Use DisplayPort for a PC gaming monitor or a multi-monitor desk, and use HDMI for TVs, game consoles, soundbars and most projectors. Both carry video and audio over one cable, so the better choice is whichever connection reaches the highest version on both ends of your setup.
Picture quality is identical when the bandwidth is enough. The two differ in bandwidth, features and which devices have them.
How we evaluated this: This explainer is based on the published HDMI 2.2 and DisplayPort 2.1b specifications, VESA and HDMI Licensing material, and NVIDIA's own GPU spec pages, all checked Oct 6, 2026. We didn't run cable or bandwidth tests for this article. An AI tool helped with research and the first draft, and an editor checked every number against the sources at the bottom.
The quick pick
|
Your setup |
Use |
Why |
|---|---|---|
|
Gaming PC to a high-refresh monitor |
DisplayPort 2.1 (or 1.4 if that's what the monitor has) |
Most bandwidth on current GPUs, and DP Adaptive-Sync works with both FreeSync and G-Sync |
|
PS5, Xbox Series X or streaming box to a TV |
HDMI 2.1 |
Consoles and TVs only have HDMI |
|
TV to a soundbar or AV receiver |
HDMI with eARC |
Audio return only exists on HDMI |
|
Laptop to a monitor or dock |
USB-C or Thunderbolt (DisplayPort Alt Mode) |
USB-C ports output DisplayPort natively |
|
Two or more monitors from one port |
DisplayPort with MST |
Daisy-chaining is a DisplayPort feature |
Bandwidth by version
Bandwidth decides the resolution and refresh rate you get. When a signal needs more than the link carries, devices fall back to Display Stream Compression (DSC), which VESA calls "visually lossless," or they drop the refresh rate.
|
Version |
Max link bandwidth |
What the spec bodies quote |
|---|---|---|
|
HDMI 2.0 |
18 Gbps |
4K at 60 Hz |
|
HDMI 2.1 |
48 Gbps |
4K at 120 Hz, 8K at 60 Hz |
|
HDMI 2.2 (spec released June 25, 2025) |
96 Gbps |
4K at 240 Hz and 8K at 60 Hz uncompressed with full chroma; up to 12K at 120 Hz and 16K at 60 Hz |
|
DisplayPort 1.4 (HBR3) |
32.4 Gbps (25.92 Gbps usable) |
4K at 120 Hz (8-bit) uncompressed; more with DSC |
|
DisplayPort 2.1b, UHBR13.5 |
54 Gbps |
Used on AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT outputs |
|
DisplayPort 2.1b, UHBR20 |
80 Gbps (77.37 Gbps usable) |
NVIDIA quotes 4K at 480 Hz or 8K at 165 Hz with DSC on the RTX 5090 |
On paper, HDMI 2.2 now beats DisplayPort's 80 Gbps ceiling. In practice, DisplayPort 2.1 is what ships today. The first certified Ultra96 HDMI cables went on sale in September 2026, and cable maker Silkland says HDMI 2.2 source and display devices are expected from 2027. Until GPUs and monitors with HDMI 2.2 arrive, DisplayPort UHBR20 is the fastest connection you can actually buy.
Features that settle the choice
|
Feature |
HDMI |
DisplayPort |
|---|---|---|
|
Audio return to a soundbar (ARC/eARC) |
Yes |
No |
|
TV remote control of other devices (CEC) |
Yes |
No |
|
Variable refresh rate |
HDMI VRR, FreeSync over HDMI, G-Sync Compatible on many HDMI 2.1 TVs |
VESA Adaptive-Sync, FreeSync, G-Sync |
|
Daisy-chain monitors (MST) |
No |
Yes |
|
Carried over USB-C |
Needs a converter |
Native (DisplayPort Alt Mode) |
|
Locking connector |
No |
Yes, on full-size plugs |
|
Found on TVs and consoles |
Yes |
No |
|
Found on PC graphics cards |
Usually one port |
Usually three ports |
The RTX 5090 is a good example of the PC split: NVIDIA lists three DisplayPort 2.1b outputs and one HDMI 2.1b. If you run more than one monitor from a desktop GPU, at least one of them will use DisplayPort.
Cables: buy the certified tier
The port version only helps if the cable keeps up.
- HDMI 2.1 (48 Gbps): a certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable. It carries a scannable certification label.
- HDMI 2.2 (up to 96 Gbps): a certified Ultra96 HDMI cable. The HDMI Forum says Ultra High Speed cables cover systems up to 48 Gbps.
- DisplayPort UHBR20: a VESA-certified DP80 cable. Passive DP80 runs about 1 m. The newer DP80LL active cables reach 3 m at the full 80 Gbps.
- DisplayPort 1.4: a VESA-certified DP8K cable.
Common myths
"DisplayPort looks better." It doesn't. The same signal at the same resolution, refresh rate and bit depth looks the same on either port. Bandwidth only matters once your settings exceed what the slower link carries.
"Any HDMI cable does 4K at 120 Hz." Older Premium High Speed cables top out at 18 Gbps. For 4K at 120 Hz on a PS5 or Xbox Series X, use a certified Ultra High Speed cable.
"Adapters work both ways." A cheap DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter works because many GPUs can send an HDMI signal out of the DP port (DP++). Going from an HDMI source to a DisplayPort monitor needs an active, powered converter.
"USB-C is a third standard." For video, a USB-C or Thunderbolt port on a laptop is carrying DisplayPort. That's why a USB-C-to-DisplayPort cable needs no converter chip. See USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode.
Bottom line
For a PC and a monitor, plug in DisplayPort and move on. For anything that touches a TV, use HDMI 2.1 and a certified cable. If your monitor only has HDMI 2.1 and your GPU has a spare HDMI 2.1 port, that's fine too: at 48 Gbps it handles 4K at 120 Hz without trouble.
Related terms
- What is HDMI 2.1? and HDMI 2.0
- eARC and ARC
- Variable refresh rate (VRR), FreeSync and G-Sync
- Refresh rate
Sources
All checked Oct 6, 2026.
- HDMI Forum, "HDMI Forum releases Version 2.2 of the HDMI Specification" (June 25, 2025): https://hdmiforum.org/hdmi-forum-releases-version-2-2-of-the-hdmi-specification/
- HDMI Licensing Administrator, HDMI 2.2 specification overview: https://www.hdmi.org/spec/hdmi2
- VESA, DisplayPort FAQ (DisplayPort 2.1b, UHBR20, 77.37 Gbps payload, DP80LL): https://www.displayport.org/faq/
- VESA, "VESA to update DisplayPort 2.1 with new active cable specification for up to 3X longer DP80 cables" (Jan 6, 2025): https://vesa.org/press/vesa-to-update-displayport-2-1-with-new-active-cable-specification-for-up-to-3x-longer-dp80-cables/
- NVIDIA, GeForce RTX 5090 specifications: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/50-series/rtx-5090/
- AMD, Radeon RX 9070 XT specifications: https://www.amd.com/en/products/graphics/desktops/radeon/9000-series/amd-radeon-rx-9070xt.html
- Silkland via PR Newswire, first certified Ultra96 HDMI cables (Sept 24, 2026): https://en.prnasia.com/releases/apac/silkland-launches-the-h96-the-world-s-first-certified-ultra96-hdmi-cable-series-available-to-global-consumers-549405.shtml