XPS L502X Mini Display Port Connection Problem

I own a Dell XPS L502X. Recently I purchased a u2412m monitor for high quality photo editing. When I purchased the monitor I also purchased a Gold Plated Mini Display Port to Display Port Cable to connect the two. Originally when I tried to connect to two, the cable was difficult to connect to the mini display port, however, I did manage to connect it and the monitor worked great. Basically it felt like the connection was not exact - like the cable jack was a little too small. Unfortunately for some reason I can no longer connect the cable to the port. Honestly, I'm not sure if I have damaged the cable jack or the mini display port. It does seem like the actual connector may had been pushed back into the plastic housing so that the connection might not be long enough to connect. I have tried to connect with an HDMI to display port cable but it doesn't work and the monitor immediately goes into power save mode. I do not want to use a VGA adapter because I will lose image quality. What are my options?