Screen burn-in test

OLED burn-in is permanent. When the same static image sits on screen for hundreds of hours, those pixels age faster than the rest of the panel. You see a faint shadow of the taskbar on a gray screen. Or a dim outline of a minimap corner after years of competitive FPS.

LCD image retention is usually temporary. IPS panels can hold a ghost image of a logo or HUD for a few minutes after you switch content. Dock icons have left a faint mark on laptop screens that cleared within an hour of normal browsing.

The gray test pattern is the fastest way to tell them apart. Permanent burn-in shows on gray every time you run the test. Temporary retention fades between sessions. If the ghost image gets stronger over months, you are dealing with real burn-in.

Check OLED panels every few months. After 2,000 hours of CS2, the minimap corner can show a faint outline on gray. Not bad enough to replace the monitor, but enough to rotate the HUD and enable pixel shift.

Enable pixel shift if your monitor supports it. The image shifts by one or two pixels on a cycle so no single subpixel stays lit in the same spot. LG and Sony OLED TVs call it Screen Shift. Gaming OLED monitors from ASUS and MSI include similar settings under different names.

Use a screensaver or sleep timer. A static desktop with icons pinned to the same corners for eight hours a day will burn in faster than a panel that sleeps after 10 minutes of idle time. Set OLED displays to turn off after 15 minutes when you step away.

Rotate static HUD elements when the game allows it. Move the minimap, disable persistent crosshair overlays, and turn off channel logos on TV inputs. Competitive players who run the same HUD layout for thousands of hours are the most common burn-in cases in forums.

Lower peak brightness during long sessions. OLED panels burn in faster at 100% brightness with static content. Running at 70-80% for daily gaming reduces risk. HDR content gets a temporary boost, but drop back down for menu screens and desktop use.