Which port would provide better visual quality? DVI-D to VGA or HDMI

[Nick Lee]

I am am about to build a system where I am buying a monitor that has VGA/D-Sub port and an HDMI port. The video card I plan on buying IS AMD HD5870 and it had DVI-D and HDMI. I want to know would there be a difference if I used a DVI-D to VGA or just an HDMI cable from the card to monitor, like would there be a performance difference? I was thinking about just using an HDMI cable.

the monitor only has one port and I plan on using this monitor als for my 360, which I was going to use the HDMI port as well. So I'll pretty much have to be switching cables every time I decide to play the other. I always leave my computer on, I never shut it off, would there be a problem with me leaving it on and unplugging the monitor from the PC to us for my 360?

as for the sound I'll be using an optical cord from my audio for both my PC and my 360 going to my surround sound system, which I'll have to do the same with the switching of the cords which won't be a problem.


I was just wondering about the difference of cables and leaving my computer on while I'll unplugg the monitor, I know it doesn't really bother it with lets say a vga port and I don't think it would really bother my PC but I was just wondering. If it does then I'll just use a DVI-D to VGA for my PC and a HDMI for the 360.

-Nick

 

[SNGX1275]

There definitely is a quality difference, esp at high resolutions. HDMI is the way to go, VGA you take a digital signal, make it analog, and then the LCD has to reconvert it to digital to display, which is a terrible way to do things. HDMI keeps it digital all the time.

Pulling the HDMI plug while it is on isn't going to hurt anything. Your other option is to pick up an hdmi switch. Monoprice probably sells them cheap.