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Difficulty: MediumDisplay Cables and Connectors

A desktop support technician is connecting a workstation's graphics card featuring a DisplayPort output to an older high-resolution monitor that only accepts a Dual-Link DVI-D input. The technician uses a standard passive DisplayPort-to-DVI adapter cable. While the monitor powers on and displays an image, the maximum available resolution in the operating system is limited to 1920×12001920 \times 1200, failing to reach the monitor's native 2560×16002560 \times 1600 resolution. Which of the following is the primary cause of this resolution limitation?

  1. Passive DisplayPort-to-DVI adapters operate in single-link mode, limiting maximum clock rates and available bandwidth.Answer
  2. B
    DisplayPort natively outputs an analog signal that must be actively digitised before DVI-D inputs can process high resolutions.
  3. C
    The adapter cable relies on a USB Type-C physical connector that lacks DisplayPort Alternate Mode pinouts for high-bandwidth video transmission.
  4. D
    Single-link DVI cables support up to 4K resolution, but require an updated motherboard BIOS to unlock high-refresh modes.

Answer

Passive DisplayPort-to-DVI adapters operate in single-link mode, limiting maximum clock rates and available bandwidth.
DisplayPort Dual-Mode (DP++) natively allows passive adapters to pass single-link DVI/HDMI signals. However, single-link DVI is capped at 1920×12001920 \times 1200 resolution. To output 2560×16002560 \times 1600, dual-link DVI signal rates are required, which can only be achieved from a DisplayPort host using a powered active adapter that actively converts the video signal.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the physical interface and adapter type being used.
The technician is using a passive DisplayPort-to-DVI adapter cable.
Passive adapters rely on DisplayPort Dual-Mode (DP++) to output DVI signals directly through simple wire pin mapping.
2
Determine the bandwidth limitations of passive DVI conversion.
Passive DVI conversion is limited strictly to DVI Single-Link bandwidth.
DVI Single-Link maxes out at a resolution of 1920×12001920 \times 1200 at 60 Hz60\text{ Hz} due to hardware clock signal constraints.
3
Identify the correct hardware component required for dual-link resolutions.
An active DisplayPort-to-DVI Dual-Link adapter powered via USB or an external power source is required to drive 2560×16002560 \times 1600.
Active adapters contain internal chipset logic to convert DisplayPort packeted data into true dual-link TDMS signals required for higher bandwidth.

Key Concept

DisplayPort Passive vs Active Adapters and DVI Single-Link vs Dual-Link Bandwidth
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Topics

Display Cables and Connectors

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