In order to connect a personal computer to the screen and feed it content, we need to use one of the industry-standardized interfaces. Although there are older ones like DVI or VGA and more modern ones like USB Type-C, the two most advanced and popular today are HDMI and DisplayPort.

Whether we connect a PC to a TV or a computer monitor, the main goal is to transmit video and audio content in the best possible conditions. HDMI and DisplayPort are advanced standards that serve all kinds of uses, but which one is better suited to the demanding world of PC gaming? We are trying to answer a question that many users ask themselves.

HDMI

High definition multimedia interface it’s a standard that the industry introduced to replace the old Scart. Allows use HD video, encrypted and uncompressed, plus multi-channel audio also uncompressed in a single cable. Other benefits include features like HDMI-CEC (HDMI Consumer Electronics Control), which lets you control many devices with a single remote. Its focus is clear, and in addition to its use on computers, it is the interface of choice for multimedia devices connected to large screens such as televisions.

The standard HDMI connector is type A and has 19 pins. Type B with 29 pins allows to carry an extended video channel for high resolution displays. They are available in full size (type A), mini-HDMI (type B) and micro-HDMI (type C). Clear point in your favor is a massive extension of it as you will find it on any type of device.

Among its disadvantagesNote that their connector is less rigid than previous display standards (such as VGA) and is more likely to be accidentally disconnected and cause physical or electrical failure. Another criticism is the inclusion of digital content protection (HDCP) as a “digital restrictions” manager that prevents copying of user-transmitted content.

HDMI has seen many revisions since its inception in 2002. Today, the most used versions are 1.4 and 2.0. This fixed the bandwidth limitations of previous versions up to 18 Gbps to achieve 60 FPS in 4K and 144 Hz in 1080p. HDMI 2 also includes important advantages in other sections, support for high dynamic range (HDR) and support for color depth, up to 10 and 12 bits. This version has retained plug-in level compatibility, and previous versions can be used to gain their benefits.

HDMI 2.1 was the last version of the standard to emerge and marked a breakthrough in the standard by increasing the maximum bandwidth to 48 GB/s. This will give you access to resolutions 8K and 10K at 60 Hz and at 120 Hz in 4K. In addition, dynamic HDR is available in this version for all resolutions and has other features such as variable refresh rate, enhanced audio return (eARC) and support for Dolby Atmos and DTS: X. Although it was introduced back in 2017, it has not yet been widely deployed.

Comment that a new version has already been announced, HDMI 2.1a. Contains a new function called Source based tone mapping (abbreviated as SBTM), which is an enhancement to HDR dynamic range technology that allows a video source (either a PC or game console) to handle HDR tone mapping on a screen such as a monitor or television. And we mention it because this is a feature focused on video game performance, as it should allow devices to combine HDR, SDR and dynamic HDR graphics to create images that developers program.

display port

DisplayPort was the last major display interface standard to hit the market. Designed by VESA in 2008, it was specifically designed for content transmission (video, audio and data) between PC and monitor or more. Its connector has 20 pins (32 internal connectors for laptops) and has a small mechanism that ensures it fits into the device. As in HDMI, you can find full-size or reduced-size (with the same functions) Mini DisplayPort (MiniDP or mDP) connectors.

Today they are the most widespread versions 1.3 and 1.4, with a bandwidth of up to 32.4 Gbps. This opens the door to 8K resolution for 7,680 x 4,320 pixels. The supported audio signal supports a maximum of 8 channels without compression, 192 kHz, 24-bit. It also optionally supports digital restriction (DPCP) with 128-bit AES encryption, and since revision 1.1 supports content protection via the more widespread HDCP standard.

Their range of maximum supported video frequencies varies. All versions of DisplayPort support 144Hz at 1080p. Version 1.2 supports 144Hz at 2K resolution. v1.3 supports up to 120Hz at 4K or 8K at 30Hz. Version 1.4 scales up to 144Hz at 4K with Display Stream Compression (DSC) and supports up to 8K at 60Hz with HDR.

The latest version of the standard is Display Port 2.0. The version boosts bandwidth into the stratosphere 77.37 Gbps. Supports 144Hz refresh rate in 4K, upscales 8K to 120Hz and introduces support 16K (30Hz) which HDMI does not yet support. It’s by far the richest screen interface in the industry, but it’s not very widespread.

HDMI or DisplayPort in a gaming PC?

The latest versions of both interfaces are so advanced that most consumers will be fine with either. Graphics cards, both dedicated and integrated, have outputs from both, just as monitors have corresponding inputs. There is cabling of all kinds as well as adapters from one to the other, although the benefits are lost.

But a user who wants to play on PC at a certain level selects DisplayPort as the reference interface. HDMI 2.1 has come close in performance, but is still lower in several sections such as bandwidth or supported resolution.

If you use an NVIDIA graphics card and a monitor that supports G-Sync image synchronization technology, the choice is even clearer in favor of DisplayPort, since the green giant does not support HDMI in this type of configuration.

The same can be said if you want to use multi-screen configurations. DisplayPort marks distances above all others, because one of its advantages is the ability to transmit video content to multiple screens via Multi-Stream Transport (MST) technology. The port is ‘splittable’ via hubs and displays can be daisy-chained. It’s the section that doesn’t (and won’t) have HDMI.

Total: DisplayPort should be the interface of choice for PC gamers. It is specifically designed for personal computers and offers more features and options than HDMI, which is more specialized for connecting multimedia devices to large screens such as televisions or video game consoles where Display Port is not available.