Connecting a VGA monitor to DVI D with your own hands using an adapter. DVI-D VGA adapter: we talk about the features, types and possible problems that may arise when using the dvi vga connector pinout
Latest generation video cards from NVIDIA and AMD are not equipped with VGA outputs. Moreover, such video cards comply with the DVI-D standard, which means that only digital signals are transmitted via DVI. All this leads to the fact that it is not possible to connect an old VGA monitor to such video cards, even using an adapter from DVI to VGA.
But, not everything is so sad. Such modern video cards can still be connected to old VGA monitors. In this article we will talk about how to connect a VGA monitor to the HDMI or DVI-D output on a video card.
Connecting VGA monitors to DVI-D or HDMI outputs of a video card
So, if you have a monitor with a VGA input and a video card with DVI-D or, then to connect them you will need active adapter. This active adapter converts the digital signal from the video card into an analog signal for the monitor.
These adapters usually have on one side a small HDMI cable that needs to be connected to the video card, and on the other side a VGA output into which you need to plug the VGA cable from the monitor. The pictures below show what such an adapter looks like on its own and already connected.
If there is no HDMI output on the video card, then you can try connecting such an adapter to the DVI-D output. In this case, you will also need an adapter from DVI-D to HDMI.
As for the purchase, active adapters from HDMI to VGA can be found, for example, also in other Chinese online stores. You can also look in local stores. The price for such an active adapter ranges from 500 to 2000 rubles, depending on the place of purchase.
Every day, every hour, technology moves forward, and does not stop for a second. We constantly see that technology is being improved, opening up more and more new perspectives for us. But what is important to us is not just new and improved... We are also interested in ease of use of the latest models, capabilities, and equipment.
After analyzing information on forums, portals, and from personal experience, our experts came to the conclusion that many people do not understand how to connect a monitor with a VGA connector to a video card with a DVI-D connector. They constantly consult with the same people who do not know exactly, but have already tried various options, and not always successful. Most often mentioned in purchase dvi-d vga adapter, and the motivation here comes more from price than knowledge.
But, as practice shows, for a high-quality solution to the connection problem, you will need a DVI-D to VGA signal converter. Our company “Transitioners TM” has decided to provide you with information that will be decisive for each user, both professional and amateur, and will provide answers to your questions.
Before considering all the pros and cons of these adapters, you need to consider why they are needed and analyze what they are. Let's start from the very beginning...
What is a DVI-D connection?
Initially, DVI (Digital Visual Interface) or, translated, “digital video interface”, is intended for transmitting video images to projectors, TVs, monitors and other display devices.
DVI-D is a digital connection that avoids loss of quality due to digital to analog conversion. This type of connection allows you to provide maximum quality of the reproduced signal. It reproduces the signal exclusively in digital form. Also, it should be noted that the DVI-D connection is used on the vast majority of
digital LCD monitors. DVI-D DualLink (two-channel) and has a maximum resolution of 2048x1536.
This innovation, which was adopted by leading companies producing major playback devices, has significantly “complicated life” for many PC users. Because it replaced the VGA connection.
What is a VGA connection?
VGA (Video Graphics Array) is a video interface that has equipped monitors and video adapters since back in 1987. The adapter itself transmits an analog signal. The maximum available to the VGA interface is HD quality. We are not even talking about any FullHD, let alone 3D transmission. Nowadays, a huge proportion of video adapters and image playback devices are no longer available with a VGA port. Since new video cards are starting to be released only with a DVI-D connector, and most people still use monitors with a VGA connector, it is impossible to connect these devices without image problems. There are several solutions to this problem, but in order to find the most effective one, you need to understand why this happens.
Comparing the data of the main characteristics, we can summarize that the signals transmitted by devices thanks to different ports are also different. You can talk a lot about causes and consequences, but it’s worth noting the main thing. For high-quality operation of the playback device, a high-quality digital-to-analog converter , which is used to convert a signal from a digital signal to an analog signal.
Now let’s look at the “panacea” that forums, portals and other sources offer us - buy a regular dvi-d vga adapter. Adapters are not expensive, it’s better than changing a video card, looking for a monitor with the right connector, or looking for something else you need. The price of adapters varies from 50 to 150 UAH. As a result, the user, without understanding it, goes and buys this adapter, so that later in the same forum he can write “it doesn’t work!!!” Why doesn't the adapter work?
Knowing the pinout of such a device, the “Chinese specialists” decided that they could simply solder the necessary outputs and wires, and voila - the DVI-D to VGA adapter is ready!
