Bought a New Monitor? 10 Things to Check Before Your Return Window Ends

Buying a new monitor or laptop screen is exciting, but simply checking whether the display turns on isn't enough.

A screen can look perfect during normal use while still having a dead pixel, incorrect refresh rate, backlight bleed, resolution problems, or other display issues.

The best time to discover these problems is before your return or replacement window expires.

The good news is that you don't need professional equipment to perform a basic inspection. With a few simple tests, you can check the most important aspects of your new display in just a few minutes.

Here are 10 things you should check before keeping a new monitor or laptop screen.

1. Check for Dead Pixels

Start with the most obvious display problem: dead pixels.

A dead pixel may appear as a tiny black or permanently inactive spot on your screen. It can be difficult to notice during normal browsing, especially on a high-resolution display.

Use a full-screen color test and carefully inspect the entire panel with our free Dead Pixel Test tool.

Move your eyes slowly across the display and look for small points that don't change when the background color changes.

Tip: Check the center, corners, and edges of the screen rather than looking only at the middle.

2. Look for Stuck Pixels

Not every defective pixel is completely black.

A stuck pixel may remain red, green, blue, white, or another color instead of displaying the correct image.

Try displaying:

• Black: Highlights bright stuck subpixels and hot pixels.
• White: Exposes dark or unresponsive subpixels.
• Red: Isolates the red subpixel matrix.
• Green: Tests the green subpixel channel.
• Blue: Inspects the blue subpixel transistors.

If one pixel remains noticeably different from the surrounding pixels, you may have found a stuck pixel. You can try recovering it using our high-frequency Stuck Pixel Test & Fixer.

3. Test Every Primary Color

A single background color isn't enough for a proper screen inspection.

Different display defects become easier to see against different backgrounds.

A dark background can make bright defects easier to notice, while a white background can make dark spots stand out.

Red, green, and blue screens are particularly useful for examining individual pixel behavior across the entire subpixel grid.

4. Verify the Native Resolution

Your new display should be running at its intended native resolution.

Common resolutions include:

• 1920 × 1080 (Full HD 1080p)
• 2560 × 1440 (QHD 2K)
• 3840 × 2160 (4K UHD)

Using the wrong resolution can make text look blurry and images appear less sharp.

Use the Screen Resolution & Display Metrics tool on DeadPixelTests.com to check your reported resolution, viewport size, DPR (Device Pixel Ratio), aspect ratio, and other display information instantly.

5. Check the Refresh Rate

A high-refresh-rate monitor should actually be running at the refresh rate you purchased it for.

A monitor advertised as 120Hz, 144Hz, 165Hz, or 240Hz may sometimes default to a lower refresh rate (such as 60Hz) depending on your operating system, cable, graphics card, or settings.

Check your system's display settings and confirm the selected refresh rate. You can also verify your actual browser frame rate using our Refresh Rate Test.

For gaming and smooth motion, this check is especially important.

6. Look for Backlight Bleed

Test your screen in a dark environment.

Display a mostly black image and reduce the surrounding room light using our fullscreen Backlight Bleed Test.

Look carefully around the edges and corners of the panel.

If certain areas appear significantly brighter than the rest of the screen, you may be seeing backlight bleed or another form of panel uniformity issue.

Some degree of glow can be normal depending on display technology (such as IPS glow), so don't automatically assume every bright corner means the monitor is defective. Learn more in our guide on IPS glow vs backlight bleed.

7. Check Screen Uniformity

A good display should produce reasonably consistent brightness and color across the panel.

Open a plain white, gray, or another neutral-colored background and examine the screen—our Grayscale Gradient Test is great for this step.

Look for:

• Dark patches
• Bright areas
• Uneven color
• Noticeable shading
• Large variations across the panel

8. Inspect the Display at Different Brightness Levels

Don't test your new screen at only one brightness setting.

Try low, medium, and high brightness levels.

Watch for flickering, unusual brightness behavior, or changes that seem abnormal.

Also check whether the screen remains comfortable to view at your normal brightness level during daily work or gaming sessions.

9. Check the Physical Condition

Software tests aren't enough.

Before finalizing your purchase, physically inspect the display.

Look carefully for:

• Scratches
• Cracks
• Pressure marks
• Damaged bezels
• Uneven panel gaps
• Loose or damaged ports
• Signs of shipping damage

If you notice physical damage on a new product, take photographs and contact the seller or manufacturer as soon as possible.

10. Test Everything Before the Return Window Ends

This is the most important step.

Don't assume that a new display is automatically perfect.

Spend a few minutes testing it while you still have the option to return or replace it. Check for:

• Dead pixels
• Stuck pixels
• Resolution problems
• Incorrect refresh rate
• Backlight bleed
• Uneven brightness
• Color irregularities
• Physical damage

Finding an issue early gives you more options. Retail return windows typically allow no-hassle exchanges for even 1 single dead pixel, whereas manufacturer warranty policies often have strict thresholds under ISO 9241-307 pixel warranty standards.

Your 5-Minute New Monitor Checklist

If you don't have much time, use this quick checklist:

Five minutes of testing can potentially save you from keeping a display with a problem you might not notice until much later.

Test Your Display with DeadPixelTests.com

DeadPixelTests.com is our browser-based display testing website designed to help users inspect their screens quickly and easily.

Use DeadPixelTests.com to check:

• Dead Pixels — Fullscreen solid color cycling to locate inactive pixels.
• Stuck Pixels — Detect stuck subpixels and run rapid RGB stimulation.
• Screen Resolution & DPR — Verify native resolution, CSS viewport, and pixel density.
• Refresh Rate — Measure real-time display Hz and frame consistency.
• Backlight Bleed — Evaluate edge light leakage and IPS glow in dark conditions.
• Grayscale & Uniformity — Check 256-step tonal smoothness and brightness distribution.

All tests are presented as simple browser-based diagnostic tools with zero downloads, installs, or logins required.

Final Thoughts

A new monitor should be tested before you completely commit to keeping it.

Dead pixels are only one part of the inspection. Resolution, refresh rate, backlight behavior, screen uniformity, color reproduction, and physical condition can all affect your experience.

You don't need to spend hours testing every specification.

Start with the basics, carefully inspect the panel, and use DeadPixelTests.com to perform the relevant display tests.

The best time to find a display problem is while you still have time to do something about it.