DVI-D vs HDMI vs ?

[kmcintyre]

I'm building a new box based on the Asus h87M-Plus and i7-4770s. I have a number of options available for connecting a monitor to the onboard graphics.

Also, I'm eyeing a 30" Dell monitor with 2560 x 1600 resolution. But I've seen people plug their laptops into their big screen TV via HDMI. I'm pretty sure they are displaying desktops with resolution higher than 1080 vertical pixels.

TVs are way cheaper than a Dell 30"...

So what's the scoop on how this all works?

Thanks

Keith

 

[ssddx]

most televisions are 1920x1080p resolution (with the exception of the brand new 4k televisions and older 720p televisions that is).

honestly there is no real difference in quality betwen dvi-d and hdmi. the two are comparable and there are adapter cables available to convert between the different pin arrangements. in fact i personally use a dvi-d to attach to my hdtv (see link in sig for setup photo)

yes, some televisions are cheaper than the dell 3011 which normally hovers about $1000 (i've seen it as low as $850 and as high as $1200). they are all going to be no higher than 1080p or 1920x1080. they also arent guaranteed to have an ips screen which is highly color accurate like the 3011 has.

what are you planning on doing with your integrated (onboard) graphics? it should work fine for 1080p streaming videos and even 2560x1440 performance should be adequate for playing video content. however... its not going to play any games. at 1080p you might manage on the lowest possible settings but at 2560x1440 i would doubt anything will run smoothly even on lowest settings.

integrated is also not ideal for photoshop, video editing, 3d rendering, etcetera. however if all you do is email, office, youtube, play dvds, etcetera then it is sufficiently fine.

with that said... back to the monitor/tv side of things.... many people like using a large tv because it allows more of a multimedia experience. you can play movies and steam from the web onto a large screen which is more ideal for watching content than a tiny computer screen. some people such as myself like to play games on the large screen as well and it really works out great if you have one tv/ht system which has many things connected (such as a ps3, dvd player, computer, etcetera). for getting actual office work done though a monitor is best since the higher dpi (more pixels per inch due to the screen being smaller) makes things clearer and a bit easier to read at times.

i find a monitor more productive since its easier to read.
i find a tv better for video and entertainment since its larger and more immersive
thats the short version of things..

 

[kmcintyre]

Thanks! I plan on using the box for Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) use. No games. Sounds like the Dell onitor is better suited for my purposes. DVI-D will probably be my choice as I believe the monitor comes with that cable. But if not, I have many HDMI cables. Sounds like they will work as well.

This is a fanless PC. I can install a video card if need be, but I'm hoping the Haswell graphics will be sufficient. Fanless video cards?

Cheers!

Keith

 

[ssddx]

i wouldnt subject a fanless pc to any sort of heavy load as it will run hot.

a fanless gpu (yes they exist) are often the lower end models however they still need airflow inside the case to cool and a fanless pc does not have this. you would have to buy a fanless case with a video card internal since they custom bend and connect heatpipes up to the case outer frame where the fins are.

even if its fanless the case still needs some decent airflow around it to radiate the heat away.

instead of fanless i would instead just op for some nice big heatsink and a closed front case with fans on slow. so while not "silent" its pretty darn close.

digital audio recording/editing doesnt require a strong soundcard so integrated might be fine. not sure how a heavy cpu load affects onboard-cpu graphics so cant comment if a heavy load would be an issue or not. but provided this is a non-issue then you should be fine with the onboard.

 

[manofchalk]

For that Dell monitor you would want to use DVI-D or Displayport, HDMI cant support 1440p 60hz I don't think, which is why you wont find a HDMI port on the monitor.
Basically, only use HDMI if your at 1080p 60hz or under. Anything above and you want Displayport or DL-DVI.

 

[ssddx]

HDMI 1.3 supports resolution 2560x1600 at 75Hz at 24 bits/pixel, and 60Hz at 30 bits/pixel.

dell 3011 is h-ips. not sure if its a true 10bit (its probably just 8bit + FRC). even if it was 10 bit that would mean 30bit/px @60hz is within range of hdmi 1.3 let alone the hdmi 1.4 that the 4770 supports

from 4770k data sheet.

DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4, and 3D support

so i'd say either hdmi or dvi-d should all be fine. my personal choice would be to use dvi though.

 

[manofchalk]

Appears I was mistaken then, the mobo even explicitly states 1600p 60hz support on its product page.

EDIT: Must have been thinking of 4K come to think of it, a single HDMI cable can only do 4k at 30hz.