But in fact, if you look at the pinout of these connectors, you can see that this adapter cannot work even theoretically! Namely, you need to pay attention that in digital dvi there are no contacts C1, C2, C3, C4, which are MAINLY responsible for the analog component of vga.
Pinout of dvi-d 24+1 and dvi-i 24+5 connectors.
VGA connector pinout.
We all see the results, they are presented on the Internet - “I connected the adapter, but the monitor does not work”, “the monitor does not connect through the dvi-d-vga adapter” and everything in the same spirit. And if the user had read and compared that the connections have different signals, he would have understood that it is necessary to convert the signal. Regular re-soldering is not the solution. This is just one option that will not work 100% of the time.
The solution to the connection problem is a dvi-d vga converter. Don't rush to say that it costs more than the adapter. You can try your luck and try to buy an absolutely unnecessary thing for 50-150 UAH, but we have already figured out that this adapter does not participate in signal conversion in any way. The adapter does NOT convert the signal from digital to analog, which is so necessary to solve the issue of connecting visualization devices. The essence of the dvi-d to vga converter is the complete conversion of binary digital code into voltage or current, namely, an analog signal.
An adapter, to put it simply, helps to physically eliminate the problem of the “wrong transmission port” and make the “right socket”, nothing more. And the excitement is created by people from forums who understand this just like the person who needs help (often) and recommend what they would buy themselves, i.e. thing is cheaper. Based on everything said above, we can conclude that the user who is faced with this problem needs to buy not an adapter, but a converter from dvi-d to vga. The converter will help you enjoy the work of your computer's visual devices, monitors and other devices.
Conclusion
In this article we examined several general and special provisions.
- The first thing is to trust information verified by experts. Trusting a person because he believes that it is more correct, or chasing cheapness, can bring consequences in the form of loss of time, money and nerves.
- Secondly, this is practical - if you see that one solution does not work for the majority, then it is worth figuring out why it does not suit everyone. Thus, the specialists of the TM Adapters company, to solve one of the pressing problems, examined the differences between the converter and the dvi-d vga adapter.
Now you just have to decide whether to buy an adapter for a small amount and hope that it won’t be a waste of money, or buy the necessary DVI-D to VGA converter, and become one of the first on the forums to write which adapter really works !
The development of technology in the modern world does not stop for a second. Modern technology constantly opens up new functions and possibilities for consumers. However, not only new functionality is important. First of all, you need a clear understanding of how to use new devices.
After analyzing thematic forums and websites, you can understand that a large number of users do not know about ways to connect monitors with a VGA port to a video card with DVI-D output. Inexperienced people often receive advice from the same, not fully informed amateurs, based on their own, often unsuccessful, experience. They usually offer to buy a DVI-D VGA adapter, citing its cheapness rather than practicality.
But this type of adapter is unlikely to work at all, so it is recommended to use DVI-D to VGA, rather than the so-called DVI to VGA adapter.
In order to understand all the intricacies of this type of connection, you need to understand the principle of operation.
How does a DVI-D connection work?
Translated from English as “digital video interface,” it is used to connect and synchronize video images between a video card and a monitor, TV, or any other display device. DVI-D is a technology that allows you to maintain picture quality when switching from analog to digital signal. This type of connection will provide maximum image clarity. It is important to note that this type of connection transmits a digital signal only. Connection using DVI-D is the main one for the general mass of digital TVs of the new generation and provides a maximum of 2K resolution.
This technology began to be actively used by manufacturers of advanced televisions and monitors, which created a lot of problems for many owners of personal computers. This is due to the fact that many users are still forced to use an outdated VGA connection.
What is a VGA connection?
VGA (Video Graphics Array) is an image transmission technology that has survived since the last century and is still used by some users. This type of connection is intended for transmitting an analog signal. The best quality available with a VGA connection is 1280x720 resolution, in other words HD. There is no need to talk about any 2K resolution, as well as image transmission in 3D format.
At the moment, most manufacturers of playback devices have abandoned this technology, considering it outdated. That is why video cards of new models are equipped exclusively with a DVI-D port, but the vast majority of users do not always want to change the monitor on demand, and still use playback devices with a VGA port. That is, it is impossible to simply connect an old monitor without any overlays and loss of image quality. Experts recommend using several connection methods, but in order to find an effective method, you need to understand the process itself. What are we going to do now?
DIY DVI/VGA adapter
Due to the fact that technologies operate through different ports and belong to different generations, the user must clearly understand that the type of signal transmitted from one device to another is also different. That is, for stable use of the playback device, a digital-to-analog converter is required, and not a DIY DVI/VGA adapter or purchased at a flea market. After all, a device of this type is simply not able to convert the signal from analog to digital and/or simply will not work, or the user will not be able to obtain images of the required quality.
