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OLED pixel refresh: how often it runs and how long it takes

Most OLED gaming monitors want a short pixel refresh after about four hours of use. It runs when the monitor goes to standby or you switch it off, and it takes 5 to 15 minutes. A few brands force it if you keep putting it off. One table, seven brands, every figure from the maker's own manual or support page.

MonitorsUpdated 6 min read

Most OLED gaming monitors run a short pixel refresh after about four hours of total use. It starts the next time the monitor goes to standby or you switch it off, and it takes about 5 to 15 minutes. Corsair waits for eight hours. MSI and Philips ask at four hours and force it at sixteen. A second, longer cycle takes about an hour, and Alienware runs it only after thousands of hours. To let either one finish, switch the monitor off with its own button and leave it plugged in.

What pixel refresh is

Pixel refresh is a care cycle an OLED monitor runs with the picture off. On most models the power light blinks while it works. Each brand gives it a different name: Pixel Refresh (Alienware, Philips), Pixel Cleaning (ASUS), Panel Protect (MSI), Screen Optimization (Samsung), Image Cleaning (LG) and Image Retention Refresh (Corsair).

What it fights is image retention. That is a faint ghost of a static image, such as a taskbar or a HUD, left on the screen. Retention can fade. Burn-in is the permanent kind. Dell's AW2725DF user guide draws the line between the two cycles in exactly these terms. Its short Pixel Refresh is "to reduce temporary image retention". Its long Panel Refresh is "to prevent permanent image retention caused by static content". Samsung says its short cycle works "by detecting the state of the OLED screen". ASUS says pixel cleaning "calibrates any issues that may arise on the screen when your monitor has been turned on for a long time".

Pixel shift is a different feature. It moves the whole picture by a pixel or two while you use the screen. Pixel refresh only runs when the screen is off.

Pixel refresh by brand

Short and long refresh cycles, manufacturer-stated, read November 11, 2026. "Not stated" means the page we read does not say.
MonitorShort cycle due afterCan you put it off?Starts on its own whenTakesLong cycle
Alienware AW2725DF4 h of useNo forced run describedMonitor goes to standby, or you press power6 to 8 minPanel Refresh at 9,000 h, about 1 h
Alienware AW3423DWF4 h or 20 h (setting)No forced run describedMonitor goes to standby6 to 8 minPanel Refresh at 1,500 h, about 1 h
ASUS ROG OLEDASUS recommends every 4 hNot stated5 min into standby, or screen turned offAbout 5 to 6 minNone described
MSI (OLED Care 2.0)Prompt at 4 h, again at 8 h and 12 hUntil 16 h (24 h on firmware from May 2025), then forcedPower button off, or 10 min in standby, once past 4 hAbout 15 minNone described
Philips Evnia 49M2C8900Prompt at 4 h, then every 2 hUntil 16 h, then forced after a countdownNot stated (you can schedule it)6 to 15 minNone described
Samsung OLED4 h of useCannot be disabled. A pop-up at 12 h starts it after 1 min (India page)Monitor turned off10 to 15 minPixel Refresh, by hand only, over 1 h
LG UltraGear OLEDMore than 4 h since the last oneNot statedPower-saving mode, or turned offNot statedNone described
Corsair Xeneon OLEDReminder at 8 hYes, but the warranty asks you to use itYou turn it off with the power button"A few minutes"None described

What each manual says

Alienware

The AW2725DF guide says Pixel Refresh runs by itself "when you have used the monitor for 4 hours". Once use passes four hours, it starts "when the monitor goes into Standby mode or when you press the power button to turn off the monitor". It takes "approximately 6 to 8 minutes", with the power light blinking slowly in green. Panel Refresh starts on its own past "the factory default setting (9000 hours)". It takes "approximately an hour", the light blinks red, and Dell says it works best between 0°C and 45°C. You can run either one by hand from the OLED Panel Maintenance menu.

