VGA to DVI adapter as good as a DVI cable?

For the best quality, use the DVI cable separately. Your PC processes the video digitally, then converts it to an analog signal via VGA, then back to digital with the adapter, which can degrade quality. Using the DVI cable will keep the signal digital all the way to the TV, keeping it cleaner, and more true. 1024x768 is a resolution, not a refresh rate, which would be 60Hz (1024x768 @60Hz). That is how fast the picture on the monitor/TV redraws itself. If you change the refresh rate too high, you can damage the monitor, so to be safe, stay at the 60Hz (to check, it's usually at: right click desktop>properties>settings tab> advanced>monitor tab and in XP, check the "hide modes that this monitor cannot display" box.) If you can, set the monitor at it's native resolution, I believe the specs say it's 1280 x 720 pixels. That will also increase the picture quality because the monitor won't have to change the picture to fit the 1280 x 720 resolution that it always displays. A CRT monitor can change resolution, an LCD monitor has set pixels that don't change. Instead, it takes the 1024x768 image and changes it to make it fit a 1280 x 720 space (which should stretch quite a bit also). Hope that helps.