Adapter types
Let's pay attention to the types of adapters that users of thematic forums, websites and other various sources advise purchasing:
- regular adapter from DVI to VGA;
- VGA/DVI-M adapter;
- DVI-F/VGA-M adapter.
The price of such devices is extremely small, but the vast majority of users believe that using such a DVI-D VGA adapter is much easier than replacing an old video card, buying a monitor with a suitable port, or looking for a better offer. However, this is not quite true. The cost of a DVI to VGA adapter ranges from 2 to 5 dollars. But in fact, the buyer ends up with an absolutely useless adapter, so that, like many of his fellow sufferers, he wonders why nothing works. So where is the reason for the VGA DVI adapter not working? We will answer this question now.
Connector pinout
Knowing the pinout of the ports, the questionable craftsmen came to the conclusion that by connecting certain connectors, they would get an excellent DVI-D/VGA adapter!
But in fact, if you know the layout of these ports well, then it is immediately clear that this device cannot function at all! If you look at the port, it becomes clear that DVI does not have pins, which are responsible for transmitting the analog signal.
In fact, this answer can easily be found on the World Wide Web: on every topic on this issue there is a post in which the author writes that he seems to have connected everything, but it’s not working. But if the author realized that the connection transmits signals of different types, he knew: it was necessary to convert the signal. That is, simply connecting two different ports will not help. This solution to the problem is quite common on the Internet, but it will not work - one hundred percent.
DVI-D/VGA converter
The only possible connection method is a DVI-D/VGA converter. Of course, its price is higher than that of the adapter, but we have already found out that it is better to pay extra than just throw a few dollars, as they say, down the drain. An adapter from DVI to VGA will not be able to convert an analog signal to a digital one, without which the user will not be able to connect any gadget. The operating principle of a DVI-D to VGA converter is to convert a digital signal to analog.
What do we have left? First: the user needs to pay attention only to the opinion of professionals who have sufficient competence. You should not trust advice because the solution to the problem is cheap, or because the method is popular - this is fraught with either a senseless loss of money or a waste of precious time.
Secondly, if it is obvious that this method of solving a problem does not work for the vast majority, then you need to understand why it does not work before making snap decisions and hoping that in a particular case everything will work. That is, of course, you can try to buy an adapter from DVI to VGA and save money, hoping for an unlikely result. But it is better to buy a converter that guarantees the functionality of the connection.
We hope that the article helped readers understand the issue of how this type of adapter works. The only way out is to purchase a special signal converter and not fool yourself, and the adapter cannot help in any way.
The term DVI-D VGA most often refers to small devices (adapters) with which old monitors with analog connectors are connected to computers transmitting a digital signal.
The peculiarity of such a connection is that it is not entirely 100% compatible, due to which it is far from Not every such adapter actually works. And although these devices cost not too expensive- on average, about $2-5 - in most cases it is better to give preference to another device called a signal converter.
Features of DVI-D and VGA connectors
A DVI port is available on those computers and laptops that support a special technology – digital visual interface or “digital interface”. It is used to transmit video images to peripheral data output devices - from televisions to.
The use of technology allows you to receive a signal with better quality, which cannot be transmitted using a currently outdated interface. For comparison, the maximum resolution supported by Video Graphics Array technology is only 1280x1024 pixels. For DVI-D similar the indicator is 2560x1600 pixels.
The new DVI technology is already in practical use on all modern monitors and output devices. However, the transition to a newer and more advanced method of data transmission has created a certain problem for users of those monitors that only have a VGA connector.
After all, back in the 2000s, most of even fairly large screens with a diagonal of 22–24 inches were equipped only with old ports. And you can connect them to modern PCs only if you use a special adapter for this.
There are 3 types of DVI connectors:
DVI-A interface providing only analog data transmission;
for data transmission in both digital and analogue formats – DVI-I;
only for digital image – DVI-D.
Due to the fact that computers transmit images in digital format, most modern video cards have only one type of connector - DVI-D. Outdated ones, equipped with DVI-I interfaces, can be connected using a special cable.
It is not always possible to provide the same connection to a VGA screen that has a lower resolution (analog and no longer even supports the FullHD format) using simple cables or adapters.
Compatibility issues
If you compare the signals that come from the DVI-D port, you can conclude that they are different. And in order to correctly transfer information in digital form to an analog monitor, you can use adapters from one interface to another - or signal converters with the same ports. When considering purchasing a regular DVI-D/VGA adapter, you should be aware of compatibility issues, which most users will have to deal with.
