Quick Answer

Choose the lowest overdrive level that clears obvious trailing without creating bright inverse ghosts. Test the same moving edge at 240Hz, 144Hz, and a lower frame rate because an aggressive 1ms mode can look worse as refresh rate changes. The right setting is the one that looks clean in the games and frame-rate range you actually play, not the setting with the most dramatic name.

Understand what overdrive changes

A liquid-crystal pixel does not switch from one shade to another instantly. Overdrive is a monitor setting that asks the pixel to move more aggressively toward its next value. Used carefully, it can reduce the dark or light trail that follows moving objects. Pushed too hard, it can send the pixel past the intended value before it settles.

That overshoot creates inverse ghosting. Instead of a soft trail, you may see a pale or dark halo on the opposite side of a moving edge. It is especially easy to spot when a dark object passes over a light background, or a bright cursor moves across a darker one.

Do not treat a label such as Fast, Faster, Extreme, or 1ms as a promise that it is best. Those labels are menu choices, and each monitor's behaviour differs. Your task is to find the least aggressive option that improves motion without adding a new artifact.

Browse gaming monitors and monitor accessories while planning a stable high-refresh setup.

Begin at the neutral setting

Open the monitor's on-screen menu and find the response-time or overdrive control. Start at its default or normal position. Use a familiar game training area, a scrolling test page, or a repeatable moving object with strong edges. You need the same scene for each comparison so that a changed game event does not confuse the result.

Look first for ordinary ghosting. A moving dark object may leave a faint darker trail, or a bright object may blur slightly during a fast pan. Then select the next level up and repeat the same movement. If the trailing improves without a new bright outline or flickering edge, that level may be useful.

Stop when the new mode creates an obvious halo, flashing rim, or unnatural-looking edge. The setting below that point is often the practical choice. You are not trying to eliminate every trace of pixel behaviour at any cost.

Test at more than one refresh rate

High refresh makes motion events occur more frequently, which changes how an overdrive setting looks. Test your chosen setting at 240Hz, then at 144Hz if your game or system uses that option, and then at a lower frame-rate condition. A mode that appears fine at the highest refresh may show overshoot when frames arrive less often.

The Lenovo Legion 27Q-10 is specified as a QHD 240Hz monitor with a 0.5ms MPRT figure. Its maximum refresh capability makes this test especially relevant: a competitive title may run near 240 frames per second, while another game may sit much lower at the same resolution.

Do not assume the monitor's refresh setting and the game's delivered frame rate are always equal. A game can be set to 240Hz while the GPU delivers a changing frame rate. Your test should include the performance range you expect, not only an ideal benchmark scene.

Check adaptive sync before deciding

The product specification names NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible alongside VESA Adaptive Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. With compatible hardware, adaptive sync can vary display timing to better match delivered frames. This may change how motion and tearing appear during a game.

Enable the relevant sync feature through the monitor and graphics settings, then repeat your overdrive test. Do not change sync, frame limits, resolution, and overdrive all in one pass. If something looks wrong, you need to know which control caused the change.

A useful baseline is QHD at your intended refresh rate, adaptive sync configured for your hardware, and a frame limit appropriate to the game. From there, adjust only the overdrive mode while watching the same edge movement.

Make the decision with your eyes

A setting that reads 1ms in a menu may sound better than a slower setting, but the image is what you have to use. If the aggressive mode creates bright inverse trails, it is not a win. Choose the mode that produces the least distracting motion for the actual content on screen.

Keep a short note of the selected mode for your usual game profile. If you switch frequently between a competitive title at high frame rate and a cinematic game at a lower rate, you may prefer a balanced setting that remains acceptable in both rather than changing the monitor menu every time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is inverse ghosting?

It is an overshoot artifact caused when pixel acceleration is too aggressive. It can appear as a bright or dark halo around a moving edge.

Should I always select the fastest overdrive mode?

No. The fastest option may create more visible overshoot. Use the lowest setting that reduces normal trailing without introducing inverse ghosts.

Why test overdrive at different refresh rates?

A setting can behave differently at 240Hz, 144Hz, and lower delivered frame rates. Testing each range helps you avoid a mode that only looks good in one ideal condition.

Does adaptive sync replace overdrive tuning?

No. Adaptive sync and overdrive address different parts of motion behaviour. Configure sync for compatible hardware, then choose the cleanest overdrive mode by eye.

Tune overdrive for the motion you actually see, then let clean edges matter more than a number in a menu.