Glossary
Response time
How long a pixel takes to transition from one color to another, measured in milliseconds. Lower is better — slow response causes motion blur and ghosting on fast-moving content.
Response time has two common measurements:
- GtG (grey-to-grey). The most-quoted number. Measures mid-tone transitions, the easiest case.
- MPRT (moving picture response time). Measures perceived motion blur, including persistence — closer to real-world experience.
What the numbers mean
- OLED. Sub-1 ms GtG, near-zero MPRT. The benchmark.
- Fast IPS. 1–4 ms GtG; competitive for most gaming.
- VA. 4–8 ms GtG; trailing dark-transition smear is common.
- TN. Fastest LCD (1 ms) but bad color and angles; now rare.
Watch out for
"1 ms" claims on IPS panels usually require overdrive cranked up, which can introduce inverse ghosting (bright halos). The honest mid-setting often shows 3–4 ms real-world transitions.
Where this matters
Categories that use response time
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