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The Difference Between HDMI, DVI, and VGA

Forum Graphic & Displays : Graphics Cards - The Difference Between HDMI, DVI, and VGA

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Kind of a noobish question, but an important one nevertheless. What differentiates HDMI, DVI, and VGA? I know VGA is the weakest of all three, so why should I choose HDMI over DVI, and vice-versa?

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HDMI and DVI use the same signalling roughly, although HDMI does not have the same maximum resolution (HDMI goes to 1920x1200 or so, DVI can go to 2560x1600 if it is dual link). Also, HDMI can carry audio. If you don't need audio, and will be running at 1920x1200 or less, there should be no obvious difference between the two.

Reply to cjl

HDMI supports upto 2560x1600 @ 32bit and carries audio, DVI-I carries upto 1920x1200 @ 32bit and doesn't carry audio, VGA carries upto 2048x1536, doesn't carry audio and uses an analog transmission.

Reply to Helloworld_98

HDMI and DVI, basically the same thing, both digital although i think only DVI can also carry analog signals for use with an vga port on some monitors.

Also, i believe dvi can carry audio as well.

------------------------------ I'm a git, deal with it.

Antec 1200,PC Power & Cooling 750,Gigabyte DS4-x48,Intel Q9550@3.4 W/Xigmatek S1283,8GB OCZ DDR2 800,ATI 4870X2,X-FI>CA 640C amp>Tannoy R300/Senn 595's
Reply to Strangestranger
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is it me or is it that cjl, helloworld and stangestranger just gave different differences..^-^

Reply to binwhui

Well, if you take bits and pieces from both the truth will be in there somewhere :lol:

------------------------------ I'm a git, deal with it.

Antec 1200,PC Power & Cooling 750,Gigabyte DS4-x48,Intel Q9550@3.4 W/Xigmatek S1283,8GB OCZ DDR2 800,ATI 4870X2,X-FI>CA 640C amp>Tannoy R300/Senn 595's
Reply to Strangestranger

VGA: Analog signal. Limited by bandwith which prevents higher resolutions.
DVI: Digital signal. Usually can not carry audio*, **
HDMI: Digital signal. Can carry audio and video data.***

*Some DVI solutions can carry sound when signal is converted to HDMI. Both NVIDIA and ATI GPU's, using their DVI-HDMI adaptor, can carry audio over the connection. This is not typical of DVI connections though.

**There are various forms of DVI connections, each with a slightly diffrent pin layout. The most common reference is to the digital connection used to hook up from a GPU to a moniter, although other DVI connections, including an analog DVI, exist.

***HDMI, in part to much higher bandwith, can carry an audio signal alongside a video signal. For Video, HDMI and DVI signals are exactly the same, and can be converted back and forth with ease. For audio, HDMI is also the only solution that can carry high end 7.1 sound to sound systems, thanks in part to its higher bandwith, which has farther made HDMI the new standard for Home Theatre systems. (Spdif, the previous digital connection for sound, can only carry compressed (DD/DTS) 5.1 sound)

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Reply to gamerk316
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