Burn-in is a big concern when shopping for an OLED monitor, as operating systems and games have a lot of static elements. Recognizing the anxiety surrounding OLED burn-in, more and more monitor manufacturers are providing extended warranties as a solution.
What Is OLED Burn-In?
Burn-in is a visual artifact that can plague OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) displays. Also known as permanent image retention, it appears as ghost images on the screen. It’s caused when static images, text, or graphical elements are displayed on an OLED screen for an extended period.
OLED displays use self-emissive pixels, which means each pixel produces its own light to create the text and visuals you see. This light is produced by the organic material used in each pixel, which can degrade over time.
However, pixels constantly displaying static elements experience faster degradation than pixels rendering varied content. If this degradation progresses significantly, a permanent, faint outline of the static elements can become visible. Operating OLED displays at high brightness levels can exacerbate this susceptibility to burn-in.
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How to Maintain an OLED TV to Prevent Burn-in and More
From preventing burn-in to moving house with your TV.
Although burn-in used to be a bigger concern in the early days of OLED TVs and monitors, the risk has come down significantly, thanks to the various preventative tools included by the manufacturers. To assure customers further, some manufacturers now include burn-in protection in the monitor warranty and even offer extended warranty periods.
Burn-in generally takes hundreds, if not thousands of hours, to show up. If your monitor often displays varied content and doesn’t constantly present static elements, you typically don’t have to worry about burn-in.
Still, here are some well-rated OLED monitors with a longer warranty and burn-in coverage, so you can sleep a little better at night.
1
MSI MPG 321URX
MSI’s MPG 321URX is a fantastic 32-inch QD-OLED 4K monitor. Although targeted at gamers with its 240Hz refresh rate, VRR support, and low input lag, it shines in pretty much everything, including office work, content creation, and media consumption. Most importantly, MSI offers a three-year warranty for the MPG 321URX, which includes burn-in coverage.
Among other highlights, the MSI monitor has a fantastic port selection, including two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4, and a USB-C port with DP Alt mode and 90W power delivery. It also works seamlessly with macOS and Windows. Additionally, you get a built-in KVM switch to switch between different devices effortlessly and use the same connected keyboard and mouse.
Moreover, the supplied stand has reasonable ergonomics with height, tilt, and swivel adjustments. Thanks to the VESA 100×100 mounting holes, you can also use a monitor arm for even better ergonomics.
Notably, MPG 321URX isn’t the only OLED monitor in MSI’s portfolio that has a 3-year warranty with burn-in coverage. The company offers the same warranty coverage for all its OLED monitors.
MSI MPG 321URX
$900 $950 Save
$50
MSI’s MPG 321URX is a high-quality QD-OLED monitor with 4K resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, HDR support, and a solid input port selection.
2
Sony INZONE M10S
Sony’s INZONE M10S is another impressive OLED gaming monitor with a long warranty that includes burn-in protection. Unlike the MSI offering, it has a 1440p resolution but a high 480Hz refresh rate, which is great for FPS gamers and competitive gaming. Gamers will also appreciate the monitor’s support for AMD FreeSync, HDMI Forum VRR, and NVIDIA G-Sync, as well as its impressively low input lag.
The Sony monitor is also excellent for other use cases besides gaming, thanks to its remarkable color accuracy, HDR support, and fantastic color gamut.
Although it lacks a USB-C port for video signals or power delivery, the M10S has two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 2.1 port for connecting to your computer. You also get a sleek and minimal design with an ergonomic stand.
Sony Inzone M10S
$880 $1100 Save
$220
The Sony Inzone M10S is a fantastic 1440p OLED gaming monitor. It has an impressive 480Hz refresh rate and support for all major VRR formats.
3
ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM
There is a lot to like about the ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM. It’s a 32-inch 4K monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate. It’s chock-full of features for modern gamers, such as HDMI 2.1 ports for high-refresh rate gaming, VRR support, low input lag, instant response time, and full console compatibility.
The PG32UCDM also supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, so you can enjoy HDR content. Additionally, content creators will be happy with the ASUS offering as it has good out-of-the-box color accuracy and provides complete coverage of the sRGB and excellent coverage of the AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces.
The port selection is solid. In addition to HDMI and DisplayPort, you get USB-C with DP Alt Mode and 90W power delivery.
Among other highlights, the monitor has an optical output to connect to soundbars and other audio devices for a better sound experience than 3.5mm audio ports. Moreover, you get a built-in KVM switch.
The Swift OLED PG32UCDM comes with a three-year warranty that includes burn-in protection. ASUS offers a two-year warranty on some of its older OLED monitors, whereas others have the same three-year warranty as the PG32UCDM.
ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM
The Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM is a solid gaming monitor with 4K resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, and Dolby Vision support. It’s also excellent for media consumption and content creation.
4
Dell Alienware AW2725Q
If you want a relatively smaller OLED monitor with 4K resolution and a burn-in warranty, the Alienware AW2725Q is an excellent option. It has a 27-inch 4K QD-OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate. It also promises a near-complete coverage of the DCI-P3 color space and excellent out-of-the-box color accuracy.
In other features, Dell has included support for all popular VRR formats, such as AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-Sync, which will come in handy while gaming. Moreover, you get HDR10 and Dolby Vision to enjoy HDR content.
The monitor also comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which doubles as an eARC port, and a single DP 1.4 port. Plus, you get a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C with 15W power delivery, but it doesn’t support DP Alt Mode for receiving video signals. However, you can use the USB-C port to juice up your USB PD-compatible smartphone.
The AW2725Q departs from Alienware’s older aesthetic and features a new design language that uses rounded elements. This doesn’t scream typical gamer, which some folks will appreciate. The included stand is quite ergonomic, supporting all standard adjustments.
If you have another Alienware OLED monitor in your shopping cart, you’ll be happy to know that other OLED monitors in Dell’s Alienware lineup also get the same three-year limited warranty with burn-in coverage as the AW2725Q.
Dell Alienware AW2725Q
The Dell Alienware AW2725Q is a 27-inch OLED monitor that uses a QD-OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate. It also comes with Dolby Vision HDR support, an eARC port, and wide color gamut.
5
AOC AGON Pro AG276QZD2
The AOC AGON Pro AG276QZD2 is an affordable OLED monitor capable of producing vibrant visuals. It is backed by a three-year OLED warranty to assuage any burn-in concerns. It features a 27-inch QD-OLED panel with 1440p resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate.
Other features include support for VRR formats, such as AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync, two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DP1.4 port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and built-in speakers.
Although it offers complete coverage of the sRGB color space, the monitor has mediocre coverage of the AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces. As a result, it may not be ideal for content creators unless you are solely working on non-HDR content.
The AOC offering has a gamer aesthetic in design. It also comes with an ergonomic stand that supports all standard adjustments. Moreover, the monitor has VESA mounting holes for monitor arms and wall mounting.
Lastly, like the AGON Pro AG276QZD2, AOC offers a three-year warranty with burn-in coverage for all its OLED monitors.
AOC AGON Pro AG276QZD2
The AOC AGON Pro AG276QZD is a budget OLED monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate, VRR support, and a gamer aesthetic.
These are just some of the high-quality OLED monitors that get a relatively longer warranty with burn-in coverage. In addition to the brands mentioned in our recommendations, Corsair, Gigabyte, and LG also have burn-in coverage in their OLED monitor warranties. While Corsair and Gigabyte provide a three-year warranty, OLED monitors sold by LG US only have a two-year warranty.
Now that you know about the various monitors that come with extended warranties and burn-in coverage, here’s how to maintain an OLED display to prevent burn-in.
