CES 2024 | Why Vesa's new Displayport DP54 cables are almost without equal and are the future of active cables

More than one meter and high bandwidths for the monitor? This is currently difficult to achieve because particularly demanding resolutions require DP80 cables with Vesa's DisplayPort. But this is only possible in the 0.8 - 1 meter range without much effort.

Dell's new 6K monitor, for example, is only usable from a notebook or a small desktop. A tower under the desk, on the other hand, is a problem. And with particularly wide monitors, which are becoming increasingly popular in the gaming sector, the distance becomes tight if the notebook is not positioned directly in front of the monitor.

Although there are alternative solutions, they are usually expensive. One is an extension with a docking station. The other is an active cable, but more on that later.

To solve the problem, Vesa has developed a pragmatic solution with the DisplayPort 2.1a update, replacing the DP40 cable with the soon-to-be launched DP54 cable. The bandwidth only increases slightly, enough for four UHBR13.5 links. A DP40 cable is not sufficient for 54 Gbit/s of bandwidth; a (short) DP80 cable is otherwise required here.

DP54 also increases the demands on the cable, but not as extreme as the DP80. It is the sweet spot that allows the use of Dell's 6K-Monitor U3224KB as well as wide displays at 8Kx2K@240Hz or 8Kx4K@120Hz. Vesa expects similar cable lengths to the DP40, namely around 2 meters.

But there are also certified DP40 cables with a length of 2.5 meters, as Vesa said. In both cases, enough to connect a tower under the desk to a demanding monitor. In principle, longer cables would also be possible if the hardware is of the appropriate quality. Vesa provides no specifications here.

In fact, the requirements of DP40 and DP54 are close enough that Vesa believes that most DP40 cables are sufficient for DP54, even if they are not certified for it. Users wanting to play things safe should buy a DP54 cable.

However, these are not yet available. But the first certifications should not be long in coming, as Vesa informed Notebookcheck.com at CES. The tools for certification are at least ready.

Active DP80 cables with two meters and more

In addition, Vesa also wants to address the length problem with DP80. To this end, the "DP80 Active" certification is planned for the end of 2024. The cables will no longer be simple copper cables, but also supplied with energy. Vesa had a two-meter cable prototype on display that is currently being tested. Optically, there is no discernible difference.

The power supply works via USB Type C Current, i.e. a maximum of 15 watts. Vesa has not yet been able to say whether cables with Power Delivery support will also be available. However, this depends on the manufacturer anyway and whether these are submitted for certification. Cables with PD support would be an option for particularly long distances if converting to fiber optics is not an option.