Monitor Cable Types Explained VGA HDMI DisplayPort and More

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Modern LCD monitors have greater resolution capabilities than displays manufactured only a few years earlier. The new Ultra-High Definition and High Definition displays require modern cable connections to transmit the ever-increasing volume of data required to support these resolutions.

Modern high-resolution monitor options:

• 8k Ultra High Definition (UHD) (7680 x 4320)
• 5k Ultra High Definition (UHD) (5120 x 2880)
• 4k Ultra High Definition (UHD) (3840 x 2160)
• Quad High Definition (QHD) (2560 x 1600)
• Wide Ultra eXtended Graphics Array (WUXGA) (1920 x 1200)
• Full High Definition (FHD) (1920 x 1080)

Display cable capabilities

Here are the most common monitor cable connection types and the maximum resolution they support:

• DisplayPort (DP) and Mini-DisplayPort (mDP) 1.3 - 8192 x 4320 @ 60 Hz (Figure 1.)
• DisplayPort (DP) and Mini-DisplayPort (mDP) 1.2 (Dual Cable Connection) - 5120 x 2880 @ 60 Hz (Figure 1.)
• DisplayPort (DP) and Mini-DisplayPort (mDP) 1.2 (Single Cable Connection) - 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz (Figure 1.)
  
  
• High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) 2.0 - 3820 x 2160 @ 60 Hz (Figure 2.)
  
• Digital Visual Interface (DVI) (Dual Link)- 2560 × 1600 @ 60 Hz (Figure 3.)
  
• Digital Visual Interface (DVI) (Single Link) - 1900 x 1200 @ 60 Hz (Figure 4.)
  
• Video Graphics Array (VGA) - 2048 x 1536 @ 85 Hz (Figure 5.)
  

DisplayPort Comparison

The DisplayPort interface accommodates both personal computer and home entertainment applications and does so at a lower manufacturing cost. The table below shows a comparison of display interface connectivity. This table compares DisplayPort with VGA, DVI, composite, component, S-video, and HDMI cables.