HDMI vs DisplayPort

Which one should you use?

 Physical Differences

HDMI Connector

DisplayPort Connector

HDMI and DisplayPort connections are physically very similar. HDMI uses a 19-pin cable, while DisplayPort has 20 pins. Both connectors look alike, but most DisplayPort cables have a physical latch that prevents them from being disconnected accidentally, even if it isn't part of the DisplayPort standard. On the other hand, very few HDMI cables have latches.

While the most common inputs and cables have the standard HDMI and DisplayPort connector types, Mini HDMI, Micro HDMI, and Mini DisplayPort connectors also exist. They're smaller but still support the same media formats and bandwidth. Only a handful of monitors have these connections, as most have the standard HDMI and DisplayPort inputs.

Maximum Length

Although there's no maximum cable length for officially certified HDMI cables, longer cables have a greater chance of introducing issues, like dropped signals. Because of this, for a cable to receive HDMI certification, it needs to properly work at whichever length it's available. Of course, plenty of HDMI cables out there don't have official certification, so it can be easy for manufacturers to make longer cables and claim they work, but buying one of these poses a risk that they won't work.

The same issues occur with long DisplayPort cables. Because of this, DisplayPort has set a maximum length of 10 feet, but most cables are shorter than that. Like with HDMI cables, you can easily find longer ones, but they aren't officially certified and may not work.

Versions & Bandwidth

Both HDMI and DisplayPort have released different versions throughout the years with various bandwidth limitations and supported formats. Even after releasing a new version, both DisplayPort and HDMI have released slight revisions, so sometimes you may see HDMI 2.0 called HDMI 2.0a, for example. Below, you can see some of the features of more recent HDMI and DisplayPort versions. There are older versions, like HDMI 1.0 through 1.3 and DisplayPort 1.0/1.1, but these aren't common on monitors.

Supported Resolutions

The maximum resolution and refresh rate available depend on the specific versions of DisplayPort and HDMI on both your monitor and your source. This means you can have an HDMI 2.1 monitor, but if your graphics card only supports HDMI 2.0 bandwidth, your signal is limited to HDMI 2.0 bandwidth. Conversely, if you're using an HDMI 2.0 monitor with an HDMI 2.1 source, the bandwidth is still limited to HDMI 2.0 bandwidth. Essentially, the max resolution and refresh rate depend on the lowest bandwidth available from both your source and monitor.

Below you can see the max refresh rate with common resolutions using uncompressed 8-bit and 10-bit signals with chroma 4:4:4. You can use Display Stream Compression (DSC) to reach higher refresh rates as long as your graphics card supports it, which most do. Although using DSC doesn't result in a noticeable loss in image quality, it can still cause some issues if not implemented properly.

Although this table helps you understand the maximum possible refresh rate with each signal, it doesn't mean your monitor will reach that refresh rate. Often, the max refresh rate is a common refresh rate below the max, like 60Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, etc., as reaching other refresh rates like 206Hz is uncommon and requires a custom resolution.

We also measure the max refresh rate of each monitor we test with 8-bit and 10-bit signals, so it's best to check reviews if this concerns you when looking for a new monitor. Below is a table of the max refresh rate that we commonly see on monitors at various resolutions, and this includes signals that use DSC, as you can still use the monitor at a higher refresh rate than the theoretical max for a certain resolution.

Learn more about HDMI 2.1

Key Features And Differences

Each interface supports a few features, so choosing to use one over the other can also depend on which features you want to use. Below are some examples.

Multi-Stream Transport (MST)

First introduced with DisplayPort 1.2, Multi-Stream Transport, or MST, allows you to connect multiple displays amongst each other in a chain to a single DisplayPort connection on your computer. This is also called daisy chaining. Although the total bandwidth can't exceed the maximum bandwidth of the port you're using, in theory, this technology allows you to run up to 63 separate displays on a single port. Monitors with a daisy chaining port can support DisplayPort out to connect a second display, or you have to use an external hub.

HDMI doesn't natively support MST, but it's possible to achieve similar results using DisplayPort to HDMI hubs. This still requires a DisplayPort connection on the source device.

Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)

Most modern monitors and graphics cards support VRR to reduce screen tearing, which works over HDMI and DisplayPort. The main difference between these two connections is that for most monitors, G-SYNC VRR only works over DisplayPort. Some monitors do support G-SYNC over HDMI, but they either need to support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, which in turn means they support HDMI Forum VRR, or they have native G-SYNC support instead of G-SYNC compatibility.

If you have an NVIDIA graphics card and want to use VRR, it's best to use a DisplayPort connection unless you know your monitor supports it over HDMI.

Learn more about the difference between FreeSync and G-SYNC

USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode

Not every device has HDMI or DisplayPort ports, but they can still support video and audio signals. The most common way of achieving this is using DisplayPort Alt Mode over USB-C. As the name suggests, DisplayPort Alt Mode is a type of DisplayPort media interface, so it supports many of the same features and bandwidth. Devices with USB-C ports, like laptops (including MacBooks and Chromebooks), phones, and even the Nintendo Switch, support DisplayPort Alt Mode, so they can send a video signal to a monitor that supports it, too.

There are a few advantages to using DisplayPort Alt Mode. Many monitors provide power over USB-C, so you can charge your laptop while using it. The USB-C port also serves as a USB upstream port, so you can connect your devices directly to other USB ports on the monitor and use them with your computer.

Learn more about different USB ports on your monitor

eARC/ARC

One of the most popular features that HDMI has, which DisplayPort doesn't, is eARC/ARC support. This allows you to connect a compatible soundbar over HDMI and passthrough common audio formats from an external source to the soundbar. For example, you can connect your Blu-ray to the display and have a soundbar play high-quality audio signals, like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. However, this feature is very uncommon on monitors and is more common on TVs, so if you have a monitor, it's best to connect your soundbar directly to your multimedia device.

Learn more about eARC & ARC passthrough

Graphics Cards

As mentioned earlier, your device and monitor need to support the same max bandwidth to take full advantage of each other. Many modern graphics cards support at least HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, which NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series and AMD Radeon RX 6000 Series and newer graphics cards support. Graphics cards are coming out with DisplayPort 2.1 as well, like the AMD Radeon RX 7000 Series cards, but this is still in its infancy on monitors.

Performance

Besides the different max refresh rates and resolutions each connection type supports, there really isn't much difference between using the two. The picture quality is the same, and more importantly, the response time and input lag are the same no matter which connection you use. This means that if both connections result in the same max refresh rate, there's no difference in choosing one over the other.

Compatibility

Lastly, HDMI has an advantage over DisplayPort when it comes to compatibility and availability with devices. Most common devices, from Blu-ray players to soundbars, have HDMI ports, while DisplayPort is mainly available with computers and monitors. While this doesn't make a difference if you have a computer and want to connect your monitor, it is something to consider if you want to connect other devices, like gaming consoles. That said, most monitors have HDMI ports as well.

Conclusion

DisplayPort and HDMI cables deliver very similar performance, but they each have advantages and disadvantages. HDMI is supported on more devices, but DisplayPort, which was designed for computers, has a few technical advantages. Overall, if you're looking to connect your computer to a new monitor, choosing which connection type to use depends on your device, like your computer's graphics card, as you'll want something that takes full advantage of your monitor's capabilities. There aren't any differences in performance between the connection types, like picture quality, response time, or input lag, so knowing which one to choose really depends on the maximum refresh rate you can achieve with each of them.