DisplayPort is a mainly used interface for videos for graphic cards and monitors nowadays. It is used to associate a video source to a display device; it carries audio, USB, and almost all forms of data, including display devices like monitors, PCs, or LEDs.
DisplayPort 2.1 is an advanced interface version that allows up to 80 Gbps bandwidth, depending on your transmission mode. Not only that, but it also supports MST and DSC as a baseline. It also has backward compatibility with the previous DisplayPort standards.
Displayport 2.1 standards have succeeded all previous DisplayPort like2.0. Therefore, all the previous DisplayPort 2.0 devices are now DP 2.1 certified.
However, technology is overgrowing rapidly; you get to find advanced versions of everything. Whether it’s a monitor with the highest refresh rates and highest advanced level resolutions, up-to-date graphic cards, or the fastest CPUs to coop up with, with all that technology advancement, you require a powerful interface that will keep up with all of these without compressions or distortions. DisplayPort 2.1 plays its phenomenal part here! It maintains the accuracy of the video and the sound quality.
DisplayPort does this and focuses on improving DisplayPort Over USB4 and USB Type-C compatibility. However, the USB implementers forum is planning on launching USB4 and USB-C shortly to be used by nearly all devices in the future. In addition, the 2.1 version also mandates support for VESA’s Display Stream Compression, adds bandwidth management, and, last but not least, the Panel Replay Technologies. Finally, DP 2.1 requires DP80 and DP40 cables to operate at total capacity lengths beyond 2m, which is 6.6ft, and 1m, which is around 3.3ft.
However, all these incorporations do not increase the maximum refresh rates or resolutions; instead, they make the standard display works more efficiently via USB. Furthermore, VESA wants its standards run well with VESA wants their standards to run well with the increasing ubiquity of port 2.1.
Compatibility
Displayport 2.1 is backward compatible with all the previous ports like DisplayPort 1.2 and DisplayPort 1.4, so you might need to connect a GPU with the DP 1.4, but even then, the output would be limited to DisplayPort 1.4 bandwidth. So, if you want the device to support 2.1 DisplayPort, it should be backed by DSC or at least one of these three characteristics.
- Adaptive-Sync
- UHBR
- LTTRPs ( Link-Training Tunable PHY Repeaters)
- MST (Multi-Stream Transport) used for daisy-chaining; baseline for P 2.1
There are circumstances when the DisplayPort 2.1 device does not support UHBR and limits to a bandwidth of HBR3, which is misleading. Therefore, to overcome this, you need to check the transmission modes of the devices with DisplayPort 2.1. Usually, the port is mentioned by the manufacturers. The same is the case with DisplayPort 1.4 framing; it can also be misleading because manufacturers usually advertise their display devices as DP 1.4. Whereas they support HDR only, on a side note, it is not endorsed by DP 1.2. However, DisplayPort 1.4 are limited to BR2 bandwidth (i.e., 21.6 or 17.28 Gbps data rate)
Unfortunately, the different fixed rate link (FRL) rates, ranging from FRL 1 with nine Gbps to FRL6 with Fourty eight Gbps is, the same with HDMI 2.1.
Ultimately, you will get 1440p + 144Hz plus a display limited to 120Hz with 10-bit color depth. Luckily, few manufacturers label displays as DP 1.2 + HDR.
Bandwidth
DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 can support high refresh rates and very high resolutions; the credit goes to Display Stream Compression (DSC), which is visually lossless. The perk of DisplayPort 2.1 is it can maximize the bandwidth of DP 1.4; however, that, too, depends on the transmission mode.
Despite that, DisplayPort 1.4 transmit a maximum bandwidth of 32.40 Gbps. or 25.92 Gbps data rate with its highest HBR3 (High Bit Rate). Due to the encoding 128b/323b, DisplayPort 2.1 has the highest efficiency in terms of maximum bandwidth capacity with actual data rate.
- DisplayPort 1.4: 32.40 Gbps, 25.92 Gbps data rate with 80% efficiency
- DisplayPort 2.1: 80 Gbps, 77.73 Gbps data rate with 96.7% efficiency
In contrast, HDMI 2.1 has a maximum bandwidth of 48 Gbps or 42.6 Gbps data rate. So, DisplayPort 2.1 devices, together with UHBR20, could support 4K 240Hz, 1440p 500Hz, 8K 60Hz, and 10-bit color without DSC’s support. However, with the DSC, DP 2.1 can provide comparatively higher resolutions like 16K 60Hz.
Cables, Displays, And GPUs
In the near future, AMD has revealed that RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT graphic cards would support DisplayPort 2.1; not just that, even Samsung Odyssey Neo G9, an 8K ultrawide resolution ( 7680*2160) would also run by DisplayPort 2.1.
Meanwhile, to take full advantage of DisplayPort 2.1, you need cable wires of a ‘DP80’ cable with 80 Gbps for UHBR13.5 and ‘DP40’ with 40 Gbps for UHBR10 and UHBR20 devices.
Nonetheless, you have to rely on the specified bandwidth capacity as the DP logo for DisplayPort devices remains the same as for the old ones.
Besides the size of the physical connector, there is no difference between a mini-DisplayPort interface and a full-size DisplayPort like the DisplayPort Standards.
Time Ahead For Display Transmission.
A lot of devices use USB-C for power and data transmission simultaneously. DisplayPort 2.1 allows VESA’s standard to generate better compatibility with USB. In addition, VESA optimizes its standards for the USB, so the users get the best experience, even if using DisplayPort via USB-C port.
Thunderbolt Vs. DisplayPort
Thunderbolt technology can carry both PCI Express and DisplayPort; you often come across the word Thunderbolt floating around in your cable search. Thunderbolt not only has DisplayPort but also allows connecting things like rugged drive enclosures and docking stations.
It can also be referred to as USB-C with steroids. Thunderbolt is the last cable you will need for everything when people carry many peripherals.
However, Graphics cards from AMD and Nvidia do not support thunderbolt. So even if your PC is AMD, there could be chances in the first place that your system does not help it. PCs at large do not support thunderbolt. However, only some intel motherboards do have a rear thunderbolt port. Thunderbolt is excellent otherwise.
Power Saving Pictures
DisplayPort favors us with massive bandwidth capacity. In addition, it also comes with a feature for saving power called Panel Replay. This feature enables your display to work efficiently meanwhile limiting its power usage. Therefore when its power-saving mode is activated, the display only updates the parts that change on the screen, so it can save energy and does not use power for the features that are not active on display.