Port Guide · free
Know the socket before you buy the cable.
The shape tells you the kind of port. The version (how fast it is) is on the maker's spec page, so look up your laptop and monitor model numbers too.
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HDMI
Wide with two slanted lower corners. Carries picture and sound. The version (1.4, 2.0, 2.1) decides the speed and is printed only on the spec page, never on the socket.
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Mini HDMI and Micro HDMI
Smaller copies of HDMI on some thin laptops and tablets. Same signal; you need a cable with the matching small end.
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DisplayPort
One corner cut off. Common on monitors, rare on laptops. Most DisplayPort cables have a latch: press the button to unplug.
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Mini DisplayPort
Older MacBooks and some business laptops. Looks like a small HDMI with square upper corners. Needs a Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable.
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USB-C
Small oval, fits either way up. Only some USB-C ports carry a picture: look for a DisplayPort symbol (a D with a P inside) or a lightning-bolt Thunderbolt symbol next to it, or check the spec page for "DisplayPort Alt Mode", "Thunderbolt" or "USB4".
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USB-A
The flat rectangle. Carries no picture on its own. Adapters that turn USB-A into a monitor port use DisplayLink driver software, which this site does not plan.
Cable names that mean something
HDMI cables (HDMI Licensing Administrator names)
| High Speed HDMI | 10.2 Gbps | 1080p, 4K at 30 Hz |
|---|---|---|
| Premium High Speed HDMI | 18 Gbps | 4K at 60 Hz |
| Ultra High Speed HDMI | 48 Gbps | 4K at 120 Hz and up |
DisplayPort cables (VESA certification names)
| DisplayPort (certified) | HBR2 | DisplayPort 1.2 speeds |
|---|---|---|
| DP8K | HBR3 | DisplayPort 1.4 speeds |
| DP40 / DP80 | UHBR10 / 20 | DisplayPort 2.1 speeds |
USB-C cables: a charge-only (USB 2.0) cable carries no picture. For a monitor, use a full-featured USB-C cable (10 Gbps or faster) or a Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 cable.
The rates the planner uses
| Link | On the wire | Left for picture | Compression (DSC) in the standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDMI 1.4 | 10.2 Gbps (TMDS, 8b/10b) | 8.16 Gbps | No |
| HDMI 2.0 | 18 Gbps (TMDS, 8b/10b) | 14.40 Gbps | No |
| HDMI 2.1 | 48 Gbps (FRL, 16b/18b) | 42.67 Gbps | Yes, when both ends support it |
| DisplayPort 1.2 | 21.6 Gbps (HBR2, 8b/10b) | 17.28 Gbps | No |
| DisplayPort 1.4 | 32.4 Gbps (HBR3, 8b/10b) | 25.92 Gbps | Yes, when both ends support it |
| DisplayPort 2.1 | 80 Gbps (UHBR20, 128b/132b) | 77.37 Gbps | Yes, when both ends support it |
Thunderbolt 3 is planned as carrying DisplayPort 1.2 per screen (some Thunderbolt 3 laptops carry 1.4: check the spec page), Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 as DisplayPort 1.4, Thunderbolt 5 as DisplayPort 2.1. A picture's need is its pixel clock under VESA Coordinated Video Timings with reduced blanking (version 2: 80-pixel horizontal blank, at least 460 microseconds of vertical blank) times 24 bits per pixel (30 for 10-bit).
Sources
- HDMI Licensing Administrator: HDMI specifications and cable certification names, hdmi.org/spec
- VESA: DisplayPort standard and certified cable names, displayport.org
- VESA Coordinated Video Timings (CVT) 1.2, reduced blanking v2, vesa.org/vesa-standards
- USB Implementers Forum: USB-C and USB4, usb.org