Monitor Response Time & Ghosting Test

Watch a moving object at different speeds to evaluate your display's pixel response time and motion blur.

💡 How do I test my monitor for ghosting?

Click Start and watch the moving white box. A fast monitor (1–4ms response time) shows a clean edge with little or no trail. A slow monitor (8–16ms) shows a noticeable smear or shadow behind the moving object — this is ghosting. Try different speeds: slow speeds hide ghosting, ultra-fast speeds reveal it most clearly.

How to read the test

The test animates a high-contrast box across the canvas using requestAnimationFrame. Your monitor must physically switch each pixel from one color to another — the time it takes is the response time. A fast monitor (IPS, TN, OLED) shows a clean box edge. A slow monitor leaves a ghost trail — residual color from the pixel's previous state still fading out. Set the speed to Fast or Ultra to make ghosting most visible.

What does my result mean?

No visible trail at Ultra speed — excellent response time (likely 1–4ms). OLED or high-end IPS/TN panel.

Slight trail at Ultra speed only — good response time (4–8ms). Suitable for competitive gaming.

Trail visible at Fast speed — moderate response time (8–16ms). Fine for casual gaming and general use.

Trail visible at Medium speed — slow response time (16ms+). Consider enabling your monitor's overdrive/response time setting.

How to improve response time

Most monitors have an Overdrive (or Response Time) setting in their OSD menu — try setting it to Medium or Fast. Be careful not to set it too high: aggressive overdrive causes inverse ghosting, where a bright halo appears in front of the moving object rather than behind it. Find the setting that eliminates the trail without creating a halo.

Frequently asked questions

Is response time different from input lag?: Yes — they measure different things. Response time is how fast a pixel changes color (measured in ms, affects ghosting and motion blur). Input lag is the delay between your input (mouse click, keypress) and the monitor displaying the result. Both affect gaming performance but are independent specs.
What response time do I need for gaming?: For competitive gaming, 1ms GtG (grey-to-grey) is ideal, though 4ms is fine for most players. For casual gaming and general use, anything under 10ms is good. Response times above 16ms may produce noticeable ghosting in fast-paced games.
Why does my OLED show no ghosting?: OLED panels switch pixels by turning individual organic LEDs on and off — no liquid crystal transition needed. This gives OLED sub-1ms response times and essentially zero motion blur or ghosting, which is why OLED is increasingly popular for gaming monitors.
My monitor has an Overdrive setting — should I use it?: Yes, but carefully. Overdrive pushes extra voltage to pixels to speed up the transition. At the right setting it reduces ghosting noticeably. Set too high, it causes overshoot — a bright halo in front of the moving object (inverse ghosting). Test each overdrive level with this tool and pick the setting that minimizes both trailing and overshoot.
Can browser performance affect the result?: Yes. Make sure hardware acceleration is enabled in your browser settings (it usually is by default). Close other tabs and applications to give the browser maximum GPU access. Chrome and Edge generally give the smoothest animation for this test.

More monitor tests

← More monitor tests Refresh Rate Test →Dead Pixel Test →

Written by MouseTesting Team

Reviewed by MouseTesting Engineering • Last updated: January 2026

💡 How do I test my monitor for ghosting?

How to read the test

What does my result mean?

No visible trail at Ultra speed — excellent response time (likely 1–4ms). OLED or high-end IPS/TN panel.

Slight trail at Ultra speed only — good response time (4–8ms). Suitable for competitive gaming.

Trail visible at Fast speed — moderate response time (8–16ms). Fine for casual gaming and general use.

Trail visible at Medium speed — slow response time (16ms+). Consider enabling your monitor's overdrive/response time setting.

How to improve response time

Frequently asked questions

Is response time different from input lag?

Yes — they measure different things. Response time is how fast a pixel changes color (measured in ms, affects ghosting and motion blur). Input lag is the delay between your input (mouse click, keypress) and the monitor displaying the result. Both affect gaming performance but are independent specs.

What response time do I need for gaming?

For competitive gaming, 1ms GtG (grey-to-grey) is ideal, though 4ms is fine for most players. For casual gaming and general use, anything under 10ms is good. Response times above 16ms may produce noticeable ghosting in fast-paced games.

Why does my OLED show no ghosting?

OLED panels switch pixels by turning individual organic LEDs on and off — no liquid crystal transition needed. This gives OLED sub-1ms response times and essentially zero motion blur or ghosting, which is why OLED is increasingly popular for gaming monitors.

My monitor has an Overdrive setting — should I use it?

Yes, but carefully. Overdrive pushes extra voltage to pixels to speed up the transition. At the right setting it reduces ghosting noticeably. Set too high, it causes overshoot — a bright halo in front of the moving object (inverse ghosting). Test each overdrive level with this tool and pick the setting that minimizes both trailing and overshoot.

Can browser performance affect the result?

Yes. Make sure hardware acceleration is enabled in your browser settings (it usually is by default). Close other tabs and applications to give the browser maximum GPU access. Chrome and Edge generally give the smoothest animation for this test.