Main advantage this small device lies in its price. However, due to the absence of contacts C1–C4 (4 rectangular holes on the DVI -D connector, there is no possibility of analog data transmission. And, if, for example, such data can still be sent from a DVI-I or DVI-A port, the likelihood of The image on the monitor from a digital interface will be minimal.
The low cost of adapters leads to the fact that many users buy them for their old monitors that need to be connected to modern cards. Sometimes this method works. But, due to the fact that the “pinout” (or location of connectors) of the old and new interfaces is different, there may not be a signal.
The image does not appear on the screen due to the inability to convert the signal using conventional wiring. If the picture does appear, most likely the video card still has a DVI-I or DVI-A interface. That is, it also supports analog data transmission.
Solution of the problem
The incompatibility problem is quite serious - but completely solvable. Due to the fact that data can not only be transmitted, but also converted, specialists have long invented another device called a DVI-D to VGA converter or converter.
In appearance, it may indeed resemble a regular adapter, but it is equipped with an additional module that increases the size of the device.
Rice. 6. DVI-D VGA converter.
The task of the device is to convert a digital signal to analog. And, due to its more complex design, such a converter costs several times more. on the other hand, the question arises: why are DVI-D VGA adapters sold in online stores?
It’s easy to answer - the reason is the incompetence of some sellers. Or, perhaps, in the desire to sell more of a product that does not have the functions for which it is bought. In fact, on sites where reliable information about adapters and cables is provided, you can see other parameters in the description - the transition is carried out not from DVI-D, but from DVI -I to VGA.
Converters
There are a number of models of data converters from DVI-D to VGA. In most cases, they require separate power, since the device is not a simple adapter, but a full-fledged device with a board located inside. This feature makes the converter more expensive - but saving in this case does not make sense.
The capabilities of a digital to analog signal converter include transferring information from a modern video card to outdated monitors. Or the same far from new (or simply inexpensive) TVs, which can also be used to display information from a PC or laptop.
You may also need a converter when connecting - although most of them have already had one for a long time, which is also digital and compatible with any modern video card. Such adapters are not needed for such a device.
Signal conversion features
Among the converters available on the market you can find devices with the following characteristics:
support for connecting a DVI-D source to VGA displays with a maximum picture size of up to 1920x1200 pixels and a minimum of 800x600 pixels;
the converter input has 21 pins, the output has 15 pins;
maximum frequency – 60 Hz;
converter cable length – from a few centimeters to 1.5–1.8 m;
cost – from $6.
You should know: The converter is unidirectional. That is capable of converting digital signal to analog– but not vice versa. If you need to connect a VGA video card to a DVI-D monitor, you will need another reverse converter. Although it will not be of very high quality.
In addition, when buying a converter, you should take into account its incompatibility with the DVI-I and DVI-A interfaces. Moreover, most converters require separate power supply and audio output using an additional cable. Although in cases where the cable connecting the computer and the output device does not exceed 1–1.5 m in length, it is not necessary to connect it to the network.
For correct operation, it is desirable that it supports the same update rate that the converter provides. It is also recommended to use displays or TVs with a diagonal of no more than 40 inches - otherwise stripes may appear on the image.
Important: If you have to convert the signal not only from DVI-D to VGA, but also to other formats, It's worth purchasing a multifunctional converter, supporting several types of interfaces.
Rice. 10. Multifunctional converter.
conclusions
Despite the assurances of sellers, such converters should not be used. The probability of correct connection and data transfer in this case does not exceed a few percent - and, according to some experts, is generally zero. It will be much more effective to purchase a converter that is guaranteed to perform its functions when connected to an analog output device.
The video card has partially died. Diagnostics showed that the VGA channel is faulty. Having borrowed a DVI to VGA adapter from a friend, I made sure that the DVI channel was functioning. I didn’t really need the video card and buying an adapter for it would have been too expensive. As an experiment I decided to build an adapter from improvised materials.
First of all, I found the pinout of the adapter:
I didn’t have a DVI male connector., so I solved the problem a little differently. The old VGA connector was sawed in several places and divided into parts, which were easily removed with side cutters. I took a new connector from a deceased donor video card, having previously done the same thing, but only with the board. I installed the new connector upside down in place of the old one and began soldering the wires:
I approached inaccessible places from below:
In principle, it should have worked, but the computer with the soldered video card refused to turn on. In all probability The cause of the failure was unshielded wires.