One of the most important things to consider after purchasing your monitor is choosing a cable. If your cable doesn't support 144hz playback, even the best 144hz monitor will do you absolutely nothing.
If you have to connect your 144hz screen to a PC with an HDMI cable, you should make sure that you use at least an HDMI cable with version 1.4 or higher.
## HDMI cable controversy
With HDMI 1.4 or newer cable versions like HDMI 2.0, you can get up to 120hz. Some manufacturers claim that an HDMI cable only supports 60hz, but this is just a myth. This is assuming you have HDMI version 1.4 or higher.
The reason why HDMI cables can only transmit so few Hertz compared to Displayport & DVI is that HDMI was originally intended for the multimedia area, namely for Bluray, and you don't need high Hertz numbers there. Only a few films and TV series were produced in more than 24-30 frames per second, so 120hz is more than sufficient.
HDMI also carries sound, which requires some bandwidth too.
But if you are using an HDMI cable on a 144hz monitor, make sure your cable supports at least version 1.4 or more recent to get the full benefits of the monitor's capabilities.
If you're not sure about what type of cable version you have, google it! There are several sites out there that will give you the specifications for every different type of HDMI cable version.
When buying an HDMI cable always check for high speed (and high bit rate) and pay attention to what kind of device (pc/Xbox etc.) and what kind of ports it has (HDMI, DisplayPort). If possible buy a gold-plated version of the HDMI cable, this will not only increase performance but the lifespan of your HDMI cable is longer as well.
## What about audio?
When using an HDMI cable audio is not transmitted through the HDMI cable. This means that if you have a monitor with built-in speakers you have to use another type of connection for sound, like analog or digital (optical). For example, most 144hz monitors come with 2x3watts for built in speakers so they are really not made for intense listening pleasure. But there are some models available with higher quality speakers, but these are also more expensive.
Our cable recommendations for 144hz monitors
Above we have listed our favorites in the area of cables for 144hz. We paid particular attention to features such as cable insulation, workmanship, proper cable length, and quality. Fortunately, these days you can get an extremely good quality cable for little money.
We were pleasantly surprised at the high quality of this cable for under $10. This cable features gold plated connectors, 4k compatibility, and a shielding in aluminum foil. If you're looking to save some money on your HDMI cable, this one is highly recommended!
If you don't need a very long cable but want one that's also pretty good, we recommend this extra short version which is perfect if your PC or console is not far from your 144hz monitor. The gold-plated connectors ensure the best possible performance. For a little more money, you get an excellent value for your dollar with this 2-pack of cables.
These cables are also very good and come at a slightly lower price point than our top pick if you're looking to save some money. They're also available in a 3 pack and they offer the same transfer speeds as our top pick, so we recommend them too.
## Why buy a 144hz monitor?
So now that we know how important it is to choose the right/right cable, why would you want a 144hz monitor? Well, this is really up to personal preference. There are several reasons people buy a 144hz monitor. Some do it for better reaction time in games, others do it for smoother visuals and less tearing while watching movies or playing games on the PC.
If you type a lot or use your computer a lot then a 144hz monitor will make typing easier because of the higher Hertz number which reduces screen flickering.
On average most people don't notice any improvement in performance after switching from 60/75/144 Hz to 240 Hz screens, but some might notice how much faster their pc feels with one or two faster monitors.
## HDMI in gaming
Due to the rapid growth of the gaming industry, the uses of HDMI cables have changed, in the future even HDMI cables. If you want to be on the safe side, we definitely recommend a Displayport cable, because it supports the full 144hz as well as a high-speed 1920x1080p (Full HD) transmission with security.
A good alternative to Displayport is a Dual Link DVI-D cable, this supports 144 Hertz and has a resolution of up to 2560X1600 pixels. This is the highest standard available at the moment.
A very good alternative to DVI-D is HDMI, which has become one of the most widely used cables for PC gaming. You can run a resolution up to 1920x1080p with 144hz, but only if you use an HDMI cable that supports it (1.4), older HDMI versions don't support this. If you're unsure about your HDMI cable version, google it!
