What is response time?
Response time measures how fast a pixel can change from one color to another. Faster response times mean less blur and ghosting during motion. This matters most for gaming, video, and anything with fast on-screen movement.
GtG vs. MPRT
GtG (Gray to Gray): Measures the time for a pixel to transition between two shades of gray. This is the most commonly advertised spec. Typical values range from 1ms to 5ms for gaming monitors.
MPRT (Moving Picture Response Time): Measures the total time a frame is visible on screen, which includes both pixel response and the hold time of the image. MPRT better represents what your eyes actually perceive during motion.
A monitor can have a fast GtG response time but still show noticeable blur if the MPRT is high. This is why two monitors with identical GtG specs can look quite different in motion.
Overdrive settings
Most gaming monitors include overdrive (sometimes called response time settings) that push pixels to change faster. Common settings are Off, Normal, Fast, and Fastest.
Higher overdrive reduces trailing but can introduce inverse ghosting (also called overshoot), where pixels overshoot their target color before settling. A little overshoot is usually acceptable and worth the reduced trailing.
Use our Motion Test and Response Time tool to find the best overdrive setting for your monitor. The ideal setting minimizes trailing without visible overshoot.
What response time do you need?
For 60Hz: 8ms or less is sufficient. At 60Hz, each frame lasts 16.7ms, so 8ms is fast enough.
For 144Hz: 5ms or less. Each frame is only 6.9ms at 144Hz.
For 240Hz and above: 2ms or less for ideal performance.
OLED monitors achieve 0.03 to 0.1ms response times, making them the fastest panels available. This is one of the main reasons competitive gamers are switching to OLED.