What is overdrive?

[Computer]

So I got this monitor:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009657

 

I was going through the menu settings on the monitor and I see this rev meter icon with the settings off normal and extreme. I look through the manual that came weiht my display and all it said was that this was called overdrive. What is it? Why do i need or want it? Do I need or want it?

[Toddwjp]

id say yes. no idea what it is but sounds fast

 

just checked it increase the response time of the pixels, so if you turn it on and your monitor still looks fine with motion then it should be good to leave on, doesnt matter if you leave it off though.

[Computer]

id say yes. no idea what it is but sounds fast

If I wanted my display to be fast i'd just paint double stripes down the back of it.

[MrGoat]

I think, It helps pixels respond a little faster to help with blurring or ghosting or something. I had that same monitor (3 times actually), I found it looked best when in normal mode. On extreme setting things in game started to have a negative color shift when I moved in game, and on off mode scrolling through text on websites just looked weird to me.

 

I don't want to get too off topic either, but how is the back light bleed on that monitor?