Screen Defect

Dead pixel policy by brand

Depends on the brand

Most makers use ISO 9241-307 Class II: about 2 bright and 2 dark pixels per million — roughly 4 of each on a Full HD screen — before they replace a panel. Dell's premium panels replace at one bright pixel. Apple publishes no number.

By brand

BrandPolicy
DellPremium Panel Guarantee on UltraSharp, Alienware and most XPS/Latitude/Precision displays: replaced for even one bright pixel during the warranty. Other Dell panels: ISO 9241-307 Class II thresholds.
HPISO 9241-307 Class II. HP publishes a per-resolution table: for a 1920×1080 panel, roughly 4 bright or dark pixels, or 6 total, before replacement.
LenovoISO 9241-307 Class II with its own table by resolution; on ThinkPad Full HD panels replacement is typically at 3–5 bright or dark pixels. Premium ThinkPad displays are treated more strictly.
AppleNo published number. Apple assesses "anomalies" case by case against an internal threshold; a single bright pixel in the middle of a MacBook display is often replaced, a single dark one near an edge often is not. Ask at the Genius Bar with the pixel shown on white and black.
AsusISO 9241-307 Class II; commonly applied as up to 3 bright or 5 dark pixels on a laptop panel before it qualifies. ROG displays are stricter.
AcerISO 9241-307 Class II: roughly 4 bright or dark pixels on a Full HD panel before replacement; more on higher resolutions.
SamsungMonitors: Class II, replacement typically from 1 bright pixel on premium (Odyssey, ViewFinity) models and from about 4 on others. Laptops: Class II.
LGMonitors: Class II by resolution; UltraFine and UltraGear lines replace from 1–2 bright pixels.

Policies change and differ by model line; these are the published or commonly applied thresholds as of 2026-09-06. Check the brand's own pixel-policy page for your model before claiming.

Bright, dark and stuck — which counts

A bright (hot) pixel is always on, white; every policy counts these most strictly. A dark (dead) pixel is always off, black. A stuck pixel is one colour — red, green or blue — and is counted as a sub-pixel defect, usually with a higher allowance. Run the dead pixel test on red, green, blue, white and black and count each type separately; the claim form will ask.

How to claim

  1. Photograph each pixel on the colour that shows it best, with the whole screen in frame, and note the position (centre pixels count more with some makers).
  2. Check the count against the table and your model's policy page.
  3. Open a support case with the photos; ask specifically for a panel replacement under the pixel policy.
  4. If the laptop or monitor is new, return it under the retailer's return window instead — no threshold applies.

Related

Dead pixel testA dead pixel is a pixel that stays black on every colour: its transistor has failed and it never lets light through.Depends — see testBlack spot on laptop screenA black spot — also called a black dot, dark spot, black patch or black mark on the laptop screen — that stays in the same place on every colour is physical: a cluster of dead pixels, a crack in the LCD layer, or pressure damage where the liquid crystal has been crushed.Not fixable — new panelWhite dots in laptop screenWhite dots that show on dark screens and vanish on white are almost always in the backlight, not the pixels: a tiny reflector dot inside the backlight has come unglued and is bouncing light straight at you.Fixable