Does a cheap or an expensive display port cable really matter?

[cwgzz81]

I have been using a really cheap $14 display port cable for a while now for my 144hz monitor and has been working just fine. 
 

However I recently bought a 240hz monitor and it came with a display port cable that is probably a better quality than the one I am using. So I’m wondering if it really matters which one I use.

 

**This post isn’t about monitors or displays, it’s about using a display port cable.**

[Mayday793]

You can definitely have different quality cables that support different features. look this link quick:
https://www.cablematters.com/Blog/DisplayPort/displayport-1-4-vs-1-2
having said that, if you can run your monitor at its rated refresh rate then theres no real reason to use one over the other. 

 

[GoodBytes]

Yes, it does. Ignoring DP version requirement for a moment, as obviously it needs to be the correct to be certified for the required bandwidth.

It doesn't matter when you are below max specs of the cable/GPU/monitor DP version. However, it does matter when you are reaching them.

 

For example, they are reports of people having their screen go blank for a second or so at random, when they run their display at 4K 144Hz or 165Hz (165Hz at 4K is above DP 1.4 specs). Same for HDMI, or any other cable. You really want a cable that is separated from others, well shielded, and of high quality.

 

That said, doesn't mean that expensive cable means good cable... There is a lot of overpriced crap.

Typically, the cable included with the monitor  is tested and certified by the manufacturer of the monitor. The last thing the monitor manufacturer wants is support calls. It costs money, hurts profits. Anything massive, would mean they would need to start to justify things Infront of shareholder and investors. They really don't. So they don't cheap out, and spend the time to certify the stuff they put in the box.

 

That said, you can still have problem if you are in a area where you have a lot of radio frequencies of all kinds, or/and the cable is all bunched up with other cables next to it. And of course, bad luck manufacture error is always a thing... rare... but it could happen, as typically the manufacture doesn't manually test the cable their order from their supplier before putting in the box. Things to keep in mind. But again, only important when you push things to their limits.

 

 

[BobVonBob]

DisplayPort, along with every other modern video connection, uses a digital video signal. You can have cables that aren't good enough or support too old of a standard, but if works, it works. You'll see very obvious signs if it doesn't work, like missing resolutions, a blank screen, wild video glitching, etc.

[GoodBytes]

8 minutes ago, BobVonBob said:

DisplayPort, along with every other modern video connection, uses a digital video signal. You can have cables that aren't good enough or support too old of a standard, but if works, it works. You'll see very obvious signs if it doesn't work, like missing resolutions, a blank screen, wild video glitching, etc.

That is not true. This is a miss conception. You assume that all cables are made equal, but in reality, they aren't.

While digital signal isn't as sensitive as analogue signal by a long mile. That is true, and this is where the saying you said comes from. As we approach higher speeds, for the same cable design, the cable gets more sensitives. So yes, if you have a Display Port 1.4 cable or HDMI 2.0 and you are using 720p 60Hz... yea, who cares what cable you get.

But run the max (or go over) the official specs, mix in a longer cable, say 10ft, you are asking for problems.

 

Even Linus did a video showing this

 

The above applies to ALL cables (beside optical): Ethernet, Thunderbolt, PCI-e extension cables, HDMI, USB, you name it. 

 

[BlueChinchillaEatingDorito]

26 minutes ago, BobVonBob said:

You'll see very obvious signs if it doesn't work, like missing resolutions, a blank screen, wild video glitching, etc.

The issue with the "it's digital so it'll either work or not" mentality is that this can easily lead people to misdiagnose display issues to either the monitor or the display adapter. The inconsistent nature of which these failures arise will make troubleshooting difficult without throwing parts at the problem. 

[LAwLz]

1 hour ago, GoodBytes said:

That is not true. This is a miss conception. You assume that all cables are made equal, but in reality, they aren't.

While digital signal isn't as sensitive as analogue signal by a long mile. That is true, and this is where the saying you said comes from. As we approach higher speeds, for the same cable design, the cable gets more sensitives. So yes, if you have a Display Port 1.4 cable or HDMI 2.0 and you are using 720p 60Hz... yea, who cares what cable you get.

But run the max (or go over) the official specs, mix in a longer cable, say 10ft, you are asking for problems.

 

Even Linus did a video showing this

 

The above applies to ALL cables (beside optical): Ethernet, Thunderbolt, PCI-e extension cables, HDMI, USB, you name it. 

The statement does not come from a misconception that "all cables are made equally".

 

The statement comes from the fact that it is true. When an analog cable was bad, the picture would look slightly worse. Some pixels might miss some color info and look slightly off for example. When a digital connector like DP is bad, it is very obvious. The screen doesn't just look a bit bad (like with VGA), the picture flat out doesn't work. It might not work by being completely black, it might be blinking, or something along those lines. But if you do get a picture, then it works as intended and will look just as good as any other cable.

 

 

If you connect a DP cable to your monitor and you get a solid picture at the appropriate refresh rate and resolution, then it works. Changing cable will not do you any good.

The same could not be said for analog cables like VGA.

[GoodBytes]

4 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

The statement does not come from a misconception that "all cables are made equally".

 

The statement comes from the fact that it is true. When an analog cable was bad, the picture would look slightly worse. Some pixels might miss some color info and look slightly off for example. When a digital connector like DP is bad, it is very obvious. The screen doesn't just look a bit bad (like with VGA), the picture flat out doesn't work. It might not work by being completely black, it might be blinking, or something along those lines. But if you do get a picture, then it works as intended and will look just as good as any other cable.

 

 

If you connect a DP cable to your monitor and you get a solid picture at the appropriate refresh rate and resolution, then it works. Changing cable will not do you any good.

The same could not be said for analog cables like VGA.

Tell that to the people that have random black screens on their fancy expensive monitors, or Linus who his team faces random issues at times. The cable fails at being reliable. Simple as that.So it doesn't work as it should.

[wanderingfool2]

3 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

Typically, the cable included with the monitor  is tested and certified by the manufacturer of the monitor. The last thing the monitor manufacturer wants is support calls. It costs money, hurts profits. Anything massive, would mean they would need to start to justify things Infront of shareholder and investors. They really don't. So they don't cheap out, and spend the time to certify the stuff they put in the box.

I've had more issues with the cables supplied by the manufacturer than cables bought on Amazon to be honest.

 

Given what Linus' testing video showed, at least the 1.4 DP rated cables on Amazon's choice worked; it also showed that the cable provided by the monitor provider failed.  So to the OP, it all really depends.  Just because it comes with the monitor doesn't mean it's necessarily better.

[LAwLz]

1 hour ago, GoodBytes said:

Tell that to the people that have random black screens on their fancy expensive monitors, or Linus who his team faces random issues at times. The cable fails at being reliable. Simple as that.So it doesn't work as it should.

Did you read my post from start to finish? Because it doesn't sound like you did.

I addressed exactly the thing you brought up.

 

IF the cable works, then it works. You won't get a better picture by upgrading to a better cable.

The screen blinking, not getting the correct refresh rate or not being able to use the highest resolution, falls into the "not working" category. Does OP get a stable image with the correct refresh rate and resolution? Then changing cable will not make any difference. That's a fundamental part about how DP, HDMI and DVI works.

 

 

34 minutes ago, wanderingfool2 said:

Just because it comes with the monitor doesn't mean it's necessarily better.

And if he doesn't have any issues with the old cable then upgrading to a better cable will not make any difference.