Run the dead pixel test Count your dots first. Every table on this page starts from a count.
On this page
One bright dot in the corner of a new monitor, and suddenly it’s all you can see. Whether that’s a return depends on three different rulebooks: the store’s, the brand’s and your country’s. They don’t agree with each other.
How many dead pixels does the ISO standard allow?
ISO 9241-307 is the standard behind most pixel-fault tables. It sorts panels into classes 0 to IV and sets limits per million pixels for three fault types. ISO’s page says it was last confirmed in 2024 and replaced the older ISO 13406-2. The standard itself costs CHF 227, so the class numbers here come from Samsung’s German support page, which prints them.
| ISO class | Type 1: always-lit pixel | Type 2: always-black pixel | Type 3: faulty sub-pixel |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| I | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| II (the usual one) | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| III | 5 | 15 | up to 50 |
| IV | 50 | 150 | up to 500 |
Type 1 is a pixel stuck lit (white). Type 2 is a pixel stuck black. Type 3 is a single red, green or blue sub-pixel stuck on or off. In the dead pixel test, a white dot on black is type 1, a black dot is type 2, and a colored dot is type 3.
The calculator scales those limits to your resolution. The method is our inference from Samsung’s table: take the pixel count in millions, round to the nearest whole number (never below 1), and multiply by the class limit. It reproduces all 16 resolutions in Samsung’s detailed table (see the Class II note in the results). For other resolutions, and for classes other than II, treat the answer as an estimate.
ISO 9241-307 allowed-defects calculator
Size in inches doesn’t change the count, only the number of pixels does. A 27-inch and a 32-inch panel at 2560 × 1440 get the same allowance.
Read this part twice. ISO class decides nothing by itself. Your brand’s own pixel policy decides whether it takes the monitor back, and several brands use their own numbers instead of an ISO class. That’s what the next sections cover.
Three rulebooks: store, brand, law
Start with the store. A retailer’s window usually lets you return a monitor for any reason, with no pixel count and no argument about classes. Once that window closes, you’re in the brand’s warranty, where the tables below apply. The law sits underneath both and matters most when a store says no.
Our advice: on a new monitor with a dot you can see, use the return window. A warranty claim means arguing your count against the brand’s table. A store return doesn’t.
Dead pixel policy by brand
Nine brands, each read from its own page. Where a brand publishes different numbers for different regions, the cell says which page we used. If your model or country has its own page, that page wins.
| Brand | What the pixel policy allows | Warranty and catches |
|---|---|---|
| Dell | Monitors with Premium Panel Exchange (U, UP, P, G, S from 2020, most Alienware): 0 bright pixels or sub-pixels, up to 5 dark sub-pixels. Monitors without it (SE, IN, D and others): up to 5 bright and 5 dark (8 dark on D series). Dell says not to use pixel-fixing software or pressure, because it may void the warranty. | Premium Panel Exchange runs for the whole warranty (1 or 3 years, or longer with an extension). Bought at Best Buy in the US? Dell says you can exchange it at any Best Buy store with the receipt.Source: Dell: Display pixel guidelines, checked Oct 2026. |
| Samsung | Germany page: ISO 9241-307, usually Class II (2 bright, 2 dark, 10 sub-pixel faults per million pixels). Going over any one limit starts a warranty claim, and so does a cluster of two or more faults in a 5 × 5 pixel area. We found no published pixel count on a Samsung US page. | Period not stated on that page.Source: Samsung Germany: Pixelfehler bei TFT-Monitoren (German), checked Oct 2026. |
| LG | Not a defect unless the count passes the table. Each of bright and dark, at most: 3 at 1366 × 768; 4 at 1280 × 1024, 1440 × 900 and 1600 × 900; 5 at 1680 × 1050; 6 at 1600 × 1200 and 1920 × 1080; 7 at 1920 × 1200; 12 at 2560 × 1600. The table stops at 2560 × 1600. | Period not stated in the PDF. It sits on LG Canada’s site and says it applies to all LG LCD monitors.Source: LG: LCD Monitor Pixel Policy (PDF), checked Oct 2026. |
| ASUS | PG series (not OLED): 0 bright dots in the first 12 months, up to 3 from month 13 to 36. PA series (not OLED): 0 bright dots for 36 months. A group of OLED models: up to 3 bright for 24 months. Every other model: up to 3 bright. Dark dots: up to 5 on all of them. Dots under half a dot size are excluded. | 36 months in general. 24 months for a listed group of OLED models. Models and regions vary, and the page says so.Source: ASUS US: warranty page for model C624BQ (table updated Mar 2025), checked Oct 2026. |
