DisplayPort or HDMI to DVI for best results?

[Tucumcari]

I have a Dell Laptop with a Nvidia GT 435M graphics card. For video output, the laptop has a Mini-DisplayPort and an HDMI port. The monitor I would like to connect the laptop to is a Samsung 21 inch LCD (1680x1050) with DVI and VGA inputs. I'm assuming I would want to connect them through the DVI port. If that is correct, which set-up will give me the best results?

Mini-DisplayPort to DVI

or

HDMI to DVI


I have also seen references to active and passive adapters for this. What is the difference and which kind will I need?


Thank you for your help

 

[taltamir]

in theory, they should provide identical signal.
HDMI is just DVI single link in a different shapped plug with extra contacts for audio.
display port has a built in passthrough of DVI signal (which is not a problem since it is a digital signal and displayport is just a higher bandwidth digital connection).

So in theory they should all provide identical performance. In practice, I don't know if there are any specific compatibility issues with your specific hardware.

 

[NoQuarter]

The results will be the same quality wise so you can use either, I would just use the HDMI->DVI adapter though.


DisplayPort and DVI are not compatible signals, but the video card can route a DVI signal over the DisplayPort connector. When you plug a passive DP->DVI adapter in, the video card is aware of this and sends the appropriate DVI signal over and all the adapter does is rearrange the connector.

The video card can only produce as many DVI signals as there are clock generators though. Active adapters are able to convert a DisplayPort signal (which don't require clock generators) into a DVI signal. They become necessary when you are trying to get more DVI signals than the video card is capable of producing (usually 2). So you only need active if you are on your 3rd monitor. An active adapter rearranges the connection as well as converts the signal itself with an onboard chip instead of relying on the GPU to do so.

HDMI and DVI are compatible signals. They are essentially the same signal with a different connector.


Technically you should have no problem using either HDMI->DVI or DP->DVI but because you are on a laptop I can't say with certainty it is designed in such a way that the GPU passes a DVI signal across the DP port passively. So I would get the HDMI->DVI just to be safe.

If you ever intend to have it hooked up to both your DVI monitor and an HDMI TV at the same time though you should get the DP->DVI adapter.

 

[taltamir]

just to clarify one of the things NoQuarter said... when he says that DVI and HDMI are compatible he refers to them being "pin compatible" AND "signal compatible"... which is a fancy way of saying that they are the exact same thing only with a different name and a differently shaped plug... (well, the video portion is the same, they added an audio connection)

And also, it wasn't clear when I said it, but the "potential incompatibilities" i was referring to were display port to DVI thing... since HDMI video portion is a DVI signal in a different plug shape then its practically guaranteed to work right.

 

[Tucumcari]

Thanks everyone for the information. Looks like I'll be getting an HDMI to DVI adapter.