to me at all and I took frequent breaks too) Was also getting this weird kind of mild but still sharp feeling in corners of eyes that continues to increase in frequency, that makes me think it won't be good in the long run. (even if I tried to get used to it)

So unfortunately I can't personally recommend this panel.

It got close to the threshold but couldn't cross it for me

Also, I watched a longer video on it and couldn't follow it at all, lots of double vision. Was watching through NoMachine and with Basic Display to avoid it applying video processing but still had issues. Then right after I watched it on my good 2012 laptop, same NoMachine client, and it was fine. E-ink Boox Palma I bought this year is fine for videos too, even some OLED TVs I can tolerate — so it's not just because I'm used to my old screen. Was pretty unexpected.

So although it passed a surprising amount of basic tests, some more complex tests are giving me red flags

I have 3 more panels to try — for now, I will stop posting since I don't want to spread misinformation.

I will only follow up if one of them truly works for me lol