# Why Do Laptops still include a VGA port instead of DVI-D? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 13, 2019, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610 "2019-08-13T16:13:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610/21 "2019-08-13T17:12:20Z")
That cable connects directly to the monitor and laptop. I see it replaces the OEM DVI cable that came with the monitor. Sweet. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610/22 "2019-08-13T17:14:00Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Don’t lump Apple in with your assumptions of prejudice. Apple laptops are diligently equal-opportunity in the absense of _all_ ports except USB-C. Which is fine because USB-C can output both HDMI and DisplayPort signals. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610/23 "2019-08-13T18:15:00Z")
HDMI and DVI use similar signaling (TMDS,) HDMI just encodes audio data as well which a DVI monitor will simply ignore. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610/24 "2019-08-13T18:17:14Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Which is fine because USB-C can output both HDMI and DisplayPort signals. And Thunderbolt. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610/25 "2019-08-13T20:00:51Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > And Thunderbolt. Not necessarily. According to this, Thunderbolt 3 devices won’t work when plugged into USB-C: > **[Here's everything you need to know about USB-C and Thunderbolt 3](https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/usb-type-c-thunderbolt-3-one-cable-to-connect-them-all/)** > > CNET editor Dong Ngo explains USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 and the significance of these peripheral standards. OP: I’d be very surprised if a 2011-era monitor didn’t have HDMI. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610/26 "2019-08-13T20:42:15Z")
I use HDMI-DVI adapters. Interestingly, the ones I have work in either direction. DVI is dead tech as far as people like laptop makers go. Really dead. There were like 5+ different types of plugs/connections. HDMI just has the two sizes. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610/27 "2019-08-13T20:54:18Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Not necessarily. According to this, Thunderbolt 3 devices won’t work when plugged into USB-C: > > [USB-C and Thunderbolt 3: Here's everything you need to know - CNET](https://www.cnet.com/how-to/usb-type-c-thunderbolt-3-one-cable-to-connect-them-all/) > > OP: I’d be very surprised if a 2011-era monitor didn’t have HDMI. Apple’s USB-C does. ---
**Author:** ![EdelweissPirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@EdelweissPirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdelweissPirate)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610/28 "2019-08-13T22:31:21Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Not necessarily. According to this, Thunderbolt 3 devices won’t work when plugged into USB-C: > \ You’re right: all USB-C ports are not Thunderbolt 3 ports. However, if I read the specs correctly, all Thunderbolt 3 ports _are_ USB-C ports. TB3 uses the USB-C physical connector, yes. I’m also fairly sure that the TB3 spec requires that all TB3 controllers handle “plain” USB devices over the same connector. So, broadly speaking, Thunderbolt3 is a superset that includes USB (as well as a number of other protocols like DP). So maybe Beowulf meant to say not that all USB-C ports handle TB3—they don’t—but that all TB3 ports work as USB-C ports too. One problem with the assertion that “Apple USB-C ports also do TB3” is that although most Apple ports speak both, Apple sells a number items that use a USB-C connector _without_ any Thunderbolt capability. The MacBook has a single port for power, USB and connecting to an external monitor—but it doesn’t speak Thunderbolt at all. The situation is a mess. While we’re down to one physical connector for TB, USB, displays and power, it’s easy to plug a Thunderbolt device into a Thunderbolt port with a USB-C-only cable. In that case, the device might not work at all, or it might fall back to USB if the device manufacturer bothered to implement USB signaling alongside the (much faster) TB3. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610/29 "2019-08-13T23:07:10Z")
I’m nearly positive that there are no Macs with VGA connectors anymore, so I’m not sure what you’re looking to add with that, **beowulff**. **EdelweissPirate** , yeah, the USB-C thing is a real mess. If connector fits, it should work, but I tried charging my phone from a Nintendo Switch USB-C connector and the charging indicator kept going on and off so I unplugged it. Some can do audio and some can’t, apparently. Some work with Thunderbolt and some don’t. It’s really much worse than USB 3.0 in that way – except for speed and being able to plug things in either way, at least you knew what you were going to get with USB 3.0. USB-C really reminds me of that XKCD about standards. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610/30 "2019-08-13T23:26:00Z")
OP, don’t forget you’ll probably have to configure the PC to send signal out the HDMI port and potentially config the monitor to use HDMI as the input. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610/31 "2019-08-14T12:31:39Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Bought one of these. It didn’t work. Monitor never came on. I see that you’ve found the other socket. FWIW, there are two common reasons: 1) The monitor doesn’t accept VGA signals on the DVI interface. Only digital signals. 2) The monitor is too smart to switch automatically correctly to analog VGA. Unless you plug a digital signal into it. _Then_ it switches to analog input… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-laptops-still-include-a-vga-port-instead-of-dvi-d/838610.md?page=1)