HDMI and DisplayPort both carry digital video, but each is built around different kit. HDMI's own site centres on home cinema and gaming, with eARC sound and features like Variable Refresh Rate, while VESA calls DisplayPort the de facto global standard for PC monitors. HDMI 2.2 reaches 96Gbps; DisplayPort 2.1 offers 80 Gbps and can drive several screens from one port.
Most people only ask this when they're looking at the back of a new monitor with two sockets that'd both do the job. Newer isn't the useful question. What matters is what you're plugging in, how fast the screen refreshes and whether you want more than one display. This comparison uses only what the HDMI Licensing Administrator and VESA publish about their own standards, so the numbers below are theirs.
HDMI and DisplayPort side by side
| HDMI | DisplayPort | |
|---|---|---|
| Who looks after it | The HDMI Forum writes it; HDMI Licensing Administrator licenses it | VESA, a nonprofit with more than 370 corporate members |
| Latest version | HDMI 2.2, backward compatible with earlier versions | DisplayPort 2.1, with a 2.1b update on the way |
| Top bandwidth | Up to 96Gbps | 80 Gbps over four lanes (UHBR20) |
| Resolutions named | 4K240 and 8K60 uncompressed with full chroma; up to 12K@120 and 16K@60 | Combinations like 4K at 600Hz or 8K at 120Hz |
| Cable labels | Ultra96 HDMI Cable (up to 96Gbps); Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable (up to 48Gbps) | DP80 for full UHBR20; DP40 cables validated for DP54; DP80LL active cables up to three meters |
| Smooth motion | Variable Refresh Rate, Auto Low Latency Mode, Quick Frame Transport | VESA's AdaptiveSync certification, alongside DisplayHDR and ClearMR |
| Several screens | No multi-screen feature listed in the HDMI 2.2 overview | Multi-Stream Transport drives several screens from one source |
| Connectors | HDMI, with Cable Power for active cables | Locking full-size DisplayPort, Mini-DP and USB Type-C |
Bandwidth and resolution in plain numbers
Bandwidth is the size of the pipe, and it decides how many pixels a connection can push and how often. The HDMI Licensing Administrator says HDMI 2.2 goes up to 96Gbps using what it calls next-gen HDMI Fixed Rate Link technology. That's enough, it says, for 4K at 240 frames and 8K at 60 uncompressed with full chroma and 10 or 12-bit colour, plus support for 10K, 12K and 16K resolutions, up to 12K@120 and 16K@60.
VESA's number for DisplayPort 2.1 is 80 Gbps over four lanes when both ends support UHBR20. It quotes resolution and refresh pairings like 4K at 600Hz or 8K at 120Hz, and says DisplayPort can deliver content above Ultra HD, at higher bit depths and faster refresh rates. In practice, both are far ahead of what an everyday office monitor asks of them, so the numbers matter most for very high refresh gaming panels and very large resolutions.
One DisplayPort link can feed several monitors
This is the part most people don't know, and it's the reason DisplayPort turns up on so many desks. VESA says Multi-Stream Transport, or MST, lets multiple screens at various resolutions run from a single DisplayPort source connection, and that MST is enabled by default from the DisplayPort 2.x generation onwards. The HDMI 2.2 overview doesn't list an equivalent feature.
There's a second surprise. VESA says DisplayPort also powers the video side of single-cable technologies like Thunderbolt and USB4, and that notebooks and mobile devices using them support DisplayPort. So when you plug a laptop into a monitor with one USB-C cable and a picture appears, there's a good chance the video travelling down that cable is DisplayPort, even though you never saw the DisplayPort logo.
Cable labels to check on the box
The cable matters as much as the port. HDMI Licensing Administrator says the new Ultra96 HDMI Cable supports up to 96Gbps and is the only cable that supports all HDMI 2.2 applications. It also says products using the Ultra96 feature name support a maximum of 64Gbps, 80Gbps or 96Gbps and need that cable to reach their top speed. The older Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable arrived with HDMI 2.1 in 2020 and handles setups up to 48Gbps.
