One of two big standard announcements at CES this year was the new addition of DP80LL active cables, that extends the range of UHBR20 cables from one meter to at least three meters. In fact, the cable that VESA was showing at CES was 3.5 meters long. To be fair, it has already been possible to make longer 80 Gbps DisplayPort cables, but there hasn't been a certification that guarantees that the cables will work. As we know, it's easy for a company to make claims about their cables that often mean very little in practical terms and with a very limited range of DP 2.1 graphics cards and monitors on the market, it has been impossible as a consumer to verify some of the claims. Starting this year however, it seems like DP 2.1 will take off and as such, it's great to see that VESA finally has a certification in place, so consumers can buy the right cables with confidence.

In addition to the new DP80LL cables, VESA was demoing several ClearMR 21000 displays and for those that have forgotten what ClearMR is, it's VESA's certification standard for measuring motion blur. ClearMR 21000 is the highest tier of ClearMR and it's pretty much exclusive to high refresh-rate OLED type displays. The ClearMR 21000 tier was announced at the end of last year, so the monitors on display are some of the very first to receive this certification level. In addition to this, the world's first display to gain VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1000 certification—which was a laptop display—was also shown. It's made by Samsung Display, but beyond that we don't have much in terms of technical details, but it delivers 1000 nits peak brightness and it can deliver 120 percent of the DCI-P3 colour space, which puts it squarely in the professional display category.

GIGABYTE has unveiled two cutting-edge QD-OLED gaming monitors at CES 2025, offering up to 500 Hz refresh rate. The new AORUS FO27Q5P is designed for competitive gaming with an industry-first 500 Hz refresh rate, the fastest in the QD-OLED market. It is a Samsung QD-OLED panel. Featuring 4K resolution and support for DP2.1 UHBR20 bandwidth, delivering a massive 80 Gbps, it ensures seamless compatibility with next-generation GPUs and 500 Hz gaming. This monitor also surpasses the VESA ClearMR 13000 threshold and aims to achieve the upcoming ClearMR 21000 standard for visual fidelity. With VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification, the FO27Q5P delivers vivid contrast, precise shadow detail, and rich blacks.

Next in line is the MO27U2 27-inch monitor, offering 4K resolution, a 240 Hz refresh rate, and a 166 PPI resolution. With delta E≤2 color accuracy and Pantone Validated certification, this monitor is ideal for hybrid users who game, stream, and create. Both monitors feature OLED Care, an AI-based panel protection system designed to prevent burn-in and enhance longevity. Enhanced tactical features like Tactical Switch 2.0, Night Vision, and Black Equalizer 2.0 provide gamers with additional visual control and visibility, optimizing gameplay precision.

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA)today announced that it is working with members to introduce new DP80LL ("low loss") ultra-high-bit-rate (UHBR) cables that enable up to four-lane UHBR20 link rate support - a maximum throughput of 80 Gbps - over an active cable up to three meters in length. The spec for these new cables will be a key highlight of DisplayPort version 2.1b, which will be released in the spring of 2025. As a result, the DisplayPort 2.1b update will provide for up to 3X the cable length for UHBR20 GPU-to-display connections compared to existing VESA certified DP80 passive cables. VESA certified DP80LL cables are expected to roll out into the market within the next several months.

UHBR20 and DP80LL Product Demos at CES 2025
VESA will showcase samples of pre-certified DP80LL cables alongside product demonstrations of DisplayPort 2.1 UHBR20 - the highest-performance UHBR tier in the DisplayPort 2.1 spec - as well as other VESA standards at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), taking place this week in Las Vegas, January 7-10.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced a pair of 27-inch OLED gaming monitors—the Swift OLED PG27UCDM and Strix OLED XG27AQDPG. Both monitors feature the latest fourth-generation ROG QD-OLED technology for exceptional visuals and infinite contrast, as well as the latest ROG OLED Anti-Flicker 2.0 technology to further minimize onscreen flicker during intense gaming.

The PG27UCDM is the world's first 27-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor with a superfast 240 Hz refresh rate and a pixel density of 160ppi for sharper images and clearer text compared to previous generation panels. It supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 formats, all selectable via the OSD menu. The monitor offers extensive connectivity options including DisplayPort 2.1a UHBR20, HDMI 2.1, USB-C with 90-watt Power Delivery, and a USB hub. For user convenience, the ROG DisplayWidget Center offers quick access to monitor settings as well as OLED Care Pro features.

MSI, the world's leading manufacturer of true gaming hardware, is proudly expanding the hardware possibilities for all gamers. While OLED panels have become the preferred choice for high-end gaming, the OLED burn-in issue has consistently been a major concern for all users. MSI is proud to introduce an exceptional solution that effectively addresses the dreaded OLED problem.

