An Analysis of Different Types of Computer Cables and Connectors

A computer has many parts that are connected to each other via cables, especially external hardware that make use of external cables. Different types of cables serve their own purposes and have little to no compatibility with connectors that are not meant to connect those cables, for every cable has its own unique connecting pin. Here is an analysis of different types of computer cables and connectors:

VGA Cable

VGA stands for video graphics array. The main task of this cable is to connect the computer motherboard with an external monitor that can display images sent to it by the computer. It is used to transfer video signals, and comes in male and female type connectors. Modern computers use more advanced connections, so VGA connectors are slowly becoming uncommon.

HDMI Cable

HDMI stands for high definition multimedia interface. It is the modern replacement for VGA cable, for unlike VGA, HDMI cables can transmit both video and audio signals at very high speeds, making it perfect for high definition content such as 2k or 4K video. It is a standard connector port in computers and televisions, and come in male and female HDMI connection variants. HDMI cables come in regular and mini variants, which shall require an adapter or a supporting cable to connect to a relevant HDMI out/in device.

DVI Cable

DVI stands for digital visual interface. A connection standard that lies between VGA and HDMI in terms of features and speed of data transmission, DVI cables can project videos up to 2K resolution, but cannot transmit sound data. They are commonly used as connectors in computer monitors and projectors. 

PS/2 Cable

PS/2 stands for personal system/2, and was originally developed by International Business Machines (IBM) for connecting mouse and keyboards to personal computers. PS/2 ports come in 2 variants: purple connector pin for keyboard and green pin for mouse. It is an old standard for mouse and keyboard connectivity, and are rare to find in modern computers as mouse and keyboards now make use of USB ports for connectivity.

USB Cable

USB stands for universal serial bus, and is used for high speed data transfer depending on the type of USB port in question. Major functions of USB ports are connecting storage devices, input devices such as mouse, output devices such as scanners, wireless adapters such as external WI-Fi adapter and as data transfer port between computers and electronics such as smartphones and portable music players. Computers today come in USB 2.0 and 3.0 variants, with a USB 3.0 port signaled in blue outline inside the port.

Ethernet Cable

Ethernet cables are used to connect a computer to a network device to enable internet connectivity. Although Wi-Fi is now an omnipresent feature in almost every computer, Ethernet is still as important as it was over a decade ago because wired internet is highly reliable and offers faster speeds than wireless internet. 

3.5mm Audio Cable

3.5mm audio jacks were an industry standard for every computer, smartphone and portable music players up to a few years ago, but is slowly losing relevance due to many major manufacturers opting to phase out 3.5mm connectors in favor of USB-C connectors and wireless earphones via Bluetooth.

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