How long does a full new-monitor checklist take?

About 15 minutes if you follow the six steps in order. Resolution and refresh rate take two minutes each; dead pixels and bleed need a dim room and deserve five minutes; ghosting and color checks are quick pattern reviews.

Should I test at 100% scaling or native resolution?

Start at 100% OS scaling so CSS pixels match the panel's native grid. Wrong scaling makes text fuzzy and can hide resolution mismatches. Confirm native resolution first, then adjust scaling to taste after QA.

What refresh rate should I see on a 144Hz monitor?

The live gauge should sit near 143–144 Hz for 10–15 seconds with the test tab focused. Stuck at 60 usually means OS settings, HDMI bandwidth, or the wrong display output — fix that before blaming the panel.

Is IPS glow the same as backlight bleed?

No. IPS glow shifts when you move your head and is normal on IPS panels. Fixed bright corners or edges on pure black that do not move with viewing angle are more likely true bleed — document those for an RMA.

When should I return a monitor?

Return or exchange if you find multiple dead pixels in the center, severe fixed bleed, heavy banding in grey ramps, or ghosting trails that ruin dark-game motion. One edge subpixel on a budget panel is often within spec — check the seller policy.

Do I need calibration hardware for step six?

No. The color step uses on-screen grey ramps and sRGB mode checks you can do in the browser. A colorimeter helps later; the goal here is catching obvious banding and wrong gamma before you keep the display.

Display testing

New Monitor Setup Checklist — Six Tests Before the Return Window Closes

TestMyGears Sep 2, 2026 3 min read Updated Sep 2, 2026

Ordered browser checklist for a new monitor: resolution, refresh rate, dead pixels, bleed, ghosting, and color. Run each free test in ~15 minutes during your first week.

Unbox day is the easiest time to catch a bad panel. Run these six browser tests in order while your exchange window is still open — each step links to a dedicated tool with fullscreen mode and keyboard shortcuts.

Six-step setup checklist

Tap each test in order — the same workflow on the homepage and display hub.

Resolution & scaling
Confirm native resolution and device pixel ratio at 100% OS scaling before chasing ghosting or color issues. Open test
TipWrong scaling makes text fuzzy and wastes panel pixels
Refresh rate
Verify the panel actually runs at its advertised Hz — many 144Hz monitors ship stuck at 60Hz until you fix the cable and OS setting. Open test
TipUse Display settings + our live Hz chart
Dead & stuck pixels
Fullscreen white, black, and RGB cycles make bright dead subpixels and dark stuck pixels obvious in a dim room. Open test
TipBlack finds stuck-on pixels; white finds dead ones
Uniformity & bleed
Grey fields expose vignette and tint; pure black in a dark room separates IPS glow from fixed edge bleed. Open test
TipDim the room — ceiling light hides edge leak
Ghosting & banding
Moving patterns reveal VA smear or slow overdrive; gradient ramps catch 8-bit banding before you keep the panel. Open test
TipFinish with refresh rate again if gaming or VRR matters
Color & HDR
Check grey ramps and sRGB mode, then stress peak brightness if you bought an HDR display — banding shows up on cheap panels. Open test
TipUse factory sRGB or calibrated mode for the final pass

Most monitor defects show up in the first week — if you wait until month three, return policies get harder and you stop noticing a faint vignette. This checklist is the same order we surface on the display tests hub and homepage: fix setup first, hunt pixels second, stress motion and color last.

Why order matters

Resolution and Hz tell you whether Windows or macOS is actually driving the panel you paid for. Chasing ghosting on a 144Hz monitor stuck at 60Hz wastes a return trip.

Dead pixels are easiest to spot before you mount the monitor or hide cables. Fullscreen solids beat squinting at a desktop wallpaper.

Bleed and uniformity need low ambient light. Run them after pixels so you are already in a dim room.

Ghosting and banding reveal panel quality and cheap scalers — problems you want documented before the exchange clock runs out.

Color is last because factory modes and HDR toggles can shift earlier results; finish in sRGB or your daily driver preset.

Step-by-step notes

1. Resolution & scaling

Open the resolution checker at 100% OS scaling. You should see native width × height and a device pixel ratio that matches the spec sheet (usually 1 on desktop, 2 on Retina). If reported resolution is lower than native, check cable, GPU output, and duplicate vs extend mode.

2. Refresh rate

Set the highest Hz in Windows Display → Advanced or macOS Displays (Option-click Scaled on supported Macs). Then run the refresh rate test with the tab focused. Read the refresh rate guide if you are stuck at 60 Hz on a high-refresh panel.

3. Dead & stuck pixels

Use the dead pixel test and cycle white, black, red, green, blue. Stuck-on pixels glow on black; dead subpixels show as dark dots on white. Note location — center defects matter more for most return policies.

4. Uniformity & bleed

Grey full screens from the uniformity test expose vignette. Follow with the backlight bleed test on pure black with room lights off. Photograph fixed corners if you plan to RMA.

5. Ghosting & banding

The ghosting test shows trailing on moving blocks — compare overdrive settings if your OSD offers them. Add the gradient banding test if you edit photos or see steps in skies and gradients.

6. Color & HDR

Run monitor color calibration ramps in sRGB or your calibrated preset. If you bought HDR, stress peak brightness separately with the HDR test and watch for crushing or banding in highlights.

After the checklist

Gaming: confirm G-Sync/FreeSync in the GPU panel, then re-run refresh rate and ghosting.
Office: lock a comfortable scaling level and re-check text clarity at 100% for one minute.
Deep dive: the monitor screen test device guide covers IPS vs VA vs OLED tradeoffs.

Display tests hub — every instrument in one place
How to test dead pixels
How to test ghosting
Laptop screen test — same order for portable panels
All tools

← Back to guides

Resolution & scaling

Refresh rate

Dead & stuck pixels

Uniformity & bleed

Ghosting & banding

Color & HDR