On the DisplayPort side, VESA tells you to look for VESA-certified DP80 cables for full UHBR20 performance with UHBR20-capable graphics cards and monitors. If you don't need that yet, it says original DP40-certified cables are validated for the DP54 rating. For longer runs, the coming DisplayPort 2.1b update adds DP80LL low-loss active cables that carry four-lane UHBR20 up to three meters.
Gaming, home cinema and sound
HDMI's feature list reads like a living-room spec sheet. eARC carries advanced audio formats to soundbars and receivers, and Latency Indication Protocol keeps sound and picture in sync across setups with an AV receiver or soundbar in the chain. For games there's Variable Refresh Rate to cut lag, stutter and tearing, Auto Low Latency Mode, Quick Frame Transport and Quick Media Switching, which removes the pause when a device changes frame rate. Dynamic HDR adjusts the picture scene by scene or even frame by frame, and Source-Based Tone Mapping lets a PC or games console do part of the HDR mapping itself.
DisplayPort's site talks more about PC monitors, gaming and content creation, and points to VESA's own certification programmes: DisplayHDR, AdaptiveSync and ClearMR. If you're shopping for a gaming monitor, those badges are VESA's way of telling you a screen has been checked against its standard.
Plugging one into the other
You aren't locked in. VESA says DisplayPort is designed to recognise and support HDMI devices through conversion cables, and that DisplayPort-to-HDMI converters come with a native DisplayPort plug or a USB-C plug. Some USB docking stations include an HDMI output with a converter built in. HDMI 2.2 is backward compatible with earlier HDMI versions, so an older TV or monitor will still work, at its own top speed.
If you're still choosing the computer itself, my guide on how to choose a laptop for business covers ports alongside everything else, and if the screen is mostly for a console, here's how YouTube works on PlayStation.
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My advice on HDMI or DisplayPort
It depends on the screen and what's feeding it. For a TV, soundbar or console, HDMI is the connection those devices are built around, and the HDMI Licensing Administrator's list of features (eARC, VRR, Auto Low Latency Mode) is aimed squarely at them. For a PC monitor, a very high refresh rate panel or two monitors from one laptop, DisplayPort is VESA's answer, and MST is what makes the multi-screen setup work. Either way, match the cable label to the port: an Ultra96 or DP80 label tells you more than any brand name.
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Frequently asked questions
Is DisplayPort or HDMI more suited to PC gaming?
It depends on the monitor. VESA quotes DisplayPort 2.1 pairings like 4K at 600Hz and runs the AdaptiveSync certification, while HDMI 2.2 offers Variable Refresh Rate, Auto Low Latency Mode and Quick Frame Transport. Check which ports and certifications your monitor lists.
Can I connect a DisplayPort output to an HDMI screen?
Yes. VESA says DisplayPort is designed to support HDMI devices through conversion cables, and converters come with a DisplayPort plug or a USB-C plug. Some USB docks also have an HDMI output with a converter built in.
Which HDMI cable do I need for HDMI 2.2?
The Ultra96 HDMI Cable. HDMI Licensing Administrator says it supports up to 96Gbps and is the only cable that supports all HDMI 2.2 applications. The Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable covers setups up to 48Gbps.
Can one DisplayPort port run two monitors?
Yes, with Multi-Stream Transport. VESA says MST drives multiple screens at various resolutions from a single DisplayPort source connection, and it's enabled by default from the DisplayPort 2.x generation.
Does USB-C carry DisplayPort?
Often, yes. VESA lists USB Type-C as one of DisplayPort's connector options and says DisplayPort powers the video in Thunderbolt and USB4.
Will an older DisplayPort cable work with DisplayPort 2.1?
VESA says original DP40-certified cables are validated for the DP54 performance rating. For full UHBR20 speed with capable graphics cards and monitors, it recommends VESA-certified DP80 cables.
