Causes
- VA panel slow on dark-to-dark transitions — the Q27G2 uses a VA (Vertical Alignment) panel, and VA panels are intrinsically slower than IPS or TN on dark-to-dark pixel transitions. This shows up as dark smearing or trailing behind moving objects in darker scenes. It is a property of the panel technology this monitor uses, not a defect, and it cannot be fully eliminated — only minimized with the right settings.
- Overdrive set too low (Off / Weak) — the Q27G2's OSD includes an Overdrive setting (Weak / Medium / Strong) that drives the panel harder to cut pixel response time. Left at the default low setting, dark trailing and ghosting are more noticeable. Raising it reduces the blur, which is why the correct Overdrive setting is the single biggest lever on this monitor.
- Monitor running below its native 144Hz — at 60Hz the screen redraws roughly 2.4x less often than at 144Hz, so any moving object smears much more. If the display is stuck at 60Hz or the game does not run at the native refresh, perceived ghosting and motion blur get dramatically worse.
- FreeSync / Adaptive-Sync disabled — without a variable refresh rate, a mismatch between the game frame rate and the panel refresh causes judder that reads as added blur and smearing during camera movement. The Q27G2 supports FreeSync over DisplayPort and HDMI (and G-SYNC Compatible over DP), and leaving it off makes motion look rougher.
- Overdrive set too high causes overshoot — pushing Overdrive to Strong is best for dark trailing on this panel, but it introduces some overshoot (inverse ghosting): a faint bright/dark halo trailing behind bright objects. Many users prefer Medium because it still cuts dark smearing while keeping overshoot low. If you see a "shadowy" or "halo" trail behind objects, your overdrive is too aggressive.
How to Fix
- Set Overdrive to Strong (or Medium if overshoot bugs you) — open the monitor's Gaming menu, find the Overdrive option, and set it to Strong for the clearest reduction of dark trailing, or Medium if you instead see inverse ghosting (halo shadows behind bright objects). Test both back-to-back on the UFO motion test at testufo.com with the ghosting test on the default 960px/s setting — preferably in a darker scene, since that is where VA smearing is most visible.
- Make sure the monitor is actually running at 144Hz — confirm 2560x1440 at 144Hz in Windows (Settings → System → Display → Advanced display) and that the game runs at the native refresh; also make sure your DisplayPort/HDMI 2.0 cable can carry 1440p/144Hz. At 60Hz the same panel looks far smeary, so getting to 144Hz is one of the most effective changes.
- Enable FreeSync (or G-SYNC Compatible) over DisplayPort — open the OSD Gaming menu, turn Adaptive-Sync on, and enable FreeSync in the AMD driver or G-SYNC Compatible in the Nvidia control panel over the DisplayPort connection. A variable refresh rate smooths frame delivery during camera pan and greatly reduces perceived smearing and judder.
- Cap or match the frame rate to the refresh — if you are not using FreeSync, cap the in-game frame rate at 144 FPS (or enable V-Sync) so frames are delivered evenly instead of in a stutter that amplifies perceived blur. Unlocked, wildly fluctuating FPS without VRR is a common reason motion looks ghosty even on a clean panel.
- If you see overshoot shadows, step Overdrive down — going from Strong to Medium removes the inverse-ghosting halos while keeping most of the dark-smearing improvement, which is why Medium is the recommended everyday value on this panel family. Avoid the highest setting on bright backlight content if halos bother you.
- Tune the scene if smearing persists — since the panel's dark smearing is intrinsic, adjust the image instead: avoid crushed blacks, keep the backlight from being too aggressive in dark scenes (this Q–series VA also shows slight black crush centrally), and if your setup allows it, raise the display's gamma/exposure slightly in dark content. Give the OSD a factory reset only as a last resort, then reapply Overdrive=Strong and Adaptive-Sync=On.