Ghosting is a faint trail or shadow left behind a moving object on screen, caused by slow pixel response times. This test moves an object across a dark background — any visible trail behind it indicates ghosting or motion blur.
Monitor Ghosting Test
Ghosting occurs when pixels cannot switch states fast enough to keep up with moving content. The old pixel color lingers briefly, leaving a visible trail or "ghost" behind moving objects. It is measured by pixel response time in milliseconds (ms).
- Slow pixel response time: TN panels typically respond in 1–5 ms; IPS and VA panels can be 4–15 ms. Higher response times cause more ghosting.
- Overdrive artifacts: Aggressive overdrive settings can cause inverse ghosting — a bright halo ahead of the moving object.
- Low refresh rate: At 60 Hz, each frame is displayed for 16.7 ms, giving more time for ghosting to be visible than at 144 Hz or higher.
- Enable overdrive (also called Response Time, AMA, or TraceFree) in your monitor OSD — try "Medium" first.
- Increase your monitor's refresh rate in OS display settings.
- Enable Motion Blur Reduction (ULMB, MBR, DyAC) if supported — note this reduces brightness.
- If using a VA panel, consider a different panel type for faster response times.
Ghosting is a dark trail behind a moving object — pixels are too slow to transition to the new color. Inverse ghosting (overshoot) is a bright halo in front of the moving object — overdrive pushed pixels too far. Both are visible in this test at high speeds.