You're scrolling through a webpage and notice the text leaving a faint trail behind it. You move your mouse cursor and there's a shadow following it. You're playing a game and every moving object has this blurry afterimage that won't go away.
That's ghosting. And once you notice it, you can't un-notice it.
Good news: Most laptop ghosting is fixable. It's usually a settings problem, not a broken screen.
Ghosting happens when pixels can't change color fast enough. The previous image lingers while the new one appears, creating trails or shadows behind moving objects.
What ghosting looks like:
→ Text leaving faint copies when scrolling
→ Mouse cursor with a shadow trailing behind
→ Moving objects in games with blurry afterimages
→ Fast video content looking smeared
Ghosting is NOT:
→ Screen tearing (horizontal lines) — that's V-Sync
→ Motion blur — that's a game setting
→ Input lag — that's response delay
→ Dead pixels — stuck on one color
→ Burn-in — permanent retention
→ Slow panel response time — Budget laptops often have 10-25ms. Gaming laptops aim for 3ms or less.
→ Low refresh rate — Many laptops ship at 60Hz even when capable of 120Hz+
→ Overdrive settings — Technology to speed up pixels, often buried in manufacturer software
→ Outdated graphics drivers — Old drivers cause display anomalies
→ Wrong display settings — Non-native resolution or misconfigured Windows
→ Cable limitations — For external monitors, cables may bottleneck refresh rate
Panel types and ghosting:
→ TN panels: 1-2ms (fast, but poor colors)
→ IPS panels: 4-8ms (good colors, medium ghosting)
→ VA panels: 8-15ms (great contrast, worst ghosting)
→ OLED panels: <1ms (virtually no ghosting)
UFO Test (recommended):
Visit testufo.com in your browser. Watch the UFO move:
→ Clean edges = good response time
→ Blurry trail behind = ghosting
→ Bright trail in front = inverse ghosting (overdrive too high)
Quick tests:
→ Scroll test: Open Wikipedia, scroll fast. Text trails = ghosting.
→ Cursor test: Move mouse in circles. Multiple shadows = ghosting.
→ Game test: Fast camera movement. Trails on edges = ghosting.
Time: 30 seconds Impact: Biggest improvement
Many laptops ship at 60Hz even when they support higher. This is the #1 fix.
Steps:
Right-click on your desktop
Select Display settings
Scroll down and click Advanced display
Find Choose a refresh rate
Select the highest option available
If you see 120Hz, 144Hz, or 165Hz — pick it. The difference is immediate.
Only see 60Hz? Either your laptop has a 60Hz panel, drivers are outdated, or you're using integrated graphics.
Time: 2-5 minutes Impact: Major improvement
Overdrive speeds up pixel color changes. It's often hidden in manufacturer software.
Where to look:
→ ASUS: Armoury Crate → Panel Overdrive
→ MSI: Dragon Center → Display settings
→ Lenovo: Vantage → Display settings
→ HP: Omen Gaming Hub → Display
→ Dell/Alienware: Command Center → Display
→ Razer: Synapse → Display
→ Acer: PredatorSense/NitroSense → Display
Settings: Start with Normal/Medium. If still ghosting, try Fast. If you see halos, it's too high.
No software? Check BIOS (F2, Delete, or F12 during boot).
╔════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ 💻 NEED HELP WITH GHOSTING? ║ ║ ║ ║ Get live support from a real tech ║ ║ specialist who can walk you through ║ ║ these fixes step by step. ║ ║ ║ ║ 👉 https://bit.ly/ask-a-tech ║ ╚════════════════════════════════════════╝
Time: 5-10 minutes Impact: Fixes many issues
Outdated drivers cause ghosting, stuttering, and wrong refresh rate detection.
