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Image Retention/ Burn on iMac 27" 5K Screen

Hi there


I have a late 2014 iMac 27" 5K and have noticed some faint image retention/ burn on my screen. It seems to be more visible on certain backgrounds than others.


Should I return the iMac to Apple (its less than a year old) or are there steps that I can take to solve this issue myself?


Any help would be very much appreciated.


Many thanks

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014), OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on May 21, 2016 1:09 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 8, 2017 12:47 AM

I have the same problem. I have the iMac 27" 5K (Late 2014) and the image retention sometimes starts after 5 minutes. I can clearly see toolbars etc. of my used software.


The support link is really useless because I cannot stop work every 15 mins to activate the screen saver. I have to work 9h and then the retention is really annoying.


I think I will never buy an iMac again. Because this is not acceptable for me for an 3500 € machine.

24 replies

May 24, 2016 2:51 PM in response to dialabrain

I disagree--most LCD displays do not suffer from image retention or burn in. On my brand new 27in 5K iMac, I'm getting retention in under 5 minutes, a screen saver isn't going to help with that. This type of image retention is unique to Apple's retina displays--first the Macbook Pro, and now the iMac 5K.


Since I'm doing video editing, it's especially annoying whenever I want to view the video fullscreen in Premier--the GUI is quite visibly retained.


I wish Apple would just admit that it's a tradeoff with these really high DPI displays, instead of insisting that all displays are like this.

Jul 10, 2016 10:26 PM in response to keenraven

I'm with you. I got a 2015 27in 5k back in May, and returned it after getting persistent image retention. Replacement model has exactly the same issue. That's either a cracker of a coincidence, or a genuine fault that apple won't own up to.


I wonder if those who don't see it are primarily using apple's own apps with their osx bright white UI? Like you, my usage is mostly in Adobe's dark UI software, which is retaining images severely in under 5 minutes. Not acceptable considering the price tag.


Some before and afters attached.User uploaded file

Jul 13, 2016 1:00 AM in response to lorddlm2

I also just started noticing this problem. I'm worried, as it occurred shortly after what appears to be a small cluster of dead pixels appeared on my screen (Apple support response: "on a Retina display iMac you shouldn't be able to see a single dead pixel" thanks I'm incredibly aware of that. I bought Retina display for a reason.)


My concern is that this will get worse over time and that Apple won't do anything to fix the panel while I'm under warranty because of 'acceptable use' guidelines for display flaws (didn't buy Apple care initially as desktops are meant to need it less than portables. I'll be getting that ASAP). Also, I bought this model specifically for graphic design and art reasons, which Mac displays have always been touted for, and it's very frustrating that people in this market especually might be getting screwed over when this is clearly a machine that would most benefit graphics people. It's ridiculous that this isn't an issue when fullscreening YouTube videos, but it is when I'm working in Photoshop for more than 10 minutes.

Image Retention/ Burn on iMac 27" 5K Screen

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