How To Change Dvi To Hdmi On Pc

HDMI vs DVI: A no-nonsense guide

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HDMI vs DVI probably isn't a question that keeps you up at night, but it is important to know the difference. A creative'due south workstation is never run of the mill, with cartoon tablets, graphic design laptops and multiple monitors all piling upward effectually united states equally we try to get our work done. All those peripherals littering our desks need to be hooked up somehow – but how exactly should it be washed? Not infrequently, that comes downward to a simple question: do you need an HDMI or DVI cable?

Each looks different, works differently, and supports different outputs. To the untrained eye, it can be a minefield of resolutions, data rates and supported features. Then, which should you lot get?

The answer depends on more than just the ports on your best laptop for graphic design or i of the best monitors. But fear non, our no-nonsense guide lays out exactly why y'all might need each cable, and which is the best choice for creatives right now.

HDMI vs DVI — Comparison HDMI and DVI plugs shows the large difference in size between them (Prototype credit: Rankie)

HDMI and DVI are simple to tell apart thanks to their contrasting footprints. Unlike the myriad forms of USB cables, which often look deceptively similar, HDMI and DVI ports look strikingly different.

Existence the older standard, information technology'south maybe unsurprising that DVI is the larger of the ii. Viewed front end on, a typical DVI plug is rectangular in shape, with a matrix of (usually) 24 pins three rows deep making upwards the bulk of its front side. To the right of this matrix is a foursquare consisting of four more than pins. The whole arrangement is flanked on either side by screws that set it in place. The number of pins, combined with the screws, make DVI a relatively big plug.

HDMI, in dissimilarity, is much smaller. Its plug consists of a slim rectangle with a sloped lip beneath it. In the eye is a thin gap surrounded by 19 pins. Despite having shut to the aforementioned number of pins as DVI, HDMI plugs are much more compact, in part due to their lack of securing screws.

Notation that it is possible to go Mini and Micro versions of both DVI and HDMI plugs. Mini-DVI and Micro-DVI are only found on older Apple tree computers such as the original MacBook Air and 2009 Mac mini. Mini-HDMI and Micro-HDMI tin be found on a wider diversity of devices, including some tablets and phones, simply are yet uncommon compared to standard HDMI plugs.

HDMI vs DVI: Compatibility

One of the most important questions when it comes to deciding between HDMI and DVI is what each standard works with and whether it'll piece of work with your devices. The first affair you lot can do towards answering this is check the ports on your hardware. Some estimator motherboards volition have ports for both, for example, while your TV or monitor may only back up ane or the other.

These days, HDMI is much more mutual than DVI. That's especially true on laptops, where HDMI's smaller connector is much more probable to make an advent due to its space-saving pattern. Y'all're likely to observe it on computers, TVs, monitors, games consoles and a diverseness of other hardware types.

Even so, even HDMI is not as common as it in one case was, as both DisplayPort and USB-C have eaten into its marketplace share. Equally we mentioned earlier, the best thing to do is cheque your hardware to see what exactly yous'll demand. Don't forget that you can e'er get an adaptor if you need to connect two mismatched devices.

HDMI vs DVI: Quality

Both DVI and HDMI accept certain limitations on what they can display, both in terms of an output device's resolution and its refresh rate. Given that HDMI is newer than DVI, it'southward unsurprising that it works with better specifications in both cases.

The latest version of HDMI (two.1) can back up a maximum data rate of 42.6 Gbit/sec. That ways information technology can support some truly impressive resolution and refresh rate combinations: up to 4K at 144 Hz natively, or a mind-boggling 8K at 120 Hz using Display Stream Compression. It also works with HDR video output (although its maximum resolutions and refresh rates take a slight hitting given the increased bandwidth used by HDR video).

DVI, meanwhile, only has a maximum data rate of 9.9 Gbit/sec. Taking that into account, the maximum resolution and refresh rate it can support is 3840x2400 at 30 Hz, or 2560x1600 at lx Hz.

Too as its notable visual advantages, HDMI tin transfer sound signals, something DVI is unable to practise. That means streaming a video from 1 device to another but requires 1 cable with HDMI; with DVI, y'all likewise need to account for audio cables.

HDMI vs DVI: Cost

Regardless of whether y'all need an HDMI or DVI cable, neither is likely to gear up you back very much. For example, you can pick up an HDMI cable on Amazon for or a DVI cable for around $v/£five. Both standards' popularity ways neither will cost you much.

You may sometimes see expensive versions of each cablevision doing the rounds, with fancy-sounding features and eye-watering cost tags. Don't be fooled. Even the cheapest HDMI or DVI cable will get your signal to its destination merely equally fast as the near expensive ane, without leaving a galling dent in your finances.

HDMI vs DVI: Which should yous buy?

If you're looking at figurer components such as motherboards and must choose betwixt one that supports HDMI and i that supports DVI, nosotros'd advise the former every time. HDMI is a more than modernistic standard and supports much higher resolutions and refresh rates, and volition besides piece of work with a wider variety of peripheral devices.

If you accept a DVI device that you need to claw up to another device, you tin e'er employ an HDMI to DVI cablevision or an adapter; neither is probable to price you much more than a fiver. Given that HDMI cables are more modern, more common and often cheaper than their DVI equivalents, there's no real reason to stick to DVI unless y'all actually have to.

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Alex Blake is a freelance tech journalist who writes for Creative Bloq, TechRadar, Digital Trends, and others. Before going freelance he was commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine, focusing on the world of Apple products. His interests include spider web design, typography, and video games.