GtG, input lag, and MPRT: what changes in gaming
Response delay, trails, and motion sharpness are different issues. Here is how to recognize them and read measurements beyond the “1 ms” on the box.
The three measurementsGhosting and overshootHz and persistenceMPRT and strobingChoosing overdrive
From click to pixel
A monitor can respond promptly to the signal yet leave trails when you move the camera. Another can have very fast transitions yet look blurry when your eyes track an object. To understand why, separate when the image arrives, how the pixel changes, and how long it remains visible.
Do not simply add the three figures together: MPRT is not another latency queue. Some input lag tests also include part of pixel response, while others try to separate it. Comparing results requires the same method and the same screen location.
The path of an action
The peripheral sends the input.
The image is calculated and prepared.
Receives and presents the signal.
Then the pixel changes state.
That change is the GtG response. Persistence describes how long the image remains visible, not another wait in this chain.
Simplified path in slow motion, with no latency scale. Input lag measurements may include part of the transition depending on the method used.
A fast transition can come at a cost
Overdrive speeds transitions by applying an impulse to move the pixel toward its target sooner. Too little leaves a trail from the previous image. Too much creates a light or dark halo around the object: this is overshoot or inverse ghosting.
The transition and its trail
The pixel reaches its target without a large deviation. Look for this balance in response and overshoot tests.
Schematic curve and trails, with no time scale. Mode names and actual results vary with the monitor and refresh rate.
A low average GtG does not tell the whole story. It can hide slow dark transitions, wide variation between changes, or substantial overshoot error. That is why product pages and response charts should be read for GtG and overshoot at the same setting, alongside motion captures.
Why OLED can look blurry too
Even with very fast pixel transitions, a sample-and-hold display holds the image until the next refresh. When your eyes track a moving object, that persistence contributes to blur. Raising Hz helps if the game delivers enough new, evenly spaced frames.
More Hz, less time per image
Both rows show the same duration: 16.67 ms. Each block is a different image. Change the Hz and notice how much time each one occupies.
At 144 Hz, each image remains for 6.94 ms, compared with 16.67 ms at 60 Hz. When tracking an object with your eyes, a shorter duration reduces persistence blur.
Example with a new image at every refresh and continuous emission. Duration = 1000 / Hz. This is a refresh interval, not a GtG or input lag measurement.
Display Hz do not guarantee game FPS. At 240 Hz with 60 distinct images per second, you do not get the same continuity as stable 240 FPS. The Blur Busters article on GtG and MPRT explains why short transitions alone do not eliminate persistence.
MPRT and backlight strobing: the “1 ms” claim
Some monitors shorten visible time using brief backlight flashes: MBR, strobing, and other commercial names. This does not mean all their GtG transitions take 1 ms. It can lower brightness, create double images if content does not keep up, or limit simultaneous VRR use. Results also vary between the top, center, and bottom of the screen.
Strobing: lighting each image for less time
The same 144 Hz in both rowsWithout strobing, the image remains illuminated. With strobing, the backlight turns on briefly and stays off for the rest of the cycle. The Hz do not change; how long you see each image does.
What changes when you track the object with your eyes
With a 1 ms flash, the image is illuminated for 1 ms and remains dark for another 5.94 ms of each cycle. The shorter flash reduces persistence, but also the time available to emit light.
Explanatory simulation, with no actual flickering and exaggerated blur. Illumination time helps explain MPRT; it is not a monitor measurement. Final brightness, double images, and VRR compatibility depend on the model and setting. More about blur reduction.
Choosing the setting you will actually use
I would not choose “Extreme” for its name. I would start with the mode the review finds balanced and check two situations: maximum refresh rate and the FPS range where I actually play. A clean setting at 180 Hz can produce more overshoot when VRR lowers the refresh rate.
- If you see a same-colored trail behind an object, check slow transitions and try the next overdrive level.
- If a light or dark outline appears that is not part of the scene, lower the drive and compare.
- If letters or textures blur when tracked without a pronounced halo, persistence may also be involved.
- With VRR, check a demanding scene: a useful mode must behave well when FPS drops.
The comparison that interests me is speed with few artifacts, not the isolated minimum of one transition. OLED usually has an advantage in pixel response; on LCD, overdrive tuning matters greatly.
See the differences in motion
To apply this to specific models, compare product pages with response tests and open the capture for the measured setting. A monitor’s official specifications do not replace our own measurements.
When reviewing tests
In charts, check the overdrive mode and associated overshoot. If a product page does not record the setting, its absence does not justify assuming the same mode as another test.