# Looks like DVI but its not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 28, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-dvi-but-its-not/526823 "2010-01-28T23:51:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-dvi-but-its-not/526823/1 "2010-01-28T23:51:01Z")
I have a customer who ordered a new dell PC, the VGA card has what appears to be a DVI plug on it, but it lacks the “slot” on one end for a standard DVI cable, it is all just small pins. exact same size as DVI, same shape, just not. I called dell for an adapter and they sent me out a standard DVI-HDMI adapter instead of VGA. Customer has older 22" monitors that use standard VGA only and is puzzled why this seems to be such a stumper. I went into 2 different electronics supply places in town who are all scratching their head. What the hell is this thing, I can’t find a picture online. The card is an NVIDIA 9300 256mb card with that plug and and s-video plug. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-dvi-but-its-not/526823/2 "2010-01-28T23:59:04Z")
Many Dell desktop systems have a video card that can output to two DVI or two VGA monitors. The connector looks like a DVI port, but with all small pins, as you described. They usually include an adapter with the system. [Here](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150385462504)’s an eBay auction for one such adapter. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-dvi-but-its-not/526823/3 "2010-01-29T00:02:13Z")
Actually, the connector may be a DMS-59 connector. Does it look like the one in [this Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMS-59)? ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-dvi-but-its-not/526823/4 "2010-01-29T00:02:26Z")
(Never mind, I thing **Dewey Finn** got it – it’s one of the new goofy quad-link DVI connectors. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-dvi-but-its-not/526823/5 "2010-01-29T00:12:51Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Actually, the connector may be a DMS-59 connector. Does it look like the one in [this Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMS-59)? Thats it, thank you so much! ---
**Author:** ![Terry\_Kennedy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@Terry\_Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terry_Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looks-like-dvi-but-its-not/526823/6 "2010-01-29T03:27:57Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > exact same size as DVI, same shape, just not. > > I called dell for an adapter and they sent me out a standard DVI-HDMI adapter instead of VGA. Customer has older 22" monitors that use standard VGA only and is puzzled why this seems to be such a stumper. I went into 2 different electronics supply places in town who are all scratching their head. Tell Dell they need to send you part G9438. That’s a splitter with 2 VGA connectors on the useful end. Part H9361 is the same thing, but with 2 DVI ports. Dell systems that ship with DMS-59 cards normally include both of those in the packaging.