ASUS

ASUS's OLED protection FAQ recommends pixel cleaning "every four hours" and says it takes "approximately 6 minutes". Its ROG pixel cleaning FAQ gives three ways in. By hand, it is System Setup, then Pixel Cleaning. In standby, it starts after five minutes: the ROG logo flashes five times, cleaning "lasts about 5-6 minutes", and the logo flashes five times again. It also runs if you turn the screen off "without cutting off the power". Neither page describes a forced run or a longer cycle.

MSI

MSI's Panel Protect sheet prompts at 4 hours. Press Cancel and it asks again at 8 and 12 hours. At 16 hours it "cannot skip this or cancel", and it starts by itself one minute after the prompt. Once use passes 4 hours, it also runs when you switch off with the power button or after 10 minutes in standby. It takes "approximately 15 minutes", with the light flashing orange. The usage counter resets after each run. MSI's April 2025 press release moved the forced run from 16 to 24 hours, by firmware "starting in May 2025".

Philips

The Evnia 49M2C8900 care note asks at 4 hours and repeats "every two hours" if you skip. At 16 hours it counts down at 10, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 minutes, then runs. Philips says "skipping Pixel Refresh is not possible". The screen goes to standby for "between 6-15 minutes" with the light blinking. You can also set a time for it in the menu. The note covers that one model only.

Samsung

Samsung's US support page says Screen Optimization is due after "4 hours (or more) of cumulative screen time" and "will not run until the monitor is turned off". It "will take about 10-15 minutes" and "cannot be disabled". Samsung's India page adds a pop-up at 12 hours that starts it after one minute if you do nothing. Samsung's long cycle, Pixel Refresh, is for a monitor that already shows "burn-in symptom". You start it by hand, and the power stays off "for more than an hour". Not every model has it.

LG and Corsair

LG's Image Cleaning page says it runs "when the monitor enters power-saving mode or is turned off", after "more than four hours of use since the previous cleaning". The page gives no duration, and the LG manuals we tried refused our requests. Corsair's page reminds you after 8 hours. You start the cycle by turning the monitor off with the power button. It runs "for a few minutes" with the light blinking orange and white, and the power button stops it.

1,500 hours or 9,000: which is right for the AW2725DF

Notebookcheck's AW2725DF review says Panel Refresh "gets triggered once every 1,500 hours". The AW2725DF's own guide says 9,000 hours, in two places: the menu section and the Panel Health light, which turns red at "9000 hours without performing Panel Refresh".

The guide is right for this monitor. The 1,500 figure is real, but it belongs to an older model. Dell's 2022 AW3423DWF guide sets Panel Refresh at "the factory default setting (1500 hours)". It also offers the "4 hours/20 hours" Pixel Refresh choice that Notebookcheck describes. The AW2725DF guide, from January 2024, lists 4 hours only. So the review carried over the older model's figures. Read the guide for your exact model.

The same split explains "every 4 hours" against "every 16 hours" on MSI. Both are true. Four hours is when the cycle becomes due. Sixteen, or 24 on newer firmware, is when MSI stops asking.

Worked case: five-hour evenings on an MSI

Take an MSI QD-OLED on the original firmware, five hours of play a night. At hour 4 the prompt appears, and you press Later. At the end of the night you switch the PC off. Then you switch the power strip off too.

Suppose the strip cuts power before Panel Protect can finish. MSI's sheet says the usage counter only resets after a run. So the counter now reads 5 hours. By MSI's numbers, it reads 10 after night two and 15 after night three. On night four it hits 16 hours one hour into play. The forced prompt appears, and a minute later the screen goes dark for about 15 minutes.

Now suppose you switch off with the monitor's power button and leave the strip on. The run starts at once, takes about 15 minutes, and resets the counter. You never see a forced prompt. On the 24-hour firmware the same habit only delays the forced run to night five, at hour 4.

Do not cut the power at the wall

Samsung's page tells you "not to disconnect the power cord because that would stop the process". ASUS says "do not unplug the power cord while it is in progress". Every cycle in the table starts from standby or from the monitor's own power button. A switched-off wall socket gives it neither.