For NVIDIA:
Open GeForce Experience
Click Drivers tab
Check for updates
Download and install
Restart laptop
For AMD:
Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition
Click Settings (gear icon)
Check for updates
Install and restart
For Intel:
Open Device Manager
Expand Display adapters
Right-click Intel graphics → Update driver
Time: 2 minutes Impact: Quick optimization
Enable Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling:
Open Settings
Go to System → Display
Click Graphics
Click Change default graphics settings
Turn ON Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling
Restart laptop
Ensure discrete GPU is used:
Settings → System → Display → Graphics
Click Browse and add your game/app
Click the app → Options
Select High performance (discrete GPU)
Time: 1-2 minutes per game Impact: Gaming-specific
Disable these:
→ Motion Blur — OFF
→ Film Grain — OFF
Enable Variable Refresh Rate:
→ NVIDIA: Control Panel → Display → Set up G-Sync → Enable
→ AMD: AMD Software → Gaming → Display → Enable FreeSync
V-Sync tip: Try V-Sync OFF with G-Sync/FreeSync instead. Reduces tearing AND ghosting without input lag.
Time: 2 minutes Impact: External displays only
If using an external monitor, your cable might be the bottleneck.
Cable bandwidth limits:
→ HDMI 1.4: Max 120Hz at 1080p
→ HDMI 2.0: Max 144Hz at 1080p
→ HDMI 2.1: Up to 240Hz at 1080p
→ DisplayPort 1.4: 240Hz at 1080p
Tips:
→ Use DisplayPort over HDMI when possible
→ Avoid cables over 10 feet
→ Try a different cable if issues persist
Time: Assessment Impact: May need workaround
Some laptop panels just have slow response times. No settings will fix physics.
Panels most prone to ghosting:
→ Budget laptops under $500-600
→ VA panels (great contrast, terrible response)
→ Older laptops (5+ years)
→ Non-gaming laptops with basic displays
If you've tried everything:
→ Other people with your laptop report ghosting
→ Reviews mention slow response times
→ Your laptop wasn't marketed for gaming
Your options:
→ External monitor: Use a 1ms gaming monitor at home
→ Partial improvement: Higher refresh + overdrive reduces ghosting
→ Upgrade laptop: Look for 3ms or faster, or OLED panels
Fix
Time
Impact
Increase refresh rate
30 sec
Biggest improvement
Enable overdrive
2-5 min
Major improvement
Update graphics drivers
5-10 min
Fixes many issues
Windows display settings
2 min
Quick optimization
In-game settings
1-2 min
Gaming-specific
Check display cable
2 min
External monitors
External monitor
Workaround
Hardware limitations
Start at the top. Most people fix ghosting with the first two solutions.
Can ghosting damage my screen?
No. Ghosting is purely visual and doesn't harm your display or get worse over time.
Does ghosting affect gaming performance?
Not directly — framerate and input lag are unaffected. But it makes tracking fast objects harder.
Why did my laptop suddenly start ghosting?
Usually a driver or Windows update. Check if refresh rate reset to 60Hz.
Is ghosting the same as burn-in?
No. Burn-in is permanent (OLED/plasma risk). Ghosting is temporary during motion only.
Do OLED laptops have ghosting?
No. OLED pixels respond nearly instantly. If you see something similar, it's likely motion blur settings.
🔧 TRIED EVERYTHING?
Our tech experts can diagnose your specific situation and help you figure out if it's settings or hardware.
👉 https://bit.ly/ask-a-tech
Laptop ghosting is annoying but usually fixable with settings changes.
The fixes that matter most:
Increase refresh rate — First thing to check, biggest impact
Enable overdrive — Check manufacturer software
Update graphics drivers — Fixes many display issues
If nothing helps, your panel may have hardware limitations. An external gaming monitor is the most practical workaround.
→ Live Tech Support: https://bit.ly/ask-a-tech
→ Get $5 Back on Tech: https://bit.ly/chromeshopback
→ More Guides: https://mrgrid.io/guides/laptop-ghosting-fix
MrGrid.io — Helping you fix tech problems quickly, simply, and safely.