Is DisplayPort Better Than HDMI?

The most common question that appears in the minds of the users while differentiating between the DisplayPort and HDMI is “Is DisplayPort better than HDMI?” But the issue that arises during the selection of ports for the display is the type of your monitor as well.

Firstly, check whether your monitor is compatible with the specific port or not. Some people also question “Is DisplayPort the same as HDMI?” It is of obvious importance that the type of your port will definitely show the quality of the image, refresh rate, and the lagging of the video content as well.

No matters which type of port comes in your monitor, whether it is a DisplayPort or HDMI following are the details and the most authentic information about the difference between both these standard ports of today. Following are the major differences between that you might look to differentiate HDMI port from DisplayPort. So let’s start the battle between HDMI 2.0 vs DisplayPort 1.4.

DisplayPort V/S HDMI: Which Is The Best?

HDMI vs DP is the absolute battle and everyone tries to find out the major difference between both these ports. When you are looking for the display port options, there are two remarkably similar ports which are HDMI and the DisplayPort.

After understanding the difference between these two ports, then you are more likely to select the one just according to your needs and requirements. We have also penned down the difference between HDMI and DisplayPort.

Besides some major differences and other factors, your tasks also change your preferences about both these ports. Another important thing to know is that your monitor may support both these connections, but it may work on some different versions as well.

So let us find out the ultimate difference between both these ports. Let us start the never-ending battle between the DisplayPort and HDMI port with no delay.

DisplayPort

So here the question is “Is DisplayPort better than HDMI?” There are devices that come up with an HDMI connection rather than a DisplayPort. This clearly describes the answer to the battle between DisplayPort vs HDMI port DisplayPort is better than the HDMI port. Without compression, you can get up to 4K resolution at a 120-hertz refresh rate.

The new generation of consoles comes up with HDMI ports, so Display Port is not a better option for people with gaming consoles. There are many variants of DisplayPort that depend upon the latest model of your monitor. DisplayPort 1.4 is the most commonly used port present in most monitors nowadays.

This port shows a maximum bandwidth of about 32.4 Gbps that can give up the maximum resolution and exceptionally potential frame rate as well. The following chart will describe the perfect information about the different versions of DisplayPorts and make you know which is better: HDMI or DisplayPort?

DisplayPort Versions	Max Transmission Rate	Max Data Rate	Resolution/Refresh Rate Support (24 bpp)	GPU Introduction
1.0-1.1a	10.8 Gbps	8.64 Gbps	1080p @ 144 Hz	AMD HD 3000 (R600
1.2-1.2a	21.6 Gbps	17.28 Gbps	1080p @ 240 Hz	AMD HD 6000 (Northern Islands)
1.3	32.4 Gbps	25.92 Gbps	1080p @ 360 Hz	AMD RX 400 (Polaris)
1.4-1.4a	32.4 Gbps	25.92 Gbps	8K @ 120 Hz w/ DSC	AMD RX 400 (Polaris)
2	80.0 Gbps	77.37 Gbps	77.37 Gbps	Future GPUs

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HDMI

Is HDMI or DisplayPort better? Just like DisplayPort HDMI port also comes in a large variety of variants for providing the users with exceptional performance, as a high refresh rate is the characteristic feature of this HDMI port. The most standard variant of HDMI port that comes in most of the monitors nowadays is HDMI 2.0.

If you are facing some chroma sub-sampling issue, then HDMI 2.0 can even avoid this issue on a serious note as well. HDMI vs DisplayPort quality is the actual battle. DisplayPort vs HDMI 2.0, which is better? The maximum bandwidth if you see in the HDMI 2.1 version, then it will be double to the 48 Gbps.

You can even enjoy 4K resolutions at 120 Hertz and 8K resolutions at 30 Hertz if you are using HDMI 2.1. The major edge of having an HDMI port on your monitor is that most of the gaming consoles such as PlayStations and Xbox come in the HDMI approach. These numerics will definitely urge you to know that Is DisplayPort better than HDMI?

HDMI Versions	Max Transmission Rate	Max Data Rate	Resolution/Refresh Rate Support (24 bpp)	GPU Introduction
1.0-1.2a	4.95 Gbps	3.96 Gbps	1080p @ 60 Hz	AMD HD 2000 (R600)
1.3-1.4b	10.2 Gbps	8.16 Gbps	1080p @ 144 Hz	AMD HD 5000
2.0-2.0b	18.0 Gbps	14.4 Gbps	1080p @ 240 Hz	AMD RX 400 (Polaris)
2.1	48.0 Gbps	42.6 Gbps	4K @ 144 Hz (240 Hz w/DSC)	Partial 2.1 VRR on Nvidia Turing

Bandwidth requirement of both these HDMI and DisplayPort are widely diversified, and we have compiled all the information down here in a chart for your better understanding. Every single pixel that appears on your screen is composed of overall three components and these are red, green, and blue.