| Acer | Replacement if the count is greater than: 2 bright sub-pixels, 5 dark, 5 in total, at every resolution from 1280 × 1024 to 3840 × 2160. BM series: 0 bright, up to 5 dark. Sub-pixel fragments under half a sub-pixel are excluded. | Acer says duration and specs vary by region. This is the India page; we could not match it to a US or UK page.Source: Acer India: Defective or stuck pixels, checked Oct 2026. |
| AOC | US and Canada: a defect only if it goes past ISO 9241-307 Class 1, which the page spells out as 1 full bright pixel, 1 full dark pixel, 2 single or double sub-pixels, or 3 to 5 stuck sub-pixels (depending on how many of each). Australia: 30 days zero-dead-pixel guarantee from the invoice date, then limits of 5 faulty pixels in total, 3 bright, 3 dark, or 2 less than 10 mm apart (whichever limit is reached first). | US and Canada: 3 years, except 1 year on the LED panel, for the original buyer only. Refurbished, demo and no-receipt units are excluded. G-Series 3 years, AGON 4 years. Australia: 3 years, and a 14-day dead-on-arrival swap through the reseller.Source: AOC US and Canada: warranty, checked Oct 2026.Source: AOC Australia: warranty, checked Oct 2026.Source: AOC Australia: pixel policy PDF (updated April 2020), checked Oct 2026. |
| BenQ | Europe PDF: a monitor is eligible for repair at 5 or more defective sub-pixels anywhere, or 1 or more in the central rectangle (the screen split into 9 equal rectangles). You send two photos: the whole monitor, and a close-up of the dot. Listed Zero Bright Dot models: one bright sub-pixel gets a free exchange. Dark sub-pixels are not covered. | Zero Bright Dot lasts 6 months from purchase. The page says specs may vary by region.Source: BenQ Europe: LCD monitor pixel policy (PDF), checked Oct 2026. |
| MSI | Germany page: bright dots count as a defect past 3, dark dots past 5. The page lists a 15 mm bright-dot spacing figure too, so read the German original. It also says MSI monitors do not carry a Class 0 (zero defect) guarantee. | 24 months on the German and Austrian market.Source: MSI Deutschland: Garantie (German), checked Oct 2026. |
| Gigabyte | GIGABYTE series: a claim starts at the 4th bright dot or the 6th dark dot. AORUS: no bright dots in the first 12 months, then the 4th bright dot (months 13 to 36). Dark dots: the 6th. Judge from 35 cm or more in a room over 200 lux. A fault inside 7 days goes back to the dealer for a new unit. | US page: under 40 inches 3 years, 40 inches and up or OLED 1 year. It says regional differences apply.Source: Gigabyte US: monitor warranty, checked Oct 2026. |
Notice how far apart these sit. A lone dark dot is inside the allowance at Dell, ASUS and Acer, while a lone white dot on a Dell U-series or an ASUS PA monitor gets the unit replaced. We left out brands whose pixel policy we couldn’t open on the maker’s own site.
Retailer return windows
| Store | Return window | Catches |
|---|---|---|
| Best Buy (US) | 15 days. 60 days for My Best Buy Plus and Total members (not Marketplace items). Counts from the day you receive it, and covers new, open-box, refurbished and pre-owned. | Return it like new. A defective item goes back inside the same window. A Marketplace seller sets the same standard window.Source: Best Buy: return and exchange policy, checked Oct 2026. |
| Amazon (US) | 30 days from delivery for most items. Apple-brand 15 days. | A third-party seller who ships it gets the return, not Amazon. The page says a manufacturer warranty may not cover used items.Source: Amazon.com: return policy, checked Oct 2026. |
| Amazon (Canada) | 30 days from delivery for most items. Apple-brand 15 days. | Same seller rule as the US page.Source: Amazon.ca: return policy, checked Oct 2026. |
| Amazon (UK) | 30 days for most unused, undamaged items. Separately, a 14-day statutory right to cancel most orders. | Faulty goods after 30 days fall under your statutory rights, which Amazon’s page points to.Source: Amazon.co.uk: about our returns policies, checked Oct 2026. |
| Amazon (Australia) | 30 days to return most unused and unopened items fulfilled by Amazon AU if you change your mind. | You open a monitor to count dots, so a dead pixel is a faulty-goods claim here, not a change-of-mind return. Amazon says its policy does not limit your legal rights.Source: Amazon.com.au: change of mind return policy, checked Oct 2026. |
We couldn’t open the official return pages for Best Buy Canada, Walmart, Newegg, B&H or Currys, so none of them is quoted here. Check the page at your store before you buy a monitor from it.
