Side-by-Side Comparison
Display Cables
DisplayPort 2.1 vs. VGA
Comparing 2 standards across 10 specifications. 10 key differences identified.
Comparing:
DisplayPort 2.1
VGA
DisplayPort 2.1, announced October 2022, is a certification-level refinement of the DisplayPort 2.0 specification VESA released back in June 2019. Its fastest UHBR20 mode delivers 80 Gbps raw bandwidth -- enough for a single 10K display at 60Hz uncompressed, or multiple high-refresh 4K/8K displays daisy-chained with compression.
VGA (Video Graphics Array) uses a 15-pin DE-15 D-subminiature connector, introduced by IBM in 1987 alongside the original PS/2 computer. As a purely analog standard with no enforced resolution ceiling, its practical maximum depends on cable and DAC quality, though 2048x1536 @ 85Hz is commonly cited as a practical limit.
Specification Comparison Table
10 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Max Resolution @ Refresh Rate
|
16K @ 60Hz (DSC) / 8K @ 120Hz / 4K @ 240Hz | — |
|
Max Bandwidth / Data Rate
|
80.0 Gbps (UHBR20, 77.37 Gbps payload) | — |
|
Pin Count
|
20 Pins (DP) / USB-C (DP40 / DP80 certified) | — |
|
Display Stream Compression (DSC)
|
DSC 1.2a Mandatory Support | — |
|
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
|
VESA Adaptive-Sync & Panel Replay | — |
|
Max Audio Channels
|
32 Channels | — |
|
Max Recommended Cable Length
|
1–2 Meters (Passive DP80) / 3m (DP40) | — |
|
Connector
|
— | DE-15 (15-pin D-subminiature, 3 rows of 5) |
|
Introduced
|
— | 1987 (IBM) |
|
Commonly Cited Practical Max Resolution
|
— | 2048x1536 @ 85Hz |
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