What to check the day a new monitor arrives
The return window is worth more than the warranty and it closes. Here is the fifteen minute check to run before you decide to keep it.
Unbox it, test it, then set it up. Not the other way round.
The reason is simple: a retailer return has no defect threshold to argue about, while a warranty claim has to clear the ISO pixel allowance, which on a 4K panel permits around 16 bright and 16 dark pixels. A single dead pixel is a perfectly good reason to return a monitor and almost never a successful warranty claim.
The return window is the strongest position you will ever be in with this monitor, and it is already counting down.
1. Clean the screen
Sixty seconds, and it prevents the most common false alarm. Dust and dried specks look exactly like dead pixels. Use a dry or barely damp microfibre cloth and no pressure.
2. Pixel check, in a dark room
Cycle through white, black, grey, red, green and blue full screen. Sit closer than usual and work systematically across the panel rather than taking it in as a whole.
- White reveals dead pixels as black dots.
- Black reveals stuck pixels as bright dots, plus backlight bleed.
- Grey reveals uniformity problems and banding.
- Primaries reveal partially failed pixels where one subpixel has died.
Photograph anything you find, with the colour that shows it best. If you end up returning it, you have evidence. If you keep it, you have a record of what was present on day one.
3. Backlight bleed and uniformity
On the black screen, look at the corners and edges. Some glow is normal on edge lit panels. Severe, uneven patches are not, and are far easier to return than to claim for.
On grey, look for vertical banding and blotchiness. Faint banding is common on cheaper IPS panels and is a characteristic rather than a fault.
4. Refresh rate
Set it to its maximum in your display settings, then measure what you are actually getting. High refresh monitors ship set to 60Hz, so this step is about confirming the panel does what it claims rather than discovering a fault.
If the maximum is not offered, check the cable and the port before concluding anything. Bandwidth limits, not panel faults, cause most of these.
5. Physical and functional
Check every input works, not just the one you plugged into. A dead HDMI port is easy to miss on day one and impossible to prove later.
Check the stand adjusts through its full range, the panel has no scratches or pressure marks, and any speakers produce sound from both channels.
Check for coil whine in a quiet room, which is a high pitched noise from the power electronics. It is not covered by most warranties and it drives some people mad.
6. Decide within the window
This is the part that needs discipline. If you found something borderline, decide before the window closes rather than after.
The failure mode is predictable: you find one dead pixel, decide you can live with it, spend three weeks noticing it every day, and by then returning is no longer an option. Make the call while you still have one.
Common questions
Why is the return window better than the warranty?
A return has no defect threshold. A warranty claim has to clear the ISO class allowance, which on a 4K panel permits around 16 bright and 16 dark pixels. A single dead pixel is a valid reason to return and usually not a valid warranty claim. That difference is the whole argument for testing immediately.
How long do I actually have?
It varies by retailer and country. Fourteen days is common in the EU and UK for distance selling, and many retailers offer thirty. Check the specific policy on the day it arrives rather than assuming, because the clock has already started.
Is some backlight bleed normal?
Yes, on edge lit LCD panels. A faint glow at the corners of a black screen is a characteristic of the technology. Severe bleed visible during ordinary use is a reason to return, but it is usually excluded from warranty cover, which again favours returning early.
Should I test before or after setting it up properly?
Test first, on a bare desk if necessary. Setting up cable management and mounting arms makes returning it much more annoying, and that annoyance is exactly what makes people talk themselves into keeping a defective panel.
What if I find a problem after the window closes?
Then the warranty route applies, with its thresholds. Document carefully and check whether your specific model has a zero bright pixel policy, since several premium monitors do.