Everything about the monitor – The VGA connection

Everything about the monitor – The VGA connection

If you've ever tried to connect an old PC to an even older projector, you might have come across the VGA port. It's that thing with lots of little holes and a blue border. VGA stands for Video Graphics Array. Sounds interesting, right? IBM came up with that in 1987, when most of us weren't even born yet.

What exactly does an old VGA port look like?

The VGA port has a 15-pin connector that looks like a small robot head and is usually colored blue. This allows you to send images and videos from the graphics card to a monitor or projector. But be careful: This is all analog, so it's not as sharp and colorful as digital. Therefore, the developers of DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort invented new connectors that offer their advantages in digital form. Nevertheless, there are still people today who own an older device with a VGA port and wouldn't want to be without it. We'll explain what options are available in such cases!

How can I connect a VGA monitor to an HDMI device?

To connect an HDMI device to a VGA monitor, you need a special device that can convert the signals. This device is called an HDMI to VGA converter or VGA adapter and has an HDMI connector on one end and a VGA port on the other. You need to plug the HDMI connector into the HDMI device and the VGA port into the VGA monitor. Because HDMI transmits digital signals and VGA transmits analog signals, the converter or adapter can only transmit the image, not the sound. If you also want to hear sound, you will need to use a separate audio cable or speaker system.

Which flat screen monitors with VGA connection are available?

There are many flat-screen monitors with 1920 x 1080 resolution and a VGA connection. At IT-Versand.com, we have several models with good resolution in our range. Some examples of flat-screen monitors with a VGA connection and a good resolution are:

Dell UltraSharp U2412M black 24 inch

Key Specs: Dell UltraSharp 24-inch display (61 cm, matte, 1920 x 1200 pixels, 16:10 aspect ratio, IPS panel). Interfaces: DisplayPort, DVI-D, VGA D-Sub, 4x USB 2.0, 1,000:1 contrast ratio.

Lenovo ThinkVision T24d-10 black 24 inch

Key Specs: Lenovo 24-inch (61 cm) matte display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and a 16:10 aspect ratio. IPS panel. HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA D-Sub, 4x USB 3.0 ports and a contrast ratio of 1,000:1.

Lenovo ThinkVision T22i-10 black 21.5 inches

Key Specs: Lenovo 21.5-inch (54.6 cm) matte display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a 16:9 aspect ratio. IPS panel. Interfaces: HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA D-Sub, 4x USB 3.0, and a contrast ratio of 1,000:1.

Acer B226WLymdr LED 22 inch HD+ dark grey

Key data: Acer display 22 inches, matte, HD+ resolution 1,680 x 1,050, LED panel, 16:10, 5 ms contrast: 1,000:1 / 100M:1, interfaces: VGA D-Sub, DVI / HDCP, speakers

Eizo FlexScan EV2436W-BK LED IPS 24 inch black

Key data: Eizo FelxScan display 24 inches, matte, resolution 1,920 x 1,200, Full HD, 16:10, panel IPS, LED, interfaces DisplayPort, DVI-D, VGA D-Sub, 0 watts when power switch off

Please note: The VGA connector on most modern monitors is a VGA D-Sub. This means you can save the high cost of a VGA to HDMI converter, but you will need the appropriate VGA D-Sub cable.

What maximum resolution and refresh rate can a VGA connection achieve?

A VGA port can achieve a maximum resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels at a maximum frame rate of 75 Hz. However, this depends on the video bandwidth of the signal source and the quality of the VGA cable. For most modern graphics cards, the maximum resolution for VGA is 2048 × 1536 pixels. Older devices may have even lower resolutions. For example, the original VGA resolution was only 640 × 480 pixels. Therefore, VGA is not suitable for the high resolutions required for high-resolution images and videos. Digital ports such as HDMI, DVI, or DisplayPort are more suitable for such purposes.

What does VGA connection mean?

The Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector refers to a specification for an analog electronic interface used to transmit moving images between graphics cards and display devices. VGA also includes specifications for suitable connectors and cables required for the analog transmission of images between devices.

Which connection is better, VGA or DVI?

Although DVI (Digital Visual Interface) is a slightly newer connector than VGA, it is now being replaced by more modern connectors. Like VGA, DVI also has two locking screws on the side to ensure a stable connection.

However, DVI transmits video signals exclusively digitally, although it is also possible to transmit analog signals. In contrast, VGA is a purely analog connection.

What does a VGA port look like?

A VGA connector is a 15-pin connector commonly found on older computers and monitors. It has a D-shaped design and three rows of five pins that carry RGB signals, sync, and ground lines.