There a number of different cable standards out there and we’ll cover them all here at GamingMonitors-UK. When buying a monitor you will need to make sure it is compatible with your PC’s graphics card. This isn’t always as simple as it should be so it is worth getting an understanding of what each of the ports are and whether your graphics card will play nicely with your new gaming monitor. If you have any doubts, do contact your supplier who should be happy to offer further assistance. Buying the wrong thing could prove costly.
In this post we are looking at the Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connector, more specifically the variations of this type of display port.
DVI-D vs DVI-I
DVI-D is the is the digital variation of this cable, in most modern situations this is the variant that you will need. If you buy a new gaming monitor today I would be very surprised if it is supplied with a digital only connection. In fact, many modern monitors now use HDMI or DisplayPort style ports.
DVI-I is the integrated connector, this combines both an analog and a digital signal into one cable. With one of these it is possible to attach a VGA converter to the port and use it with an older VGA analogue monitor. There is also a DVI-A socket that is analog only, you are unlikely to come across this but if you do, be aware that it will not work with digital monitors.
What is dual link DVI?
Dual link increases the bandwidth and allows higher resolution or refresh rates. Dual link DVI is required if you want to run your monitor at 144Hz, and make sure the cable is a dual link cable else it ain’t gonna work! Without dual link you are limited to 1920×1080 at 60Hz. I would be surprised if a modern card doesn’t come with a dual link DVI port.
- DVI-D: Sends just a digital signal to your monitor
- DVI-I: Is able to sends out a digital and an an analog signal through the same port
A DVI-D cable is compatible with the DVI-I connector but it will only reads the digital output whilst ignoring the analog signal. Note that a DVI-I cable is not compatible with DVI-D due to the extra pins.
DVI has been replaced by the DisplayPort standard which allows for much higher bandwidths. So if you are looking to future proof yourself and ensure 8K compatibility, DisplayPort is the way forward. The well established HDMI standard is also superior.
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