Your rights by country
| Country | What the rules say | Catches |
|---|---|---|
| United States | No federal pixel rule that we could cite. In practice you have the store’s window and the maker’s warranty. | We found no government page that sets a return right for pixel faults, so this page does not claim one. |
| United Kingdom | Consumer Rights Act: a 30-day short-term right to reject faulty goods. GOV.UK: repair or replacement if you return it within 6 months, unless the seller proves it was not faulty when you bought it. Claims run up to 6 years (5 in Scotland). Online and phone orders also get a 14-day cancel right. | Neither page says whether a dot inside the maker’s allowed count is a fault.Source: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22, checked Oct 2026.Source: GOV.UK: accepting returns and giving refunds, checked Oct 2026. |
| European Union | 2-year legal guarantee. A defect that shows up in the first year is assumed to have been there at delivery (2 years in some countries). The seller repairs or replaces it, cuts the price, or refunds. | Buying from a private person is not covered by EU consumer rules.Source: Your Europe: guarantees FAQ, checked Oct 2026. |
| Australia | Australian Consumer Law. A major problem gets you a refund or a replacement, your choice. A minor problem gets a free repair first. A major problem includes several smaller ones that would have stopped you buying. | The ACCC page does not mention pixels. Whether your dots count as major is for the seller to assess, and you can escalate.Source: ACCC: repair, replace, refund, cancel, checked Oct 2026. |
| Canada | Businesses do not have to take back a purchase unless it is defective. Implied warranties come from provincial and territorial sales law and generally say products must be fit for the purpose they are sold for. | Check your provincial or territorial consumer office. AOC’s warranty covers Canada too, for the original buyer.Source: ISED: refund and exchange, checked Oct 2026.Source: ISED: warranties, checked Oct 2026. |
One gap to know about: none of these law pages says whether a dot inside the maker’s allowed count is a fault. In our reading, most disputes get settled against the brand’s published table, which is why that table matters. Treat that as our reading of how it plays out, not legal advice.
Before you contact anyone
- Clean the screen with a dry microfiber cloth. Dust looks like a dead pixel.
- Run the dead pixel test and step through every color. Dots that stay on every color are pixels. Dust moves when you wipe.
- Count by type and write down where each one is. BenQ cares about the centre of the screen, and Samsung cares about clusters.
- Take two photos: the whole screen with the dot marked, and a close-up. BenQ asks for exactly that.
- Keep the receipt and note the delivery date. Most return windows start there.
- Check the store window before the brand table. If you’re inside it, return it.
It’s a stuck colored dot rather than a black one? Our stuck pixel guide covers the fixer. Do that after you’ve decided you’re keeping the monitor, since Dell warns it can void the warranty. TV owners can read the dead pixel on a TV guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is one dead pixel covered by warranty?
Often not. A single dark pixel is inside the allowed count in most tables above. The exceptions are the zero-bright-dot programs, which only cover bright dots, and BenQ’s centre-zone rule, which can accept one faulty sub-pixel in the middle of the screen. Inside the store’s return window you don’t need a pixel count at all.
Does Best Buy take a monitor back for a dead pixel?
In the US, Best Buy’s page gives 15 days (60 for My Best Buy Plus and Total members) and says a defective item should be returned in that same window. The item has to come back in like-new condition. Best Buy Canada’s page would not load for us, so we say nothing about it.
How many dead pixels are acceptable?
It depends on whose table you use. At 1920 × 1080, ISO Class II allows 4 bright, 4 dark and 20 sub-pixel faults. LG allows 6 and 6, Acer 2 bright and 5 dark, Dell Premium Panel Exchange 0 bright and 5 dark. The calculator above does the ISO part for any resolution.
Can I use the ISO class to force a return?
No page we read says so. Samsung’s German page and AOC’s US warranty tie their rules to ISO 9241-307, and most other brands publish their own counts. The brand’s own table is what your claim is measured against.
Will a pixel fixer void my warranty?
Dell says pixel-fixing software or pressing on the screen may void it. Other brands on this page say nothing either way. On a new monitor you can still return, skip the fixer and use the return window.
More from GigaScreens
- Dead pixel test
- Stuck pixel fixer
- Stuck pixel on your monitor? How to tell and fix it
- Backlight bleed or IPS glow?
- All monitor fix guides
Sources
- ISO 9241-307:2008 (ISO page: published 2008, confirmed 2024), checked Oct 2026.
- Dell: Display pixel guidelines, checked Oct 2026.
- Samsung Germany: Pixelfehler bei TFT-Monitoren, checked Oct 2026.
- LG: LCD Monitor Pixel Policy (PDF), checked Oct 2026.
- ASUS US: warranty page, model C624BQ, checked Oct 2026.
- Acer India: Defective or stuck pixels, checked Oct 2026.
- AOC US and Canada: warranty, checked Oct 2026.
- AOC Australia: warranty, checked Oct 2026.
- AOC Australia: pixel policy PDF, checked Oct 2026.
- BenQ Europe: LCD monitor pixel policy (PDF), checked Oct 2026.
- MSI Deutschland: Garantie, checked Oct 2026.
- Gigabyte US: monitor warranty, checked Oct 2026.
- Best Buy US: return and exchange policy, checked Oct 2026.
- Amazon.com: return policy, checked Oct 2026.
- Amazon.ca: return policy, checked Oct 2026.
- Amazon.co.uk: about our returns policies, checked Oct 2026.
- Amazon.com.au: change of mind return policy, checked Oct 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22, checked Oct 2026.
- GOV.UK: accepting returns and giving refunds, checked Oct 2026.
- Your Europe: guarantees FAQ, checked Oct 2026.
- ACCC: repair, replace, refund, cancel, checked Oct 2026.
- ISED Canada: refund and exchange, checked Oct 2026.
- ISED Canada: warranties, checked Oct 2026.
