Dead pixel policy: how many faulty pixels each brand allows

By CheckYourDisplay · Updated · Sources checked

Most monitor makers replace a screen only when faulty pixels pass a set limit, and they count bright faults more strictly than dark ones. Dell’s Premium Panel Exchange models and some premium lines from Lenovo, ASUS and Gigabyte are replaced for a single bright pixel; others accept a few. Count yours, then compare.

Open the Dead Pixel TestFree, in your browser. Nothing to install.

A pixel policy is a maker’s limit on faulty pixels. Below it, the screen counts as working; above it, the warranty covers a repair or a new screen. The numbers here come from each maker’s own pages, checked on October 6, 2026. Policies vary by model and region and change over time, so check the policy for your model before you make a claim.

How to count faulty pixels

  1. Wipe the screen with a dry, soft cloth. Dust looks like a faulty pixel.
  2. Open the Dead Pixel Test and show black, then white, full screen.
  3. On black, count the bright dots. A white dot is a whole bright pixel; a red, green or blue dot is one bright sub-pixel.
  4. On white, count the dark dots: dots that stay black.
  5. Note where each one is, and photograph each on the color that shows it. Makers often ask for photos.

Every pixel has a red, a green and a blue sub-pixel. Some makers count whole pixels, some count sub-pixels, and all of them treat bright faults more strictly than dark ones. For the difference between dead, stuck and hot pixels, and which can recover, see dead pixel vs stuck pixel vs hot pixel.

Pixel policies by brand

The figures are the most a screen can have and still count as working. One more, and it qualifies under the warranty. Each brand links to the page the figures come from, all checked on October 6, 2026.

Brand Bright faults Dark faults Notes
Dell, Premium Panel Exchange models 0: one bright pixel or sub-pixel during the warranty gets a new display Up to 5 dark sub-pixels Which models qualify is listed under the table
Dell, other monitors Up to 5 (Alienware AW2526HL and AW2726DL: up to 2) Up to 5; D series up to 8; 43 inches and larger up to 12 to 15 SE, IN, E-series, S2716DG and S2417DG. Dell laptops below 1600 × 900: up to 2 bright and 5 dark
Lenovo monitors and all-in-ones No whole-pixel faults; up to 2 bright sub-pixels Up to 5 dark sub-pixels, 5 in total ThinkVision P and T Series Gen-40: one bright pixel during the warranty qualifies
ASUS ROG PG series: 0 for the first 12 months, then up to 3. ProArt PA series: 0 for 36 months. Most others: up to 3 Up to 5 Listed OLED models: up to 3 bright for 24 months. Dots of half a sub-pixel or less do not count
Gigabyte and AORUS, under 40 inches AORUS: 0 for the first 12 months, then up to 3. Gigabyte series: up to 3 Up to 5 Judged from 35 cm or more, in a room brighter than 200 lux
BenQ Up to 2 bright sub-pixels (3 below 1920 × 1080) Up to 5 (3 below 1920 × 1080), 5 in total Models with a zero bright dot guarantee follow their own terms
AOC, US and Canada 1 whole bright pixel 1 whole dark pixel Also 2 single or double sub-pixel faults and 3 to 5 stuck sub-pixels; AOC calls this ISO 9241-307 Class 1
ViewSonic, US and Canada Up to 2 bright pixels Up to 2 dark pixels, 3 in total 4K and above: up to 5 bright, 5 dark, 8 in total
LG (undated PDF on LG Canada) 6 bright sub-pixels at 1920 × 1080 6 dark sub-pixels at 1920 × 1080 Limits by resolution up to 2560 × 1600, with no rows for 1440p or 4K, so ask LG about newer models

Dell’s Premium Panel Exchange covers UltraSharp and UltraSharp PremierColor monitors, Dell Pro P monitors (except the P1424H and P1425), G-series and most S-series gaming monitors, Alienware monitors (except the AW5520QF), conferencing monitors from 24 to 34 inches, and Dell laptops with screens of 1600 × 900 or more, among others.

Philips prints its policy in each model’s user manual, with limits that vary by model; the 27M2N3200A manual, for example, allows 2 bright and 3 dark faults, more than 15 mm apart, and 5 in total. Samsung’s German support page cites ISO 9241-307, says most screens today meet its Class II, and treats two or more faults within an area of 5 × 5 pixels as a cluster that qualifies for a warranty claim. We found no current pixel policy page for Acer, HP or MSI; ask their support for your model.

What ISO 9241-307 is

ISO 9241-307 is the international standard for testing electronic displays, published in 2008 and confirmed again in 2024; it replaced the older ISO 13406-2. It sorts screens into pixel fault classes, and makers cite those classes in their policies. ISO sells the standard, so this guide does not quote it. Lenovo’s support page describes the classes this way:

Class Whole bright pixels Whole dark pixels Sub-pixel faults
0 0 0 0
1 1 1 Up to 5 in total
2 2 2 Up to 10 in total, at most 5 bright
3 5 15 Up to 50 in total

Keep it or return it?

Your situation What to do
Still inside the store’s return window Ask the store first. A return to the shop where you bought it is separate from the maker’s pixel policy.
Under warranty, and above your model’s limit Contact the maker with your count, the location of each fault and the photos.
A bright pixel on a model with a zero bright pixel promise Claim within its time limit: for example the first 12 months on AORUS and ROG PG monitors, and the whole warranty on Dell’s Premium Panel Exchange models.
Under the limit A replacement is unlikely. A stuck pixel can sometimes recover; a dead one does not.

Before you run a pixel fixer on a screen you may claim for, read your maker’s terms. Dell asks owners to avoid pixel-fixing software and pressure on the screen, and warns that trying to fix stuck pixels yourself may void the warranty. On a screen past its warranty, the Pixel Fixer is worth a try for a stuck pixel; it cannot repair a dead one.

Sources

The official pages this guide follows, last checked on . Found something out of date? See Contact.

Tests used in this guide

  • Dead Pixel Test

    Fill the screen with five solid colors to spot dead, stuck and hot pixels.

  • Stuck Pixel Fixer

    Flash random colors over the whole screen for a timed run to try to free a stuck pixel.

  • Monitor Test

    Fill any monitor, laptop, phone or TV screen with solid colors to check it for visible faults.

  • How to test a new monitorTest a new monitor on day one, while it can still go back: set the native resolution, then check dead pixels, backlight bleed, uniformity, banding, gamma, refresh rate and ghosting in your browser. The whole check takes about 10 minutes.
  • Dead pixel vs stuck pixel vs hot pixel: what is the difference?A dead pixel stays black on every color, and no software can repair it. A stuck pixel stays lit in one color and a hot pixel stays white, both easiest to see on black; either can sometimes recover.
  • How to calibrate a monitor without a colorimeterWithout a colorimeter you can set four things by eye: brightness, so the darkest gray steps just separate from black; contrast, so the brightest stay distinct from white; gamma, to about 2.2; and white balance, until gray shows no tint. Color accuracy needs a colorimeter.
  • Why is my monitor flickering? How to find the cause and fix itScreen flicker usually comes from the display driver, an app, the cable or refresh rate, variable refresh in games, or PWM dimming at low brightness. On Windows, check Task Manager first: if it flickers along with everything else, fix the display driver; if it stays steady, an app is the likely cause.
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