Are you experiencing monitor ghosting (blurry images and visual distortion) on your computer screen? And, looking for its solutions, you have come to the right place.
In this article, we will explain what exactly monitor ghosting is, what causes ghosting, and how to fix it.
Generally speaking, ghosting is a well-known common issue experienced by many computer users, especially those who are using an older or lower-quality monitor.
You may know it can cause blurring, which makes it difficult to enjoy gaming or watching movies.
Are you ready to learn in-depth monitor ghosting, if so, let’s start.
What is Monitor Ghosting?
Monitor ghosting is a visual artifact that appears as a blurred image on a computer screen, during fast-paced scenes or movements.
Most of the time, it is caused by the pixels on the screen being unable to switch on and off quickly enough to keep up with the motion, which result in a trailing image that can be disorienting or even distracting to the viewer.
In fact, most of the time monitor ghosting occurs during fast-paced action scenes in movies or video games. It can be more prevalent, especially in older or lower-quality monitors.
Modern monitors and displays come with the latest technologies such as overdrive or adjusting response time settings that help to eliminate ghosting on a monitor.
What Causes Ghosting On a Monitor?
Here are the top 5 possible causes of monitor ghosting.
1. Low refresh rate: If you are using a lower refresh rate monitor, it can cause screen tearing and motion blur, including ghosting. Make sure to use a high refresh rate monitor.
2. Lower-quality cables: If you are using lower-quality or damaged cables, it can lead to signal degradation, which causes monitor ghosting. Make sure to use high-quality cables.
3. Slow pixel response time: If your monitor has a slow response time, it means the pixels response is too slow, which is also a possible cause of ghosting. Make sure to use a high response time monitor.
4. Outdated drivers: One of the most common causes of monitor ghosting is outdated drivers. It also prevents your monitor from working optimally. Make sure to update your drivers regularly.
5. Incorrect response time and refresh rate: If you are using your monitor at a non-recommended refresh rate and response time, it can cause this problem. Make sure to use the correct resolution and refresh rate to avoid screen tearing and ghosting.
6. Backlight bleeding: Backlight bleeding is also one of the most common causes when it comes to ghosting. Make sure to use the LED monitor to avoid backlight bleeding.
If you want to reduce backlight bleeding on your monitor, read our detailed article on reducing backlight bleeding.
What Are the Different Types of Ghosting?
You may know that ghosting can be caused by various factors, including the monitor’s response time, refresh rate, outdated drivers, panel type, etc. There are 3 main types of ghosting, which we discuss below.
Inverse Ghosting: It is caused by a bright trail following fast-moving objects on the screen.
Inverse ghosting occurs when the pixels are switched on and off too quickly, causing them to overshoot their target and leave a residual image.
Motion Blur Ghosting: It is caused by a slow pixel response time, which resulting a blurred image that lingers after a fast-moving object has passed by.
Classical Ghosting: This is one of the most common types of ghosting, appearing as a faint, transparent image that lingers on the screen after a fast-moving object has passed.
The persistence of the monitors or LCD panels causes it.
How Do I Test My Monitor for Ghosting?
Here are the top 3 ways to identify ghosting on a monitor.
To check your monitor for ghosting, use ghosting tools. These tools display a series of moving images that help you to identify ghosting on your monitor. You can find these tools easily by searching on Google.
Another way, my favorite is to play faced-paced games on your computer. It also helps to identify the monitor ghosting.
And last but not least, use ghosting test video. Search for ghosting test videos on YouTube, Google, or any search engine and watch them to identify ghosting on your display.
Related: Top 5 Best Monitors for Eye Strain with Buyers Guide 2023
How to Fix Monitor Ghosting
Here are 5 ways to fix ghosting on a monitor.
1. Adjust Monitor Settings
If you are reading this article, you may know that refresh rate and response time are the most common causes of monitor ghosting.
To solve this problem, first, you need to adjust your monitor settings, which include refresh rate and response time.
Adjust Response time:
To fix this problem, adjust your monitor response time to higher by OSD (ON Screen Display) menu. To do this, follow the following steps.
- First, press the button on the front or the side of your monitor for opening the OSD menu.
- Next, navigate settings and search for the “response time” option.
- Finally, adjust the number for a lower response time.
Note: Different brands use different names for response time including overdrive, trace-free, and advanced motion acceleration. If you find one of these names in the OSD menu, it means response time. Definitely change its value to lower to fix ghosting on your monitor.
Adjust Refresh Rate:
If the above solution doesn’t work, change your monitor refresh rate, if possible. A high refresh rate helps to reduce ghosting. Follow the below steps to change your monitor refresh rate.
Change the Refresh Rate on Win 7
- On your desktop, right-click on an empty space and click on “Screen Resolution” as shown in the given screenshot.
- Then, click on the “Advance Settings” option.
- On the top menu select “Monitor” and then select the higher refresh rate under the “Screen Refresh Rate” option.
Change the Refresh Rate on Win 10
- Navigate the “Advanced Display” option by searching Advanced Display on the left corner search bar.
- Here you can see your monitor refresh rate, change it to higher.
- If this can’t solve the problem, don’t worry below are too many other solutions, so go to the next.
2. Check Monitor Cables
A faulty or damaged cable is something that you should think about when it comes to monitor ghosting. If you are using low-quality cables (HDMI, DVI, or VGA) for connection, it’s time to upgrade it.