So after a long session, turn the monitor off with its own button, or let the PC sleep so the monitor drops to standby. Then leave it powered. The longest wait in the table is MSI by the standby route: 10 minutes before it starts, plus about 15 to run. That is about 25 minutes, and it covers every brand here. If the power light is still blinking, it is not done.

Skipping it can cost the burn-in warranty

MSI's terms, as TFTCentral quotes them, exclude a monitor whose OLED Care "has been delayed, turned off, or otherwise rendered inoperable". Corsair covers burn-in "if you use the orbit and image retention refresh options". Our burn-in warranty guide has the full terms for every brand. Letting the refresh finish is the cheapest way to keep that cover.

What this page does not cover

These are the stated defaults for the models and pages named. Other models from the same brand can differ, as the two Alienware guides show, and firmware can change the numbers, as MSI's did. Check the guide for your exact model. The durations are the makers' own figures, not timings we took. The LG duration and any long cycle for ASUS, MSI, Philips, LG and Corsair are left blank because their pages do not give one. This page does not say how much pixel refresh lowers burn-in risk, since no maker publishes that. How burn-in happens, and who should pick fast IPS instead, is in our panel technology comparison.

Pixel refresh in five lines

  • Short cycle: due after about 4 hours of use (8 on Corsair). It takes about 5 to 15 minutes.
  • It runs when the monitor goes to standby or you switch it off with its own button.
  • MSI and Philips force it at 16 hours (MSI 24 on newer firmware). Samsung's cannot be turned off.
  • Long cycle: about an hour. Alienware AW2725DF runs it at 9,000 hours, not 1,500. Samsung's is by hand, for burn-in symptoms.
  • Leave the monitor plugged in for about 25 minutes after a long session. On MSI and Corsair, skipping it can cost the burn-in warranty.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How often should I run pixel refresh on an OLED monitor?

You usually do not need to run it by hand. Alienware, Samsung and LG start it on their own once the monitor has been used for about four hours and then goes to standby or is turned off. ASUS recommends a pixel cleaning every four hours. Corsair reminds you after eight hours. MSI and Philips ask at four hours and force it at sixteen.

How long does OLED pixel refresh take?

The short cycle takes about 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the brand: about 5 to 6 minutes on ASUS ROG, 6 to 8 on Alienware, 10 to 15 on Samsung, about 15 on MSI and 6 to 15 on the Philips Evnia 49M2C8900. The long cycle, Alienware's Panel Refresh and Samsung's Pixel Refresh, takes about an hour or more.

Can I unplug my OLED monitor after gaming?

Not straight away. Samsung says unplugging stops its cycle, and ASUS says not to unplug while pixel cleaning runs. Turn the monitor off with its own power button, or let the PC sleep, and leave it plugged in. About 25 minutes covers the longest wait in our table.

Does skipping pixel refresh void the burn-in warranty?

On MSI it can: MSI's terms exclude a monitor whose OLED Care was "delayed, turned off, or otherwise rendered inoperable". Corsair only covers burn-in if you use its Orbit and Image Retention Refresh options. The other brands' pages we read do not tie the warranty to the refresh.

What is the difference between pixel refresh and panel refresh?

On Alienware, Pixel Refresh is the short cycle, about 6 to 8 minutes after 4 hours of use, for temporary image retention. Panel Refresh is the long one, about an hour, for permanent retention. It runs on its own at 9,000 hours on the AW2725DF and at 1,500 hours on the older AW3423DWF.

Sourcing. Intervals, durations and conditions are manufacturer-stated, from the Dell (Alienware) user guides, ASUS support FAQs, MSI's Panel Protect sheet and press release, Philips' care note, and the Samsung, LG and Corsair support pages linked below. The two Dell guides are read from retailer mirrors because Dell's own site refused our requests. The 25-minute wait and the worked case are derived from those figures. Sources read November 11, 2026. Found an error? Send a correction.