DVI 101

You've finally decided to replace your bulky, workhorse CRT monitor with a modern, stylish and compact TFT display. You might think making the switch involves merely unplugging your analog cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor and plugging in your new digital TFT display. Replace the old monitor with the TFT, connect it to your VGA card, and you're done, right? Not necessarily.

Since we're talking about computers here, things are hardly ever straightforward. There are some issues to look out for, at least if you're aiming for the best results, meaning optimal image quality.

So what needs to be considered when using a TFT display? The answer involves learning the basics of how DVI (Digital Visual Interface) works, which is gradually replacing the classical VGA connection between the graphics card and the monitor. Our main focus here is on the graphics card, which is responsible for generating the DVI signal. We also tested six NVIDIA and ATI-based graphics cards for DVI compliance.