Try different cables to see if it solves the problem.
Ensure the cables are high quality and securely connected to your monitor and PC.
3. Update Graphics Drivers
An outdated graphics driver is one of the most common and possible causes of monitor ghosting. If your PC runs an outdated graphics driver, you should update it.
Updating the driver can solve many problems in the computer, according to my personal experience. But, many PC users don’t know how to update it.
If you are one of those people, don’t hesitate, we have got you covered. Let’s dive into the top-rated methods, I personally use for updating the graphics drivers.
Update Driver Automatically:
- First of all, right-click on the “Computer” icon and go to properties.
- Then, select the option “Device Manager” and then double-click on “Display Adapters.”
- Next, double-click on the graphics card and select the “Update Driver” option.
- Now, select the option “Search automatically for updated driver software.”
- Once the process is complete, restart your PC.
Update Driver Manually:
To update the graphics driver manually or with the help of third-party software, follow these steps.
- Download and install one of these third-party software, “Driver Booster” or “Driver Easy.”
- Open it and follow the onscreen instruction.
- Once your driver is updated, restart your PC.
4. Check Monitor Video Port
A faulty monitor video port can cause monitor ghosting. It’s recommended to clean the monitor ports, before plugging cables. If your video port is damaged, go to a nearby repair store and replace it.
If you are lucky, your monitor may be under warranty, in this case, you can contact your manufacturer for repairing or even replacing your monitor.
5. Get a New Monitor
If the above solutions are useless and the problem still persists, it means, you are using a faulty monitor. You need to upgrade your monitor with a new one that comes with premium features including a high refresh rate, fast response time, and low input lag.
Nowadays, there are several monitors available in the market. Therefore finding the right one is a bit tricky. That’s why below we explain the top 5 best anti-ghosting monitors that make your work easier.
Best Anti-Ghosting Monitors
Here are the top 5 anti-ghosting monitors.
1. Asus ROG Swift PG279QZ: This monitor comes with 27-inch screen size, a 1440p resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, and 4ms response time. It also features Asus’ Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB) technology, which reduces motion blur and ghosting.
2. Acer Predator X27: It comes with a 27-inch IPS display, a 4K resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and a 4-ms response time. It also comes with Nvidia G-Sync and Acer’s own Predator EyeProtect technologies, which include anti-glare and flicker-free features.
3. Alienware AW3418DW: This 34-inch Ultrawide monitor comes with a 1440p resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 4ms response time. It also comes with Nvidia G-Sync and Alienware’s own Customizable AlienFX lighting technologies.
4. LG 27GL83A-B: This monitor comes with a 27-inch screen size, a 1440p resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and 1ms response time. It features LG’s Motion Blur Reduction (MBR) technology, which reduces motion blur and ghosting.
5. ViewSonic XG2405: This 24-inch monitor has a 1080p resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and 1ms response time. It features ViewSonic’s PureXP technology, which reduces motion blur and ghosting.
Example of Monitor Ghosting?
When an afterimage of a previous image or action remains on the screen, a sort of “ghost” effect is created.
Ghosting can be noticed in situations where there is a lot of movement on the screen during a fast-paced game, and the previous images linger on the screen longer than they should, making it harder to keep up with the action.
Is Ghosting On the Monitor Normal?
A bit of ghosting is normal on certain types of monitors, especially on older or lower quality, according to my personal experience.
If you are experiencing a little ghosting and it impacts your ability to use it properly, you need to upgrade your monitor to a newer model that comes with fast response time, high refresh rate, and advanced technologies including FreeSync, G-Sync, etc.
For more details, read our detailed article on monitor buying guide.
Is Monitor Ghosting Dangerous for Health?
No, monitor ghosting is not dangerous to your health or safety, according to many computer experts.
As you know, it is a visual artifact that occurs on lower-quality monitors, especially during playing fast-paced games or action scenes.
Keep in mind, that monitor ghosting can make it difficult to see what is happening on the screen, but it doesn’t cause any physical harm or health issues to the user.
Frequently Asked Questions?
1. How can I prevent monitor ghosting?
To prevent monitor ghosting, you can try adjusting your monitor’s refresh rate, enabling its overdrive setting, reducing the amount of on-screen motion during fast-paced scenes, or upgrading to a monitor with a fast response time and high refresh rate.
2. Is monitor ghosting a common issue?
Yes, it is a common issue on older or lower-quality monitors. However, modern monitors and high-end gaming monitors come with fast response time, high refresh rate, and low input lag, which helps to reduce ghosting.
3. Can monitor ghosting affect my gaming performance?
Yes definitely, monitor ghosting can affect your gaming performance by making it more difficult to see what is happening on the screen and respond quickly to in-game events.
This is especially true for fast-paced action games that require quick reflexes and precise timing.
Conclusion
If you are reading this article, you may know that ghosting is a frustrating visual artifact that impacts your ability to enjoy playing fast-paced games or watching action scenes.
Honestly speaking, it cannot be harmful to health, but it can affect your gaming performance and viewing experience.
To prevent ghosting, I recommend, adjusting your monitor settings and updating your graphics driver. If it can’t work, it’s time to upgrade your monitor with a new one that comes with premium features.
I hope you understand, if you have any queries related to this article, leave them in the comment section. I will try to reply to you in my busy schedule.
