Guides
How display connections actually work — DisplayPort, HDMI, USB-C and the bandwidth math behind them, backed by sourced technical specifications.
Each guide traces its technical claims back to a standards body (VESA, HDMI Forum, USB-IF), a technology owner, or a manufacturer's own published specifications — the same source hierarchy the Compatibility Checker and Bandwidth Calculator apply to every result (see Methodology). Where a guide shows a worked number, it comes from the same calculation the tools run, never a separate estimate written by hand. To see which devices and sources sit behind those tools, read Dataset & Evidence Coverage.
Connection basics
What each standard is and how it relates to the others.
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DisplayPort Alt Mode: What It Is and Why Your USB-C Display Connection Depends on It
A USB-C port's connector shape never tells you whether it carries a display signal. Here's what DisplayPort Alt Mode actually requires, and how to verify it.
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Display Stream Compression (DSC): How 4K120 and 144Hz Fit Through Display Links
DSC isn't a flat 3:1 number, and it has to be supported at every link in the chain — not just the monitor. Here's what it actually does.
Bandwidth & display modes
Why a given resolution and refresh rate does or doesn't fit through a link.
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HDMI 2.1 and 4K 120Hz: Why the Version Number Alone Doesn’t Tell You Enough
An HDMI 2.1 label doesn't guarantee a specific FRL rate. Here's the TMDS vs. FRL math, with real verified device examples.
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DisplayPort Bandwidth Explained: 4K60, 4K120, 4K144 and DSC
Resolution times refresh times bits-per-pixel gets you close, not exact. Real worked examples of what actually fits through DisplayPort 1.4 vs. 2.1.