Gaming Monitor Response Time Test
A gaming monitor response time test measures how fast your display's pixels can transition between colours — the core factor behind ghosting and motion blur in fast-paced games. Response time is measured in milliseconds (ms) grey-to-grey (GtG), and for competitive gaming the target is 1–4 ms. At 144 Hz, each frame lasts 6.9 ms; a 4 ms response time occupies 58% of that window, meaning ghosting is often visible behind fast-moving objects. At 240 Hz, each frame lasts only 4.2 ms — a 4 ms panel is effectively too slow, producing noticeable smearing in CS2, Valorant, and Apex Legends. Gaming monitors rated at 1 ms GtG typically use overdrive firmware to push pixel transitions, but overdrive can be tuned too aggressively, causing inverse ghosting (a bright halo ahead of the moving object). This free test lets you visually rate ghosting severity at four test speeds — from slow (240 px/s) to extreme (1,920 px/s, equivalent to 360 fps motion) — and estimate your panel's real-world GtG response time without any software download. Use it to find the optimal overdrive setting for your monitor.
Panel / Response Type
Monitor Ghosting Test
Watch the moving block and rate the ghosting you see
Speed
Typical fast-paced game movement
Press Start to begin the test
Monitor Response Time Reference
| Response Time | Rating | Typical Panel |
|---|---|---|
| < 0.1 ms | Elite 🏆 | OLED (self-emissive) |
| 0.1–1 ms | Excellent ✅ | TN at Fastest / Premium IPS OD |
| 1–4 ms | Good ⚡ | Gaming IPS / Fast VA |
| 4–8 ms | Average 📊 | Standard IPS, mid-range VA |
| 8–16 ms | Below avg 💪 | Budget VA / older TN |
| > 16 ms | Slow 🐢 | Office IPS / uncorrected VA |
What Is a Good Response Time for a Gaming Monitor?
| Response Time | Tier |
|---|---|
| < 0.1 ms | OLED Elite |
| 1 ms | Pro Gaming |
| 2–4 ms | Gaming |
| 4–8 ms | Everyday |
| 8–16 ms | Sluggish |
| > 16 ms | Poor |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good response time for a gaming monitor?
For competitive gaming (CS2, Valorant, Apex), aim for 1–4 ms GtG. At 1 ms, ghosting is imperceptible even at 240 Hz. At 4 ms, faint ghosting may appear at 240 Hz but is negligible at 144 Hz. For casual gaming and RPGs, 4–8 ms is perfectly acceptable. Only panels above 16 ms show ghosting in everyday tasks like scrolling.
Does monitor response time affect FPS or game performance?
Response time (GtG) does not affect your in-game FPS — that's determined by your GPU. It affects how clearly you can see fast-moving objects. Slow response time causes motion blur behind moving enemies or projectiles, which can reduce your ability to track targets in fast-paced games. It does not add input lag — that's a separate spec measured by the display controller's pipeline latency.
What overdrive setting should I use for gaming?
Start with your monitor's 'Normal' or 'Medium' overdrive preset. If you see a faint trail behind the moving block in the Fast test speed, increase to 'Fast'. If you see a bright halo ahead of the block (inverse ghosting) on 'Fastest', step back to the previous setting. The goal is the fastest overdrive preset that produces no inverse ghosting at your monitor's native refresh rate.
Is a 4ms monitor bad for gaming in 2026?
Not necessarily. A well-tuned 4 ms IPS panel often outperforms a 1 ms VA panel in practice because IPS panels produce consistent GtG across all colour transitions. VA panels can measure 1 ms GtG on best-case transitions but 15–20 ms on dark grey-to-dark grey transitions — causing the smearing that plagues VA gaming. For 60–144 Hz gaming, 4 ms is excellent. For 240 Hz+, try to source a Fast IPS or TN panel rated at 1 ms.
How do I check my gaming monitor's response time without hardware?
Use this browser-based ghosting test. Select a speed matching your game's typical object velocity, observe the trailing blur behind the moving block, and rate the severity. The tool maps your rating to an estimated GtG range. While less precise than oscilloscope measurement, this visual method accurately identifies the practical gaming impact of your panel's response speed.
Does refresh rate improve response time?
Higher refresh rates reduce ghosting perception but do not change the physical GtG spec. At 60 Hz, a 4 ms panel feels fine because each frame lasts 16.7 ms and the transition resolves well within the frame. At 240 Hz (4.2 ms per frame), the same 4 ms panel spends nearly the entire frame in transition — visible ghosting. Pairing a fast panel (1–2 ms) with a high refresh rate (144–360 Hz) maximises clarity.
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