Fix · Laptop · 4 guides · 6 tools
Laptop screen problems: test it, then fix it
A laptop panel fails in the same ways a monitor does, with two twists: power settings change the refresh rate, and you can't swap the cable. Test first, then fix.
By GigaScreens Team · Updated 2026-10-17
Not sure what's wrong? Start with a test
Test it first
Free, no sign-up, and they run in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Dead pixel test
Full-screen colors to spot dead and stuck pixels.
Free toolStuck pixel fixer
Flashing square or full screen, with a timer. Read the warning first.
Free toolRefresh rate test
Measures the Hz your browser actually gets, plus a frame-skip check.
Free toolBacklight bleed test
Black, gray and white levels with a grid, for bleed and IPS glow.
Free toolBurn-in test
Solid colors, gradients and an image retention check for OLED.
Free toolColor & uniformity test
Solid colors, gray steps, gradients, a uniformity grid and a gamma check.
Common laptop problems
- A colored dot on the screen
Run the dead pixel test full screen. If it's colored, the fixer is worth a try. The method is the same as on a monitor.
- A high refresh laptop stuck at 60Hz
Plug in first. On battery, some laptops and browsers lower the rate to save power. Then check the laptop section of the 60Hz guide.
- A flickering laptop screen
Open Task Manager and watch it. If it flickers too, it's likely the graphics driver. The flicker guide has the laptop steps.
- Brighter patches along the bottom edge on a dark screen
Run the backlight bleed test at your usual brightness. A phone photo makes bleed look worse than it is.
- A faint ghost of a window on an OLED laptop
Usually retention that fades. Check with the burn-in test and read the burn-in guide.
- Banding in gradients or a tinted corner
Look at the gray steps and the uniformity grid in the color and uniformity test. Night light and battery saver modes can shift colors too, so turn them off before you judge.
