Question 1

What is the maximum length for a VGA cable before signal quality degrades?

Accepted Answer

Signal quality typically starts to degrade noticeably beyond 5–7 metres with standard cables. With a high-quality coaxial, double-shielded cable rated at 250 MHz or above — such as those from StarTech.com or Lindy — you can reliably run up to 10–15 metres at 1080p without visible artefacts. Beyond 15m, active signal boosters or a different connection standard (DisplayPort, HDMI) are a more practical solution.

Question 2

Do I need a fully wired VGA cable, or will a cheaper partially wired one do?

Accepted Answer

Always buy fully wired unless you have a specific reason not to. Partially wired cables omit pins used for colour channels and DDC communication, which can result in your monitor not being detected, resolution being capped, or colours appearing incorrect. The price difference is negligible — most cables from 3 £ to 12 £ are fully wired, but it's worth confirming in the product description before purchasing.

Question 3

What's the difference between a standard VGA cable and a coaxial VGA cable?

Accepted Answer

A coaxial VGA cable uses individual coaxial conductors for each of the three colour signals (red, green, blue), surrounded by foil and braid shielding. This construction dramatically reduces signal attenuation and EMI pickup compared to standard twisted-pair cables. The practical difference is minimal at 1–2 metres, but becomes significant at 5m and beyond — coaxial cables maintain sharper, more colour-accurate images over longer distances. StarTech.com's HD15 coaxial range is a good benchmark for this construction type.

Question 4

Can I use a VGA cable for audio as well as video?

Accepted Answer

No — VGA carries video signals only. The HD15 connector has no pins allocated for audio. If you need audio alongside a VGA video connection, you'll need a separate 3.5mm audio cable or a different video standard altogether. This is one of VGA's key limitations compared to HDMI or DisplayPort, both of which carry audio natively.

Question 5

Are expensive VGA cables worth it, or is it a marketing gimmick?

Accepted Answer

For short runs under 3 metres at standard resolutions, no — a well-specified cable from 3 £ to 12 £ will perform identically to one costing five times as much. The premium is justified for longer runs, higher resolutions, or environments with significant electromagnetic interference. What you're paying for is coaxial construction, higher AWG wire, ferrite cores, and metal connector housings — all of which have measurable impact on signal integrity over distance. Gold-plated contacts, on the other hand, are largely cosmetic at VGA frequencies.

Question 6

What does DDC2 mean on a VGA cable, and do I need it?

Accepted Answer

DDC2 (Display Data Channel version 2) is a communication protocol that allows a monitor to send its capability information — supported resolutions, refresh rates, colour profiles — to the connected PC. A DDC2-compatible cable (fully wired, with all 15 pins connected) enables plug-and-play monitor detection and automatic resolution selection. Most modern monitors expect DDC2 support; without it, Windows may default to a generic low-resolution display mode. Cablenet's DDC2 HD15 cables explicitly support this, as do most fully wired cables above 12 £.

Question 7

What pitfalls should I avoid when buying a VGA cable online?

Accepted Answer

The biggest trap is buying on price alone without checking the specification. Watch out for: cables listed without 'fully wired' confirmation; lengths that seem too good to be true (a 10m cable for under 3 £ is a red flag); and D-Sub9 cables masquerading as VGA cables due to similar connector appearance. Also avoid buying the longest cable available 'just in case' — excessive length coiled behind a desk actively degrades signal quality. Check retailer return policies too; John Lewis and Amazon offer straightforward returns if the cable turns out to be incompatible.

VGA Cables Price Comparison

VGA Cables price comparison UK