What are the most common monitor problems to troubleshoot?

The five most common monitor issues are: dead/stuck pixels (hardware defect, sometimes fixable), backlight bleed (light escaping panel edges, DIY fix possible), screen flickering (usually driver or PWM issue, highly fixable), ghosting/motion blur (panel response time limitation, sometimes addressable via overdrive settings), and color banding (gradient rendering issue, often fixable via ICC profiles). Our troubleshooting guides cover step-by-step fixes for each issue.

How do I know if my monitor problem is software or hardware?

Test first with our online display tools — if the problem appears in the browser-based test (which bypasses all OS rendering), it's hardware. If it only appears in certain apps or after Windows updates, it's software/driver. The definitive test: connect the monitor to a different computer or via a different cable. If the problem follows the monitor, it's a display hardware issue. If it disappears on a different computer, the source is your GPU, drivers, or OS.

When should I repair vs. replace a monitor?

Repair is worth it for: monitors under 3 years old under warranty (manufacturer repair is free), dead pixel fixes on expensive professional monitors ($500+), simple cable replacements or stand repairs. Replace when: the monitor is 5+ years old and repair costs exceed 40% of replacement value, the panel has extensive backlight bleed or dead pixel clusters, or when a replacement would offer significantly better specs (4K upgrade, higher refresh rate). Our buying guides help evaluate whether a replacement makes financial sense.

Monitor Troubleshooting Guides

Step-by-step solutions for common monitor and display problems.

Fix Dead Pixels

Methods to identify and potentially fix dead or stuck pixels

Fix Backlight Bleed

Reduce or eliminate backlight bleeding issues

Fix Screen Flickering

Diagnose and resolve screen flickering problems

What to test, and what to replace it with

These tools exist to tell you whether a screen is worth keeping. If it is not, these are the panels worth running the same tests on instead.

LG C4 65 in OLED evo

The panel most of these test patterns are written against. OLED is where the dead-pixel and uniformity tests actually matter.

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Samsung S90F 65 in OLED

The main alternative to the C4 at the same size, and the one worth running the same tests on before you keep it.

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Calibrite Display Pro HL Colorimeter

Test patterns tell you something is wrong. A colorimeter tells you by how much, and fixes it.

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Dell UltraSharp U2722D

The safe QHD desk monitor when a test turns up a panel you do not want to keep.

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