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OLED Burn-In Test

Press Full Screen on the uniform grey pattern in a dim room and look for faint ghosts of past content. This tells you whether you have temporary image retention (fixable) or permanent burn-in (a warranty matter) — before your return window closes.

New to this? Here’s the plain-English version.

What this test is

Uniform grey and solid-colour screens that reveal faint “ghosts” of past content burned or temporarily stuck into an OLED panel.

How it helps you

It tells you whether that shadow of a taskbar or game HUD is temporary (fixable) or permanent burn-in (a warranty claim) — before your return window closes.

What we’re checking

Whether previous static content has left a ghost image, and whether it clears with a pixel-refresh cycle or is permanent.

Look for faint, persistent images or discoloration.

Burn-in may appear as ghost-like remnants of static UI elements.

Carefully inspect the entire screen for any faint, ghost-like images or logos. Burn-in from static interface elements like taskbars or game HUDs may be visible.

Press F11 or Full Screen · ← → patterns · Esc to exit

How to Use the Test

Test in a dimmed room to make faint retention visible. Retention that needs a pitch-dark room and close inspection is within normal tolerance; retention visible in a normally lit room during everyday use is not.

  1. 1Start on uniform grey. Go Full Screen on the grey pattern in a dimmed room — the most revealing background for faint retention.
  2. 2Look for ghost content. Scan for faint outlines of past content: taskbars, game health bars, channel logos, app windows.
  3. 3Run a pixel-refresh cycle. If you see a ghost, run the OLED pixel refresh/compensation cycle in your OSD, then recheck after 30 minutes.
  4. 4Confirm permanence. If the ghost persists across grey, white, and other solid colours after refresh, it is permanent burn-in.

Image Retention vs Burn-In

These sound alike but mean very different things — and the difference decides whether you have a warranty claim.

Image retention (temporary)

A ghost that fades on its own after varied content or a pixel-refresh cycle. Normal on OLED — not a defect and not warrantable.

Burn-in (permanent)

A ghost that never goes away, from uneven long-term pixel wear. Irreversible — a defect that qualifies for warranty replacement in the warranty period.

What Actually Causes OLED Burn-In

The risk is real but often overstated. Burn-in from casual use at normal brightness typically takes thousands of hours of the same static content. Usage pattern matters far more than raw hours:

Higher risk

  • Static game HUDs (health, minimap, ammo) at max brightness for 6+ hours over months
  • Persistent taskbars or app UI at high brightness
  • Sports logos or news tickers shown continuously
  • Bright static screensavers

Lower risk

  • Varied gaming across different environments and palettes
  • General productivity with moving windows and content
  • Video streaming with varied source material

Modern OLED monitors also ship with built-in mitigations:

Pixel shift

Slowly nudges the image a few pixels so static elements don’t burn fixed pixels.

Logo detection

Dims or compensates for detected static elements automatically.

Pixel refresh

Recalibrates pixel brightness to even out uneven wear.

ABL

Automatically limits brightness on bright full-screen content to slow degradation.

Preventing Burn-In

  1. 1Run the OLED pixel refresh regularly — after every 4–8 hours of use, or enable the automatic schedule.
  2. 2Use a screensaver or sleep timer so the panel powers down after 10–15 minutes of inactivity.
  3. 3Avoid sustained maximum brightness — 60–80% for everyday use; save peak for HDR highlights.
  4. 4Vary your content — don’t leave the same HUD, taskbar, or static image running for long sessions.
  5. 5Keep pixel shift enabled — it’s usually on by default; verify it isn’t disabled in the OSD.

Keeping brightness moderate also helps everyday comfort — set it with the brightness test. LCD owners can relax: IPS, VA, and TN panels don’t burn in under normal use.

Burn-In FAQ

What is screen burn-in?+
Burn-in is permanent image retention — a ghost of previously displayed content that stays visible regardless of what is on screen now. It comes from uneven pixel degradation caused by prolonged static content at high brightness, primarily on OLED displays.
Is OLED burn-in permanent?+
True burn-in is permanent and cannot be reversed by any software process or pixel-refresh cycle. Temporary image retention, by contrast, fades on its own once you display varied content. The test above helps you tell which one you have.
How do I check if my OLED monitor has burn-in?+
Display a uniform grey screen in a dimmed room and look for any faint ghost of previous content — taskbars, HUDs, logos. Run the OLED pixel-refresh cycle from the OSD and recheck after 30 minutes. If the ghost persists on grey, white, and other colours, it is permanent burn-in.
Can I fix image retention on an OLED?+
Temporary retention: yes — display varied content or run the pixel-refresh cycle in the OSD and it fades. Permanent burn-in: no — it cannot be fixed by software or pixel refresh, and a burned-in panel requires replacement.
How do I prevent burn-in on my OLED monitor?+
Keep brightness below ~80% for sustained use, enable pixel shift and the auto pixel-refresh schedule, use a screensaver or sleep timer for inactivity, and avoid leaving the same HUD or static app on screen for sessions longer than about four hours without variation.
Do LCD monitors get burn-in?+
Not under normal use. IPS, VA, and TN panels are not meaningfully susceptible. Extreme cases of very long static content at maximum brightness can produce temporary retention on LCD, but it is reversible and very uncommon.
Is burn-in covered by warranty?+
Usually the distinction decides it: OLED monitor warranties typically cover burn-in (permanent retention) but not temporary image retention, which is considered normal. Document a persistent ghost with photos after a pixel-refresh cycle and claim within the warranty period.

Related Monitor Tests

Uniformity Test

Even brightness and colour across the panel

Brightness Test

Sustained brightness and APL limiting

Colour Accuracy Test

Solid fields to spot retention on colour

Checking a whole new panel?

Run the dead pixel test and browse the full monitor test suite.

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