This is why we recommend using Displayport or Dual Link DVI-D cables with your 144hz monitor if possible.
## Cable for 144hz - What you have to consider
If you want to enjoy the newly gained 144 Hertz permanently, then you should make sure that you buy a cable with good workmanship. One of these decisive quality features is the insulation of the cable, others are the transmission speed, the transmission bandwidth, and the gold-plating of the contacts. In addition, according to our research, a cable length of 2m is optimal, as there is no risk of having to lose or lose data or transmission speed.
If you want to make sure that your 144hz monitor and the cable don't get damaged, we recommend buying a protective casing (for example CableMod Pro Series Full Braided ) for your cable. This will be far less expensive than replacing a broken high-speed HDMI or DisplayPort cable!
If you own an AMD graphics card, then you should consider using DVI-D instead of HDMI, because according to AMD this gives rise to no compatibility problems like it can happen with HDMI. If you want to find out more about AMD's recommendations on which cables are best suited for each video connection, here's their official document.
## Summary
* An HDMI 1.4 / 2m is enough if you own an AMD card
* A DVI-D Dual Link Cable is the best option if you want to use HDMI, but it's even better than HDMI 1.4 / 2m.
* The cables you see in the pictures are high quality and can be purchased at Caseking.
* If you own an Nvidia card, then get a DisplayPort cable! It's worth it because of its length of up to 2 meters and its gold-plated contacts.
* In general, it's better not to buy cheap cables. A high-quality DVI-D Dual Link Cable lasts 10 times as long.
* If you want a longer cable, you should always choose one that is more flexible and doesn't coil its own way over time!
## Questions & Answers
**Q: Which connection should I use? HDMI, DVI-D, or Displayport?**
A: At least Displayport version 1.2 or 1.4, HDMI version 1.3 or more recent.
**Q: Which HDMI cable version do I have?**
A: Google it!
**Q: My monitor has built-in speakers, what connections should I use?**
A: If your monitor only has 2x 3Watts for built-in speakers, just go with the HDMI connection. If you want to be on the safe side and only use 3.5mm Mini-Jack connectors ( analog), we recommend using a digital connection like DVI-D or Displayport. For high-quality sound go with optical (Toslink). \*\*Note that if you're trying to connect a Bluetooth speaker or any other Bluetooth device you'll need a Bluetooth audio dongle with a 3.5mm Mini-Jack connector ( analog).
**Q: My monitor has no built-in speakers, what connections should I use?**
A: If your monitor doesn't have built-in speakers go for the HDMI connection, this is by far the most common type of connection on new monitors. Choosing between DVI-D or Displayport really depends on your graphics card. Most modern graphics cards only come with HDMI and DVI ports, but if you're planning to buy a new graphic card soon it's always nice to know that you'll future-proof yourself right away if you already bought all the parts for your pc build.
## Conclusion: Cable for 144 Hertz monitor or screen
In order to be able to display the desired 144 Hertz or more, you absolutely need either a DisplayPort cable or a DVI cable. With these cables, you can certainly display 144hz. After connecting, you have to select the 144hz option on your computer in the display settings, because many people forget that.
If you want or have to use an HDMI cable for various reasons, you have to make sure that it is a cable with at least version 1.4. With this, you can at least display up to 120 Hertz, which is still double the Hertz compared to a normal monitor or a VGA cable.
A high-quality gaming monitor such as the [Asus VG248QE](https://monitorcamera.com/post-best-asus-vg248qe-settings-and-color-profile/) 144hz for example should always be connected to your computer with a DisplayPort cable or a DVI-D Dual Link Cable.
At this point, we would like to emphasize that you shouldn't rush into buying cables and spend more than necessary! Trust us, if you buy cheap and bad cables, they'll just break sooner! It's definitely worth it to spend a bit more money on better cables because of their longer service life. Also, read our other article about choosing the best Monitor for CS: GO which explains what screens offer the best image quality and why.