Quick Links
Got a new PC or laptop and wondering what all ports and connections are for?
Not all USB-C cables are built alike, somake sure you pick a good one.
As we race towards a future where USB-C dominates, you canupgrade your older cables with cheap adapters.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
Older Thunderbolt 1 and 2 connectors were different, featuring a non-reversible connector.
Thunderbolt has some neat tricks that USB specifications lack, likethe ability to daisy-chain connections.
Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)
AnEthernetport connects your box to a wired connection connection.
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Be aware that USB-C (listed above) has become a common power connector for many laptops and peripherals.
They’re also commonly used foramplifiers, audio and video equipment,monitors, and other peripherals.
There is then a thinner adapter cable that connects to the laptop.
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MagSafe also appeared on older Apple computers but disappeared for around five years starting in 2016.
Video Connectors
Want to carry video from your rig to a monitor, television, or projector?
You’ll probably be using one of the following.
Justin Duino / How-To Geek
DP 2.0 launched in late 2022, with a bandwidth of up to 80Gb/sec.
In addition to video, the standard can also transport audio and USB data.
It also includes built-in support forvariable refresh rate (VRR) using HDMI AdaptiveSync.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
Technologies likeARC (Audio Return Channel)are built on the HDMI standard.
It has the same 19-pin connector, but it’s a lot smaller to save space.
Don’t confuseMini HDMI with Micro HDMI, which was more common on smartphones and action cameras.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
Typically speaking, green ports are used for stereo output while red ports signify a microphone input.
TOSLINK is short for “Toshiba Link” and is named after the company that created the standard.
S/PDIF stands for “Sony/Philips Digital Interface” and it refers to the software component of the standard.
Jordan Gloor / How-To Geek
Though many laptops still include Kensington Lock slots, they’re arguably less common than they once were.
FireWire 800 came in 2002, doubling the maximum theoretical transfer rate.
DVI covered both analog and digital signal transmission, depending on the key in of connector used.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
On top of this, DVI could be dual or single link.
Dual link would double the available bandwidth from 4.95Gb/sec to 9.9Gb/sec.
The standard was replaced by DisplayPort and (to a lesser extent) HDMI in the mid-2000s.
Jordan Gloor / How-To Geek
Parallel was eventually superseded by USB (particularly USB 2.0) and integrated connection interfaces.
The cards were even used in a handful of digital SLR cameras and in-car navigation systems.
Defined under the 1969 RS-232 standard, serial ports came in both 25-pin and 9-pin variants.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
For example, do you knowhow to pick the right Ethernet cable?
Or thatnot all USB-C cables are Thunderbolt compatible?
Or how toavoid being ripped off when buying an HDMI cable?
Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek
Check out out round-ups of thebest USB-C cables, thebest Ethernet cables, and thebest HDMI cables.
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
Jason Fitzpatrick / How-To Geek
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
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Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek
Corbin Davenport / How-To Geek
