DVI and VGA, What are the differences

[Damien.]

Ive just bought a new monitor and it comes with both a DVI and VGA input. Which ones the best one to use and why ?

Thanks.

 

[smithy1988]

Hi there mate- iv also got questions similar to urs if u look a few threads down on the forum
As far as i understand dvi is better- it is a digital signal between pc and monitor therefore quicker, In vga a digital signal is sent and then this has to be converted to analogue to go through a vga, therefore it is not as efficient.
Thats the jist of it i think in basic- the pros will no doubt tell u all the ins and outs in due course

 

[UniqueID]

hey there,
yeah smithy you were right in the way the connectors work.

VGA:
your computer gives out a digital signal, which is then converted to analog by your graphics card and sent to your monitor, which is then converted back to digital by your monitor if it is a tft, which can be less efficient.
VGA was originally used for CRTs (cathode ray tube monitors) which would use the anologue signal.

DVI:
Transmits a digital signal which is then recieved in digital by the monitor if its a tft, this can be more effective, and prove better under stress conditions in FPS (frames per second) and is favored for gaming.

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/monitor3.htm

 

[Baddass]

from the sticky too:

Q. Does DVI Make A Difference?

A. This can depend a lot of the monitor in question. DVI offers a pure digital end to end connection between the graphics card and the monitor. VGA on the other hand has to convert the signal to analogue. In theory, digital connections should therefore offer a superior picture quality and a sharper image. In practice, this can depend on the model in question. There are a number of sharpening algorithms utlised for modern VGA interfaces which vary in the quality of the analogue/digital conversion. Some modern screens have such good analogue connections that it is very hard, or even impossible, to tell the difference between VGA and DVI.

Typically screens which don't have DVI connections offer very good quality VGA connections. Perhaps manufacturers spent more time and effort perfecting these, knowing it was all they could offer the user. On the other hand, maybe manufacturers who offer both connections don't spend as much time or money making the VGA as good as it could be, since they assume users will always use DVI anyway. This seems logical, and i practice there is a host of screens which show this trend.

If you can use DVI, then you should, since it will offer the sharpest image available for the screen. If you are limited to VGA only, I'd suggest finding some user opinions or reviews about the PQ using this intercace.