It isn’t very pleasant when even the most basic task of opening a website leads to an image frame staying for a couple of seconds.
If you use the monitor only for work purposes, this can somehow be managed.
However, it’s a nightmare for a gamer who takes part in competitive FPS games.
You mainly notice the ghosting error when moving the guns’ position, and as soon as you do that, there’s a slight lag in the switch.
When these image frames are late, even for a millisecond, this will result in blurred images and color distortion on the monitor.
Thereby costing you the competitive game you’re playing.
If you’re tired of ghosting in gaming and want to fix the root cause, there are specific solutions you can use to get rid of it.
So, going forward in this post, I’ll list 6 ways you can implement quickly to fix ghosting in gaming.
What is monitor ghosting?
When we talk about monitor ghosting, we refer to two different effects types: motion blur and ghost images.
Motion blur occurs when fast-moving objects are displayed on a lower-refresh monitor, causing the object to appear blurry or fuzzy. This can be more noticeable in games where the camera is panning quickly, especially when there are a lot of fast-moving objects on your screen.
Ghost image describes the phenomenon of seeing an outline or muted version of an image previously displayed on your monitor. This usually occurs if you leave an image or game open for too long. For example, if you play an online shooter with a HUD that displays health and ammunition, you might notice those numbers still faintly in the background hours after playing.
Monitor ghosting can affect LCD, LED, and OLED displays alike. It’s not a permanent condition and won’t cause damage to your monitor, but it isn’t delightful.
What is ghosting in gaming?
While it is not ideal for monitoring ghosting in any media content or gameplay, it can be highly detrimental to gamers who play competitively or professionally. Most notably, first-person shooter games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive requires players to clearly understand their surroundings to succeed in online tournaments and matches.
If you aren’t sure whether the cause is monitor ghosting, try playing a game with many fast-moving objects, like Grand Theft Auto V or Rocket League. If you see blurry trails of pixels following the cars, you might be experiencing monitor ghosting.
If you don’t notice any distortions while playing games but do when watching TV or streaming videos from Netflix or YouTube, the cause is likely something else. Double-check your HDMI cable connection, and if it looks secure, your TV might need to be repaired.
What causes monitor ghosting?
In the context of monitors, the term ghosting is used to describe the image artifacts resulting from slow pixel response times. In addition, a ghosting monitor can also exhibit other strange visual effects such as color smearing.
Ghosting occurs because a monitor’s response time is too slow relative to what is happening on screen. Response time refers to how quickly an individual pixel can change its state from black to white and then back again. The LCD panel usually causes slow response times; however, other factors may be involved, such as the graphics card or monitor settings.
How To Fix Monitor Ghosting?
Check Your Monitor Cables
Some monitors use DVI cables, HDMI cables, and DisplayPort cables.
Untangle them and keep them apart from each other.
When you use these monitors, monitor ghosting is persistent after you untangle the cables and keep them far away from each other.
Please confirm whether there is any serious damage to the cable. If found to be damaged, replace it ASAP.
Besides, if you need any help, you can read my previous post where I’ve briefly explained the importance of Good Cable Management vs. Bad Cable Management.
Uninstall Unnecessary Third-Party Apps
If you are still ghosting after this, it’s time to make sure no program is interfering with your PC or game.
The culprit could be anti-virus software or an app running in the background of your PC and causing interference. Go through all the programs in your taskbar and shut down those you don’t need for gaming.
Use the Right Graphics Card
Every game comes with its own recommended system requirements, so if yours don’t match up, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter ghosting. If you’re unsure whether your GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is good enough, visit TechPowerUp’s GPU Database to compare your card specs with the ones in the game.
If it turns out your GPU isn’t strong enough, and you need to buy a new one, do some research on your options first, so you don’t make the same mistake again.
Check Display Settings
If you don’t know how to check the software settings on your monitor or laptop, consult the manual.
Besides, you can always ask the manufacturer for assistance, and the monitor is still under warranty; you can claim it to fix the ongoing monitor issue.
If your PC runs an NVIDIA GPU, head over to “Adjust desktop color settings” in NVIDIA’s default control panel. Here use the “Digital Vibrance” slider to find a sweet spot to eliminate ghosting.
Keep Your PC Drivers Up-to-date
It’s always a good idea to download the latest PC drivers. However, if updating every driver manually is a headache for you, download the Driver Booster 8 application on your PC & it’ll automatically detect and update the latest drivers.
Get A New Monitor
If you have an old monitor that isn’t fast enough and is causing ghosting problems, it might be time to upgrade your monitor. There are many options available, but some of the best monitors for gaming have response times of 1ms and refresh rates of 144Hz and higher. These monitors will eliminate ghosting and make everything look crystal clear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Thoughts
Monitor ghosting is often a problem that can be both difficult and annoying to deal with. However, you now know what to do to prevent ghosting and solve the problem if it occurs.
That’s all for now.
If you need any suggestions in purchasing a monitor, do let us know in the comments section given below.
