As an owner of a monitor, I know how frustrating it can be when you notice red pixels on the screen. I recently experienced this issue on my own monitor and spent some time researching what could be causing it and how to fix it. I wanted to share what I learned, so I decided to write a blog post about it. In this post, I will provide an overview of the causes of red pixels, potential solutions, and other tips to help you solve the issue.
Red pixels can appear due to defective cables, low-grade adapters, or malfunctioning GPUs. Additionally, they can be caused by outdated drivers, inadequate power supply, or they might be “stuck pixels” that need to be unstuck.
| Possible Causes | Description | Potential Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Defective DVI or HDMI Cables | Loose or damaged cables can result in flickering red pixels. | 1. Check the cable condition.<br>2. Clean and re-tighten your cable. |
| Low-Quality Adapters | Bad adapters can cause signal distortion, leading to red pixels. | Remove unnecessary adapters and connect the monitor directly to the PC. |
| Malfunctioning GPU | A GPU not firmly connected to the motherboard can cause red pixels. | Reseat the GPU, ensuring it is securely connected. |
| Outdated Graphics Card Driver | Display issues may occur if the graphics card driver is not up-to-date. | Update your graphics card driver. |
| Unseated Connector (Laptops) | The internal connector between the screen and motherboard might not be well-connected. | Check and reattach the motherboard connector. |
| Stuck Pixels | Transistors providing too much or no power to pixels can result in stuck pixels. | Use applications like JScreen or PixelHealer to unstick the pixels. |
| Insufficient Power Supply | An inadequate power supply can cause red pixels. | Check the power supply health and replace if needed. |
| Other Issues | Complex problems such as a damaged GPU or a motherboard issue might require expert assistance. | Contact a specialist or trusted repairer. |
Table of Contents
Possible Causes of Red Pixels on the Monitor
The flickering red pixels on your monitor can appear for multiple reasons. Here are the most common ones:
Defective DVI or HDMI Cables
Due to swapping them between devices or usage over time, the screws that hold the monitor’s cable to the PC tend to loosen over time.
When this happens, the cable loses a considerable portion of its connection capability, and it’s highly probable to start noticing the flickering pixels going around your monitor.
Another reason is the accumulation of debris and dust in the cables’ sockets, which may lead to this problem.
A further possible cause might be any external or internal damage to the wires.
Using Low-Quality Adapters
If you’re using bad adapters in your connections, this can lead to distortion in signals.
That way, red pixels can show up on your monitor.
Malfunction GPU
There are a few reasons GPU might be unseated from its place in the PCIe slots.
For example, it might be installed incorrectly or slightly move as you move the PC from one location to another.
Similarly, if you’ve had your PC for a while, the connection points between the GPU and the motherboard might have expanded. As a result, the GPU doesn’t work correctly.
For any reason, if the GPU isn’t firmly connected to the motherboard, red pixels can appear on your monitor.
Out-Of-Date Graphics Card Driver
Updated drivers always ensure smooth work between the software and hardware.
So, if your graphics card driver isn’t set to the latest update, you may encounter display issues like this one.
Unseated Connecting to the Motherboard: For Laptops
Inside laptops, the connection between the screen and the motherboard is established via an internal connector.
This connector passes through the left hinge of the screen. The pixels’ problem might result from this connector not being well-connected.
Stuck Pixels
The pixels you see on your monitor might be “stuck pixels.” This means you’re facing one of two scenarios.
The first is that a transistor pushes power to these pixels all the time if it’s an IPS monitor.
The second possibility is that the transistor provides no power for the pixels if the monitor is a TN.
Either way, this leads to pixels showing up temporarily or permanently.
Insufficient Power Supply
The power supply might have lost some of its capabilities if you’ve had your PC for a long time.
Thus, it supplies inadequate power to your PC, including the monitor. Consequently, you see these red pixels.
How to Remove Red Pixels from Your Monitor?
Based on the source of the problem, the following fixes are highly effective in solving the red pixels issue:
Check the Cable Condition
To spot whether the cable is damaged and needs to be replaced, use the cable in another PC connection.
If you do that, and the problem appears on the other PC, the fault is related to the cable. So, it needs to be replaced.
Clean and Re-Tightening Your Cable
Disconnect the cable of the monitor and clean its sockets, using canned air.
After cleaning it, reseat the cable again in its port. Ensure it’s firmly connected to the PC.
Remove Unnecessary Adaptors
Remove any adaptor connected to the monitor, as some adaptors might lead to a bad connection.
Attaching the monitor directly to the PC is the best way to avoid display issues resulting from adaptors.
Update Your Graphic Card Driver
Check if there are any updates for your graphics card driver.
If there is any, install it on the PC.
Reseat the GPU
Even if it seems snugly connected, when looking at it, it might not be connected well. So, remove and install it again in PCIe slots in the motherboard.
Double-check to ensure you’ve reseated it securely.
Unstick the Stuck Pixels
If you’ve got stuck pixels on your screen, you can unstick them. Luckily, few applications can eliminate stuck pixels from the screen by triggering these pixels and bringing them back to their normal state.
Here are a couple of applications that can help with that:
- Jscreen (Online application)
- PixelHealer (Desktop application)
Check Motherboard Connector: For Laptops
The connector between the screen and the motherboard passes through the left hinge of the screen.
If you’re familiar with laptop fixes, it’s pretty easy to check the connector. If it’s not well attached, reconnect it firmly.
Check the Power Supply Health
Check the power supply to ensure this problem doesn’t result from inadequate power supplied to the monitor.
If the power supply doesn’t meet the current PC power requirement, you need to replace it with a more efficient one.
Contact a Specialist
If the previous solution doesn’t pay off, it’s time to ask for a trusted repairer’s help.
That’s because some solutions might involve complex processes like replacing the motherboard or fixing a damaged GPU.
Wrap Up
If your monitor has red pixels, follow the fixes mentioned above to eliminate them. Start with checking the cable conditions, cleaning them, and firmly reconnecting them.
Next, remove any unnecessary adaptors. After that, update the drivers of your graphic card. If the pixels you see are “stuck pixels,” use an application to unstick them.
In addition, if your device is a laptop, you may need to check the motherboard’s connector to the screen.
Finally, check the power supply’s health, and ask for a repairer’s help if you can’t solve the problem.
