I recently picked up a 165Hz monitor, but the manufacturer has mentioned that the HDMI connection will be capped at 144Hz. The monitor does have HDMI 2.0, though. I'm not too fussed about the difference between 144Hz and 165Hz, but I'm curious—should I just go ahead and buy a proper HDMI 2.0 cable, or can I grab a cheaper option since it won't actually run at 165Hz anyway?
4 Answers
Have you thought about using DisplayPort instead? HDMI 2.0 needs all components—your GPU, cable, and monitor—to support it for 165Hz. If the manufacturer says it's limited to 144Hz, I’d lean towards believing them.
For 2560x1440, you’re typically stuck at 144Hz without DSC. If the monitor’s limiting you to 144Hz, it might not support DSC over HDMI. Definitely go for a 2.0 cable—HDMI 1.4 only does 85Hz!
In terms of pricing, here where I live, there isn’t much of a difference between HDMI 1.4, 2.0, and 2.1 cables. If you're ever thinking about upgrading later, it might be worth it to invest in a better cable right away.
If you want to exceed 144Hz, you might need to drop the resolution to 1080p. Also, if you have a DisplayPort on your setup, that's another solid option. Plus, HDMI cables are pretty affordable; why risk missing out on that extra 21Hz for just a few bucks?
Yeah, I can see that! It’s probably a good investment since cables aren't that expensive, especially if you might need the higher specs later.