The standard color in the past was 24 bits or 8 bits dedicated to each blue, green, and red color. This is the ultimate battle between DP cable vs HDMI. By the use of the VESA spreadsheet, you can easily calculate the bandwidth requirements of the HDMI, DisplayPort, or even DVI port as well.

The 1080p monitor is working at 60 Hertz of refresh rate, then you can say that 2000 pixels are displaying in each of the horizontal lines. The more precise the bandwidth of your port, the more lag-free and really brightener you will get in your display.

Some Standard Resolution Bandwidth Requirements

Resolution	Color Depth	Refresh Rate (Hz)	Required Data Bandwidth
1920 x 1080	8-bit	60	3.20 Gbps
1920 x 1080	10-bit	60	4.00 Gbps
1920 x 1080	8-bit	144	8.00 Gbps
1920 x 1080	10-bit	144	10.00 Gbps
2560 x 1440	8-bit	60	5.63 Gbps
2560 x 1440	10-bit	60	7.04 Gbps
2560 x 1440	8-bit	144	14.08 Gbps
2560 x 1440	10-bit	144	17.60 Gbps
3840 x 2160	8-bit	60	12.54 Gbps
3840 x 2160	10-bit	60	15.68 Gbps
3840 x 2160	8-bit	144	31.35 Gbps
3840 x 2160	10-bit	144	39.19 Gbps

Difference Based On Connectors

Type of the connector is one of the major differences between both these DisplayPort and HDMI ports. The shape and the size of the connector are not the same in these ports. You should choose such a cable that comes with a specific connector. This connector should be compatible with your monitor and the gaming console or gaming PC, whatever you are using.

When looking at the standard type A HDMI port, you see that there are 19 pins present in it. These pins are arranged vertically. If you are looking for a mini or micro connector in HDMI, then it would be a quite challenging task for you. But these micro or mini HDMI have the same 19 pins symmetry they are only smaller. The connector’s configuration will also clearly describe the answer to the question “Is DisplayPort better than HDMI?”

If you come across the standard DisplayPort connector, then you will come to know that 20 pins are present in the connector. These pins are arrayed in a rectangular manner and one corner of the connector is notched to ensure perfect orientation. The connector of DisplayPort also has hooks to make the connection more firm so that cables get in place.

Which Is Better DisplayPort or HDMI For Gaming?

We have covered all the technical details and major information to understand the difference between DisplayPort and HDMI in this article. But if you want to choose the best cable for gaming, then there are some factors that must be considered. To some extent it depends upon the hardware that you already own or want to buy. Both these standard cables are good for enjoying an extraordinary gaming experience.

But if you want an up-to-the-mark and really immersive gameplay, then DisplayPort 1.4 is better than compared the HDMI 2.0 on a general note. If you have NVIDIA, then the best option for you in the market today is DisplayPort 1.4.

For the gamers who have a GeForce RTX 30 series gaming card, they must choose an HDMI 2.1 port. Great gameplay will definitely answer you about the question “Are Display ports better than HDMI?”

DisplayPort vs HDMI gaming, which is more appealing? Most of G-Sync monitor manufacturing companies prioritize DisplayPorts in their monitor for a better gaming experience. But AMD gamers have a more wide option as they can operate HDMI cable on some inexpensive monitors that come up with FreeSync technology.

But the DisplayPort offers a more refresh rate of about 144 Hertz more easily as compared to the HDMI 2.0 port. So you can easily get your answer about “Is DisplayPort better than HDMI?“

Quick Comparisons

Following are the quick comparisons between different versions of DisplayPorts and HDMI cables as well. By going through these brief but short differentiations, you are more likely to get the most reliable juxtaposition between the specific connection type. Let us leap over them.

HDMI 2.0 vs DisplayPort 1.4

Here we are going to explore the differences between DisplayPort 1.4 vs HDMI 2.0 properly so that you can decide which technology would be better for you. In HDMI 2.0, you can get 2 numbers of displays at the same time.

While if you are using a DisplayPort, then it can offer you up to 4 display connections simultaneously. HDMI can give you 4K resolution at a 60 Hertz refresh rate, while a DisplayPort can provide an 8K resolution at 60 Hertz.

DisplayPort 1.4 vs HDMI

In the comparison of DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI, cable here is a clear win for the DP. With a maximum bandwidth of 32.4 Gbps, the DisplayPort offers you a greater resolution and better potential for quick frame rates as well.

In contrast to DisplayPort, an HDMI cable only offers a maximum bandwidth of 18 Gbps, which suffices to handle a resolution of 1080p up to 240 Hertz. But the more recent versions of HDMI ports have higher-performing capabilities as compared to the older ones.

DisplayPort 1.2 vs HDMI 2.0

The next comparison between DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 will clear up all your ambiguities. If talking about the DisplayPort 1.4, there are some limitations, such as it may only work fine when the settings are adjusted at 144 Hertz with a resolution of 2560×1440. And the 24-bit color combination as well.

But HDMI 2.0 here shows great versatility and can give you high-quality images and video resolution of up to 4K with no kind of restriction in the display settings of your monitor or the gaming console as well.