Monitor ghosting test

Free Monitor Ghosting Test

Free monitor ghosting test. Detect pixel response issues with an adjustable-speed moving box over color backgrounds. Compare overdrive settings in seconds.

Start test Display tools
Download from Microsoft Store Download from Microsoft Store

Monitor Ghosting Test

Watch the moving box. Trail behind = ghosting. No trail = healthy panel.

Watch the moving box. If you see a trailing blur or color smear behind it, your monitor has ghosting (slow pixel response). Increase speed to expose ghosting more clearly.
Rate Monitor Ghosting Test: 5.0 (4 ratings)

Monitor Ghosting Test is a free, browser-based screen testing tool that lets you detect pixel response time issues with adjustable-speed moving box on multiple color backgrounds.

  • Cost: Free, no signup
  • Install: None — runs in the browser
  • Privacy: Runs locally, no uploads
  • Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
  • Time: Under a minute

What Is Monitor Ghosting?

Monitor ghosting is when fast-moving objects on screen leave a trailing blur or color smear behind them. It's caused by slow pixel response time — the LCD/OLED cells can't change color fast enough between frames. Bad ghosting hurts gaming clarity, video editing precision, and fast scrolling readability.

Note: this is different from keyboard ghosting (missing keys during multi-press). Same word, completely different problem.

How to Spot Ghosting

  • Box trail: If you see a faded duplicate following the moving box, that's ghosting.
  • Color smear: Black box on red background revealing pink trail = pixel can't transition fast enough.
  • Inverse ghost: A trailing color OPPOSITE to the box (e.g. dark trail behind white box on gray) = aggressive overdrive overshoot.
  • Coronas: Bright halos around the box = pixel overshoot from over-aggressive response time tuning.

Pixel Response Time by Panel Type

  • OLED: 0.03-0.1ms. Effectively no ghosting. Best for fast motion.
  • TN LCD: 1-3ms. Minimal ghosting. Used in budget gaming monitors.
  • IPS LCD: 3-8ms. Mild ghosting on fast motion. Most gaming IPS monitors.
  • VA LCD: 4-15ms. Most prone to ghosting, especially dark-to-dark transitions.

How to Reduce Ghosting

  1. Enable overdrive (OD) in monitor OSD. Try Normal or Fast — Extreme often causes overshoot.
  2. Match refresh rate to your GPU output. Mismatch causes timing artifacts that look like ghosting.
  3. Disable motion smoothing on TVs (interpolation artifacts mimic ghosting).
  4. If panel is fundamentally slow — only fix is replacement. Look for monitor reviews citing GTG response time under 5ms for gaming.

Find the Right Overdrive Setting

Do not assume the fastest response-time label is best. Use this test to compare Off, Normal, Fast, and Extreme, then keep the cleanest setting before inverse ghosting appears. For the full decision table, read the monitor ghosting and overdrive guide.

When Motion Jumps Instead of Smears

If the moving object jumps forward instead of smearing behind itself, you may be seeing frame pacing or frame skipping rather than pixel response blur. Run the FPS test first to confirm your browser is actually holding a steady frame rate, then compare this result with the frame skipping test and the frame skipping diagnosis guide.

Monitor Ghosting Test FAQ

Common monitor ghosting test questions

What is a monitor ghosting test?

A monitor ghosting test moves a box across the screen at an adjustable speed of 100 to 3000 pixels per second over different colored backgrounds. A visible trail or smear behind the box indicates ghosting from slow pixel response; a clean edge means the panel is healthy.

What causes monitor ghosting?

Ghosting happens when pixels cannot change color as fast as the image moves, leaving the previous frame faintly visible. It is most common on VA panels and on monitors with overdrive disabled or set too low.

How do I reduce ghosting?

Enable or raise the overdrive setting in your monitor menu (often called Response Time, OD, or Trace Free), then re-run the moving box at the same speed to compare. Too much overdrive causes inverse ghosting - bright halos ahead of the box - so pick the level with the cleanest result.

Why does the test offer different box colors and backgrounds?

Pixel response time varies by color transition. The 5 box colors and 6 backgrounds let you check the slow dark-to-mid transitions where VA panels smear most, as well as bright transitions where inverse ghosting shows up.

Is the monitor ghosting test free?

Yes. The monitor ghosting test runs in your browser at no cost, with no download, and supports fullscreen mode for maximum visibility.

Related guide Monitor Ghosting Test: Find the Right Overdrive Setting →

Windows app

KeyboardTester.click is available from Microsoft Store

Install the official Windows app shortcut, or keep using the same free testing tools in your browser.

Download from Microsoft Store Download from Microsoft Store

Gear picks · affiliate

Thinking about an upgrade?

Hand-picked budget boards and mice that hold up in the tests on this site — worth a look whether your gear passed or is on its way out.

Royal Kludge RK61 white 60 percent wireless mechanical keyboard with blue backlight Affiliate Royal Kludge RK61 60% wireless mechanical keyboard, hot-swappable switches — the classic budget starter board. from ~$25 View on AliExpress Ajazz AK820 Pro 75 percent gasket-mount mechanical keyboard with rotary knob Affiliate Ajazz AK820 Pro 75% gasket-mount keyboard with knob and smart display — cushioned, quiet typing feel. from ~$40 View on AliExpress Attack Shark X3 white lightweight wireless gaming mouse with USB receiver Affiliate Attack Shark X3 Ultra-light 49 g wireless gaming mouse with the PAW3395 sensor — passes every click test. from ~$20 View on AliExpress

Affiliate disclosure: if you buy through the links above we may earn a small commission from AliExpress at no extra cost to you. Products are picked by us, not by advertisers.