Have you ever faced distortion in colors while playing first-person or role-playing games? Most likely, this is because of ghosting.
As you move your mouse, it creates a smudge-like effect on the screen. It is not an in-game bug. It happens because of your monitor.
Ghosting in gaming is not limited to just gaming. It can happen in anything, from watching videos to working on excel, etc. The creation of the ghost-like effect that it causes leads to its name, ghosting. It is enough to ruin your gaming experience.
So what actually ghosting is?
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Ghosting in Gaming
It is a phenomenon in which the previous frame remains on the screen with the current scene, creating a blurry and shadow effect. Observing the in-game environment with the ghosting effect is much more difficult.
Images become distorted due to multiple frames overlapping each other. The smeared and smudged colors will make gaming difficult and even cause a headache.
What causes ghosting in gaming?
Ghosting occurs because of two aspects, Response time and Screen refresh rate:
- Screen refresh rate: It’s the number of times the screen refreshes per second. The refresh rate unit is in Hertz (Hz).
- Response time: As the name suggests, it is the time taken in response to a change in frame and colors. The measuring unit is in milliseconds.
The higher the frame rate, the better it is, and the lower the response time, the better the display.
Generally, displays start from a 60 Hz refresh rate. It can be of 75 Hz, 90 Hz & 144 Hz. A 60 Hz display means the screen gets refreshed 60 times in a second.
Lower response time means that it takes a lesser span to change the pixels and colors to the new frame.
How to fix ghosting in gaming?
Since ghosting can occur due to software issues, you can try fixing it without going to a service center or technician. These are the solutions for resolving ghosting on your display:
Inspect your Monitor Cables & Ports
First and foremost, check your monitor cable if it’s loose or broken from some point that may be the reason for this issue. If the wire’s shield is damaged, replace it. Untangle the monitor cable and try reconnecting appropriately. If the cords are okay, check for monitor ports. Damaged ports can also be the reason for ghosting.
Updating Drivers
Make sure your drivers are up-to-date. Outdated drivers can be a part of the issue. Not just display, obsolete drivers can also cause many problems like disabling WiFi. If you are into gaming, update your graphic card drivers regularly.
Overclocking Monitor
Overclocking monitors can be used for boosting refresh rates and decreasing response time. Make sure you are aware of the settings you are adjusting or changing. If possible, take assistance from a software expert before taking any step. Incorrect overclocking can be harmful to your display.
Also, Read: How to Overclock Monitor for Gaming (Higher Refresh Rate) [TechLatest]
Adjusting Display Settings
For this, you have to do the hit and trial method. There is no universal setting for monitors. Adjust differently and check if the problem gets solved. If your device comes with NVIDIA G-Sync, select disable and again enable it. For AMD devices, do the same with AMD FreeSync.
Look out for dynamic contrast, perfect clear, motion smoothing, or noise reduction. These settings increase your monitor’s response time to enhance display on dimmer backgrounds.
Overdrive Function
Enable the overdrive function from settings for enhanced performance according to your monitor. You can access this feature from the on-screen display menu. Adjusting overrides can help decrease or stop ghosting.
For devices having NVIDIA GPUs & AMD GPUs, the overdrive function will be available on NVIDIA G-Sync & AMD FreeSync.
Go for a New Monitor
The last option can be buying a new monitor. If the other options didn’t work, then most probably, your monitor is faulty, and you need to look out for a new one.
Many buyers tend to forget and ignore specifications like input lag, refresh rate, and response time while buying a new monitor. These features are the most important ones for a good monitor and to avoid ghosting.
Try to go for the one with the best refresh rate and response time and 1920×1080 screen resolution or more.
Also, Read: Best Gaming Monitors Available Right Now to Buy [TechLatest]
Testing for ghosting in monitor
There are various tools and websites available on the internet through which you can test ghosting, refresh rate, pixel rate, and many other specifications about your display. Testufo is considered one of the best among these means.
Vertical Alignment Panels (VA)
VA panels are often associated with ghosting problems. These monitors have better colors than In-plane Switching (IPS) & Twisted Nematic (TN) display but offer a lower refresh rate and higher response time, the root cause of ghosting. So avoid going for VA panels while purchasing a new monitor.
Conclusion
Ghosting can be annoying to anyone, especially gamers. If you have faced this issue yourself, you know how difficult it is to play with frames being completely distorted and blurred. Even if you are an editor or a graphic designer, ghosting can be a pain.
We hope that these solutions will help you get rid of ghosting. As stated before, if the problem remains, then your monitor is defective and needs to be replaced.
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