Can a Bad DisplayPort Cable Cause Low FPS?

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If you’re connecting to your monitor using DisplayPort, you may have noticed that it displays a low FPS.

This may seem odd, especially if you know that your monitor and PC are both capable of high FPS, and you may be wondering: can a bad DisplayPort cable cause low FPS?

We have found that a bad DisplayPort video cable can be the cause of low FPS. Even if your PC sends a high FPS video signal, your DisplayPort video cable will change the FPS to what fits within the limits of its hardware. This is likely to happen if you have an old or poor quality DisplayPort cable.

Does DisplayPort Affect FPS?

Technically, DisplayPort doesn’t affect how many FPS that is generated by your PC. 

The hardware that is in control of that is your graphics card, which generates the FPS and powers the video signal.

So even if you have a high-resolution monitor , you may see a low FPS if your graphics card isn’t strong enough to generate high FPS.

Can a Bad DisplayPort Cable Cause Low FPS?

Although the main driver behind your FPS rate is your PC’s graphics card, a DisplayPort cable can affect the FPS that is seen on your screen.

This is because, even if your graphics card transmits a high FPS video signal, the actual video that reaches your monitor will be affected by the limitations of your video cable. 

For example, if your graphics card sends a 144 hertz video signal, but your DisplayPort cable has a maximum of 60 hertz, the video shown on your screen will be 60 hertz.

To fix this, you can buy a DisplayPort cable that is capable of the resolution and FPS you want.  

Which DisplayPort Cable Version Has Better FPS?

To find out which DisplayPort cable is best for your needs, let’s dive into the specifications of the two main versions: 1.2 and 1.4.

DisplayPort 1.2 is capable of:

• 1080 pixel resolution at 240 hertz
• 4K resolution at 75 hertz
• 5K resolution at 30 hertz

DisplayPort 1.4 is capable of:

• 1440 pixel resolution at 240 hertz
• 4K resolution at 120 hertz
• 5K resolution at 60 hertz
• 8K resolution at 30 hertz (or 60 hertz, with DSC enabled)

Therefore, we recommend buying a DisplayPort 1.4 cable for better FPS.  

Can a DisplayPort Adapter Cause FPS Issues?

If your DisplayPort adapter is of poor quality, or if it’s a passive adapter, then it could cause FPS issues.

Passive adapters rely on your graphics card to convert the video signal, which could overtax your hardware and cause video issues.

Active adapters do the converting themselves, and often come with a plug to have more power for converting.

We recommend trying a different adapter, or buying an active adapter, like this DisplayPort to HDMI powered adapter.  

Is DisplayPort Better for FPS?

When it comes to high quality video connections, HDMI and DisplayPort are the main two competitors, and they often one-up each other with new versions of their hardware.

To see if DisplayPort is better for FPS than HDMI video cables, let’s look at the specifications for HDMI 1.3, HDMI 2.0, and HDMI 2.1, which are the three main versions of HDMI as of 2021.

HDMI 1.3 is capable of:

• 1080 pixel resolution at 144 hertz
• 1440 pixel resolution at 75 hertz
• 4K resolution at 30 hertz (or 60 hertz at 4:2:0)

HDMI 2.0  is capable of:

• 1080 pixel resolution at 240 hertz
• 4K resolution at 60 hertz
• 8K resolution at 30 hertz (at 4:2:0)

HDMI 2.1 is capable of:

• 4K resolution at 144 hertz (or 240 hertz with DSC enabled)
• 8K resolution at 30 hertz (or 120 hertz with DSC enabled)

Looking at these specifications, we can conclude that:

• DisplayPort 1.2 is better than HDMI 1.3.
• HDMI 2.0 is better than DisplayPort 1.2.
• DisplayPort 1.4 is better than HDMI 2.0.
• HDMI 2.1 is better than DisplayPort 1.4.

It may seem like HDMI 2.1 would be the best choice for a video cable, then.

However, you have to consider the availability of the HDMI 2.1 video port, which is mostly available in TVs as of 2021.

Therefore, in general, DisplayPort 1.4 is the best video connection for high FPS and high resolution.

FAQS

If your setup still isn’t working, here are some frequently asked questions that might help you out!

1. Can Plugging Into the Wrong DisplayPort Cause Low FPS?

Depending on the brand and model, your PC may have more than one DisplayPort that you can plug into.

If this is the case, you may have plugged into the wrong one. Try to search for the “discrete” port. 

This is connected to the discrete graphics card, which is better at processing videos and images. 

2. Can a Gas Lift Chair Cause Low FPS?

Believe it or not, some people have also experienced low FPS, stuttering, and unsynced video due to their gas lift chairs!

Standing up from or sitting on gas lift chairs can produce electromagnetic interference (EMI), which can affect your video cables. 

You can easily solve this problem by using video cables with magnetic ferrite rings.

3. Can a Software Problem Cause FPS Stutter?

Finally, if nothing else works, it might be a software problem that’s affecting your FPS.

To solve this, you can try doing a clean boot on your operating software.

Conclusion

DisplayPort doesn’t affect the FPS that is generated by your PC. Your graphics card is the one that controls the generated FPS.

However, a DisplayPort cable can limit the FPS that is actually transmitted to your screen.

Between DisplayPort 1.2 and 1.4, DisplayPort 1.4 has better FPS as well as higher resolution.

If you’re using a bad quality or passive DisplayPort adapter, it may be the cause of your FPS issues. Use an active, powered adapter instead.

Between DisplayPort and HDMI, DisplayPort 1.4 is better for FPS due to its specifications and availability.

Low FPS can also be solved by plugging into the discrete GPU port, using a video cable protected against electromagnetic interference, or doing a clean boot.

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