Dambordpatroon Test

Why Should You Run This Test?

A checkerboard pattern is the most demanding test for pixel-level sharpness. Every single pixel must be distinctly black or white — if your display is running at a non-native resolution, using poor scaling, or has a faulty display cable, the checkerboard will immediately look blurry, moiré-patterned, or gray instead of crisp.

Common Symptoms This Test Catches

• Text looks fuzzy or slightly out of focus
• Fine details in images appear soft or smeared
• Screen looks sharp in the center but blurry at edges
• Certain areas of the screen have a colored tint that shouldn't be there

What Causes a Blurry or Distorted Checkerboard?

Resolution & Scaling Issues

• Non-native resolution — If your OS is set to a resolution that doesn't match your monitor's native resolution, pixels are interpolated and the checkerboard will look soft or gray.
• Display scaling above 100% — Windows/macOS scaling (125%, 150%) can blur pixel-level patterns. This is expected behavior but indicates your apps may not be pixel-perfect.

Cable & Connection Issues

• VGA/analog cable — Analog signals introduce noise and blur. Use digital connections (DisplayPort, HDMI, USB-C).
• Damaged or low-quality cable — A faulty cable can cause sparkle, blur, or intermittent pixel issues.

Hardware Defects

• Dead or stuck pixels — Individual pixels that don't respond will stand out dramatically against the alternating pattern.
• Sub-pixel rendering issues — If sub-pixels are misaligned, you'll see colored fringes on the black/white edges.

How to Read Your Results

How to Fix Checkerboard Issues

• Set native resolution — Right-click desktop → Display Settings → Resolution. Choose the resolution marked "Recommended" — this is your panel's native resolution.
• Switch to digital cable — Replace VGA with DisplayPort, HDMI, or USB-C. Digital connections are pixel-perfect.
• Set scaling to 100% — For pixel-perfect testing, temporarily set display scaling to 100% (Settings → Display → Scale).
• Check for overscan — Some TVs/monitors crop or scale the image. Disable overscan in your TV settings or GPU driver.
• Try a different cable — If the pattern has sparkle or intermittent artifacts, the cable may be faulty.
• Update GPU drivers — Outdated drivers can cause rendering issues at the pixel level.