Find out what each connection port on the back of your computer means

The back of your computer is full of jacks. Whether you just bought yourself a new computer or are using an old one, the computer has holes in the front and in the back. USB and HDMI ports are now used every day and everyone understands their functions, but sometimes there are a few ports that appear very rarely. Therefore, this article will shed some light on the meaning of the jacks on your case.

We will share connector divided into three main groups: video, peripheral, and mixed. Each category will go from old to new.

Video portal

Composite

As one of the earliest video communication ports, composite was invented in the 1950s when color TVs were first introduced. Lots of old TVs and monitors in use connector these, but they are very rare in current PC hardware

VGA

Video Graphics Array (VGA) on your computer is usually used to connect a computer monitor. VGA has connector 15-pin, and usually have two reds on either side to make sure. First developed in 1987, VGA has now been superseded by HDMI and DisplayPort, but they still work fine, even with current graphics cards. As the name suggests, it only transmits video, not audio.

S-Video

S-Video was developed in 1987, a more advanced version of the Composite connection. This 4-pin connector only accepts video signals, so a separate audio line is required to receive audio.

Mini-VGA

Mini-VGA is the mini version of the VGA standard. Common on many desktop laptops, mini-VGA has less battery life to fit in small devices. Like regular VGA connections, mini-VGA has become less common than HDMI and DisplayPort.

DVI

Developed in the late 90s to replace VGA, the Digital Video Interface (DVI) originally had 24 pins, used to more efficiently transfer data from the device itself to the screen. There are three types of DVI: DVI-D (digital only), DVI-A (analog only, essentially equivalent to VGA), and DVI-I (supports both analog and digital, as shown above). The single-link DVI-D port lacks 6 pins in the middle and can transmit 2048×1152 at 60Hz, while dual-link can max out at 2560×1600 at 60Hz. As the name suggests, DVI is a digital display to replace VGA’s analog display, achieving higher resolution and faster connectivity.

Mini-DVI

Developed by Apple to fit PowerBooks, MacBooks, and iMacs in the early 2000s, the mini-DVI port was criticized by many consumers for being too expensive. Because mini-DVI only transmits digital signals, users need special converters to transmit analog signals from Apple computers to external monitors.

Micro-DVI

Like mini-DVI, the micro-DVI connection was designed by Apple. Because Apple laptops are getting smaller and smaller, connector smaller becomes necessary if the user wants to plug in an external monitor. Like the above version, micro-DVI needs a special converter to transmit the analog signal to the screen.

HDMI

Designed in early 2000, with the goal of being user-friendly, multi-functional, High-Definition Multimedia Interface is connector current standard for video. It was the first port that could carry both audio and video. You can find HDMI ports in many devices, from PCs, laptops to TVs, consoles, etc. Nowadays, the vast majority of manufacturers have abandoned VGA to switch to HDMI thanks to the ability to transmit HD images. . HDMI has mini-HDMI, micro-HDMI versions.

DisplayPort

HDMI may be the current video connection standard, but it has some limitations. Specifically, HDMI is difficult to achieve 4K resolution and connect multiple monitors at the same time. DisplayPort makes up for that shortcoming. Designed in 2006, DisplayPort is not very popular because manufacturers favor HDMI over. But now, DisplayPort becomes connector reliable if you want more than 1080p resolution. DisplayPort is royalty-free, while HDMI requires licensing.

Mini-DisplayPort

Designed by Apple to replace micro-DVI, the mini-DisplayPort was found on most MacBook models until recently. It was superseded by Apple’s Thunderbolt. They are also sometimes present on PC laptops, as well as some graphics cards. Thunderbolt 1/2 has a similar shape, but it can carry non-AV data (see below).

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Peripheral port

PS/2

The PS/2 port is used to connect the mouse and keyboard to the computer. Designed in 1987, this 6-pin port has been superseded by USB. (Before PS/2 there was a DIN port, but we haven’t seen that in decades.) The vast majority of current motherboards still have one or two PS/2 ports, but it’s now deprecated.

USB

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a common connection standard that supports a large number of devices to a computer. Developed in the mid 90’s, we had three generations of USB.

USB 1.0 was released in 1996, allowing data transfer up to 12Mbps. It could not attach long cables, until version 1.1 was released in 1998. Since then, USB has become the common connection standard in the entire technology industry.

USB 2.0 was introduced in 2000. The second generation can transfer data 400 times faster than the first – in theory, up to 480Mbps.

USB 3.0 came out in 2008 and pushed transfer speeds to 4.8Gbps. When 3.1 came out in 2013, the speed increased to 10Gbps, commonly referred to as USB 3.1 Gen, and then in 2017, maxed out at 20Gbps with USB 3.2.

Thunderbolt

This is the typical design of Apple today, Thunderbolt was developed with Intel, first released in 2011. The first two versions of Thunderbolt used the same connection as mini-DisplayPort, while Thunderbolt 3 used the USB port. -C. Thunderbolt 3 can now transfer resolution to a 4k display at a 60hz refresh rate, or a single monitor at 120Hz. This port is most commonly found in Apple products, however, some high-end laptops also support Thunderbolt.

USB-COL

Developed in 2014, USB-C builds on the USB 3.0 platform, but with a more pluggable design. Unlike USB, USB-C can flip back and forth and plug into any device, in any direction. It appears on smartphones and other mobile devices thanks to its compact design. Fast USB-C will become the standard for future device connectivity.

VirtualLink

In early 2018, it was seen as a port to connect VR to a computer, now turning into a USB-C port. Nvidia and AMD are among the companies that have agreed to use this common standard. USB-C has begun to appear on new graphics cards, like Nvidia’s new RTX series.

Mixed Gate

Audio port

These 6 ports are found on all regular motherboards. Some are used to connect headphones and microphone, but if the 6 ports are used up, you’ll have surround sound for your computer, with additional microphone and S/PDIF ports. A lot of audio systems have moved to USB, especially headphones and microphones, and the old audio ports are getting old.

Ethernet Port

Technically, the Ethernet Port is called RJ-45, and is used to connect your computer to the Internet or other network devices. 8-pin ports were introduced to the public in 1980 and became the standard for connecting network devices. A smaller version of the Ethernet port, called RJ-11. It is mainly used for telecommunications purposes.