subject: Monitor Cable Hooking Up your Monitor Cable [print this page] If you are attempting to set up a new desktop computer for the first time, then you may be frustrated by the number of different cables that go into doing so. One of the most important types of cable that you will have to get used to hooking up is the monitor cable. Monitor cables are used to connect the monitor, which is the screen the computer uses to display information, to the computer itself. Here, we will go over how to recognize monitor cables, as well as how to hook them up.
A monitor cable is typically a black or blue length of cable with a wide plastic or metal head on either end. These heads are typically blue, although occasionally they are black or even silver. On older cables, one end of the cable is the female end, which means that it is a solid block with a series of small holes in it. These cables have three rows of five pins each, with the centre row offset by a slight amount from the top and bottom rows. The other end is the male end, which has pins instead of holes, in the same pattern as the female end. Modern monitor cables typically have two male ends, rather than one of each.
The male end of the monitor cable plugs into your video card, which in turn is connected to the motherboard of the computer. The video card will be arranged on the motherboard so that its female plug (into which the monitor cables male end is inserted) sticks out the back of the computer. The female end of the cable is plugged into the monitor itself. If your monitor is a recent model, the cable that comes with it will likely have two male ends. If this is the case, then it does not matter which end is plugged in where, so long as each end is plugged into the correct place.
The monitor cable does not transmit power, so there will be a separate cable in order to power the monitor. Other than these two cables, most monitors will not require any other connections in order to function properly. Some monitors can be connected to additional components, such as DVR sets, allowing you to use them as televisions, home theatres, and more. Properly hooking up your cables is the first step toward getting your computer working the way it should.
