DVI-D or DVI-I or DVI-DL

[maximus_841]

Hi guys,

Firstly what exactly is DVI-DL? Is it better than HDMI? I need help in finding the best connection to play games in high resolution. I'm planning to buy a PC monitor for gaming and have shortlisted the following:

LG 25UM65 Ultra Wide 2560x1080p 25in IPS-LED


BenQ GW2760HS 27in 1080p VA-LED Backlit


AOC Q2963PM Ultra Wide 2560x1080p 29in IPS-LED

I'd like to know which of these screens is the best for gaming and which of them support DVI-DL.

 

[getochkn]

Google specs to find what supports what. That's all I would do, but with 3 monitors listed, you should waste 10 mins of your life finding your own answer rather than me.

You can also google DVI-dual link and find out what you want about it.

 

[InvalidError]

DVI-I is simply a DVI port that supports both digital and analog output in which you can plug a DVI-to-VGA passive adapter to use a display with VGA input. The digital signals are exactly the same as DVI/DVI-D.

DVI-DL is "dual link" which provides twice the bandwidth of a non-DL DVI port.

HDMI is basically a higher bandwidth version of DVI-D using a smaller connector.

 

[joex444]

DVI-DL simply supports a higher bandwidth than DVI-D (Single Link). DVI-I simply is a connector with the digital link and the analog link (DVI-A) combined - meaning you can use a passive DVI to VGA adapter with it, but these will not work for DVI-D as DVI-D is pure digital. (NB: Connecting a DVI-I cable to a DVI-I port on the GPU and the DVI-D port on the monitor will establish a purely digital link; it will ignore the analog output entirely.)

DVI supports 1080p @ 60Hz with a single link. For 2560x1080 you would need dual link to get it running at 60Hz.

There's a few important things to note here:

1) HDMI (v1.3+) and DisplayPort have higher bandwidths, so using the HDMI or DP on your graphics card, if you have such output, is also an option

2) DVI-D dual link cables have more pins than DVI-D single link cables (that should make sense). Be mindful of your vendor and brand, however, as some DVI-D dual link cables are fakes. They're single link cables with dual link pins on them... which will seemingly work fine as long as you don't use resolutions higher than 1920x1200@60Hz.

3) On your GPU, ensure that the DVI output is dual link capable. Most GPUs in the last few years are, and if they have DP on them they almost certainly are. Since you seem to have a new GPU - high res gaming is a clue - I don't think you need to worry here but it's easy to check now and could save you trouble later.

 

[maximus_841]

Thanks for the info InvalidError. I will mostly be gaming at 1080p. So which connection do you propose to fit with the Zotac GTX 970 4GB? HDMI or DVI-D?

 

[getochkn]

Thanks for the info InvalidError. I will mostly be gaming at 1080p. So which connection do you propose to fit with the Zotac GTX 970 4GB? HDMI or DVI-D?

Or displayport. HDMI won't do greater than 1080p@60hz as already stated, so it's out if you go with an ultrawide.

 

[maximus_841]

Okay. So display port or DVI-DL it is. Thanks again guys for helping me out.

 

[InvalidError]

HDMI won't do greater than 1080p@60hz as already stated

HDMI 1.3 from 2006 officially supports resolutions up to 2560x1600p60.

 

[getochkn]

Okay. So display port or DVI-DL it is. Thanks again guys for helping me out.

HDMI won't do greater than 1080p@60hz as already stated

HDMI 1.3 from 2006 officially supports resolutions up to 2560x1600p60.

I know, I confused the one posters answer about single DVI. I run HDMI into my 4K TV and play games at 1080@120fps, so I don't know why I said that. lol. My own setup proves my statement wrong. Brain fart.