LCD and OLED screens belong to the type of Hold-type displays. Here, the state of a pixel remains for the duration of an image period until the applied voltage is changed in the course of the image build-up of a new image.
This technology means that the human eye perceives the image as blurred when following moving image content on the retina. This happens especially with fast-moving scenes and is therefore referred to as a fizz, “ghosting”, or so-called "motion blur". The effect is retained even with very fast switching times. However, the switching times can differ in certain situations.
In addition to this fuzziness, the delayed acceptance of the target value for individual pixel elements creates undesirable effects such as streaks, trails, or smears, which of course also interfere with the viewing experience. With LCDs, this type of motion blur has been significantly reduced thanks to faster response times.
Ghosting vs. inverse ghosting
Ghosting creates a pixel trail with fast movements. That's pretty annoying when playing. Fortunately, many monitors have an overdrive feature that reduces ghosting. You should make sure that too much overdrive leads to inverse ghosting.
How overdrive works
Overdrive is a technique that briefly generates a voltage on the LCD cell that is higher than that required for the actual brightness value. This causes the crystals to align faster. The following picture must be saved for this purpose. This information is calculated in a combination of special correction values that the manufacturer has stored in the monitor's firmware. This determines the exact time in which the overvoltage may be present. In order for the technology to work, the image has to be cached, which can also have a negative effect on fast computer games.
Overdrive is usually offered in different levels in the monitor's OSD. The user has to try out for himself how neutrally the overvoltage has been implemented. If the manufacturer has exaggerated here, the corona effect becomes visible, for example, where a light tail follows the contour of elements. Therefore, the highest overdrive level is not necessarily the best choice.
How to enable overdrive in different monitor brands
Acer
Find the letters "OD" and set them to "Normal". Is there still ghosting? Then set it to "Extreme". Is there any inverse ghosting? Then set everything back to "normal".
AOC
Go to "Game Setting" in the OSD and search for "Overdrive". Set this to Medium or Strong and see if you can tell a difference. Still ghosting? Then set it to "Boost". Is there any inverse ghosting? Then put it back.
Asus
Asus calls its overdrive function "Trace Free". You can find it under “Image” -> “Over Clocking” -> “Trace Free”. Set the value to 80 or 100. If you experience inverse ghosting, set it back to 60 or 40, for example.
BenQ
BenQ calls its overdrive function "AMA". You can find this function under "Picture". Change it to "Premium" to reduce ghosting. Is there any inverse ghosting? Then switch it to "high" or off again.
Dell
Set the response time from "Normal" to "Fast". Doesn't that have any effect? Then set "Super Fast". If inverse ghosting occurs, then reset it.
HP
Go to the Image Control tab and search for OverDrive. If it's off, turn it on. Does inverse ghosting occur? Then turn it off again.
Lenovo
Go to general game settings and select "OverDrive". First set the value to "Normal". Do you still see ghosting? Then set it to "Extreme". If then too much inverse ghosting occurs, it is better to reset the value to "normal".
LG
Find the "Response Time" option and set it to "Normal" or "Fast". Doesn't that help? Then set it to "Faster". When inverse ghosting occurs, it is best to reset the value.
MSI
Go to "Gaming" > "Response Time" and set this from "Normal" to "Fast". Doesn't that have any effect? Then set it to "Fastest". When inverse ghosting occurs, it is best to reset the value.
Samsung Look for the "Response Time" option and set it to "Normal". Doesn't that help? Then set "Fast" or "Fastest". If inverse ghosting occurs, set the value back a little.
What if these settings don't work?
Ghosting and short response time are closely related. Is your monitor still ghosting but not bothering you while gaming? Then you can increase your refresh rate to accommodate the slow response time and make the most of it. Is the ghosting so annoying that gaming is almost impossible? Then the monitor may be defective. If the monitor is still under warranty, you should have it repaired. If not, consider buying a monitor with a faster response time.