The world's first DisplayPort 2.1a (UHBR20) 27" 4K 240 Hz QD-OLED monitor, the MPG 272URX QD-OLED, is equipped with a 5-layer tandem OLED panel featuring the EL Gen 3 technology. This new material composition improves efficiency up to 30%. This monitor offers stunning clarity with 166 PPI, which enhances text sharpness and significantly reduces color fringing, setting a new standard for daily visuals. Recognized for its design and innovation, it has earned the CES 2025 Innovation Award. ith G-SYNC Compatible support, the monitor delivers smoother, tear-free gaming with reduced lag and fully compatibility with future hardware. This monitor is also perfect for all AAA game titles, ensuring an exceptional gaming experience with flawless performance and visuals.

ASUS has published the product page for its upcoming ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM gaming monitor, which will go head to head with the MSI MPG272URX on which will hit retail as the first 27-inch 4K 240 Hz display. The PG27UCDM sports a 26.5-inch panel using what ASUS refers to as 4th gen QD-OLED technology, which the company claims offer longer lifespan compared to previous generations of OLED panels. The panel sports typical OLED features such as a 0.03 ms response time, a peak brightness of 1,000 cd/m², 99 percent DCI-P3 colour space coverage and VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black. The display also supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-Sync compatible, as well as a host of ASUS specific gaming features such as ELMB, GameFast Input Technology, Shadow Bost and a DisplayWidget.

Inputs consist of a DisplayPort 2.1 port with UHBR20 (80 Gbps) support, a USB Type-C with DP-Alt mode and USB PD up to 90 W and a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports. There's also a three port USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) USB hub with what we presume is a USB Type-B input and a headphone jack. The reason for the presumed USB Type-B input, is that the specs claim KVM support and this would only be possible if there was a USB input of some kind, but this isn't mentioned in the tech specs. The stand is your typical higher-end model with tilt, swivel, pivot and height adjustment, as well as ASUS' Aura Sync lighting and a tripod mount at the top. ASUS claims a power consumption of around 80 Watts, although this doesn't include USB PD. A big plus is that ASUS will bundle a DisplayPort 2.1 DP80 cable in the box, something for example Sony decided not to include with their INZONE M9 II which launched in September last year. There's no word on pricing for the ROG Swift OLED PG27UCDM, but expect it to be on the expensive side of US$1,000.

The HDMI Forum confirmed the development of the next-generation HDMI standard with increased bandwidth. According to various media reports, including Videocardz and Dday, the press release from HDMI Forum indicates the possibility of new cables or refinement of existing specifications. Moreover, it could mean we will have new HDMI 2.2 specs. The current HDMI 2.1 specifications, established in 2017, provide bandwidth up to 48 Gbps and support native non-DSC configurations for 4K at 144 Hz and 8K at 30 Hz. When combined with Display Stream Compression (DSC) technology, the current standard can handle up to 10K at 120 Hz. A bandwidth increase could enable higher resolutions and refresh rates without DSC compression.

This development of new HDMI specifications is due to the emergence of other display interface standards such as DisplayPort 2.1, which offers up to 80 Gbps over UHBR20. AMD's Radeon RX 7000 series and Intel's recently launched Arc Battlemage GPUs support UHBR 13.5 while the Radeon PRO supports UHBR20. The HDMI Forum is scheduled to release these new specifications on January 6th, one day before the official CES 2025 opening event on January 7th. With the launch of NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 50 and AMD's Radeon RX 8000 series at CES 2025, it would be interesting to see if the latest graphics cards will support the HDMI 2.2 specs.

For those of you that have been waiting patiently for the first DisplayPort 2.1 monitors to start arriving, we have good news as Gigabyte has revealed details of its first display equipped with DP 2.1. The monitor in question is the AORUS FO32U2P which also sports a 4K QD-OLED panel with a 240 Hz refresh rate. The 31.5-inch QD-OLED panel does follow the standard feature set with a 10-bit panel, 250 cd/m² brightness, 1.5 million to one contrast ratio, 0.03 ms GTG response time and a DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification. Gigabyte has gone for an anti-reflective coating as well, which might not appeal to everyone.

As for the inputs, the DP2.1 ports support the full UHBR20 spec, which is 80 Gbps of total bandwidth over four 20 Gbps DisplayPort lanes, which means Gigabyte hasn't skimped on anything here. Yes, you read that correctly as well, the monitor has two DP 2.1 inputs, one full size and one mini DP input and there's also a USB Type-C input that supports DP-Alt mode, in addition to 65 W USB Power Delivery and USB data, although it's not clear if this port also supports DP 2.1. Furthermore, there are two HDMI 2.1 ports, one upstreams and two downstreams USB 3.2 ports, as well as a headphone and microphone jack. Gigabyte has also equipped the AORUS FO32U2P with a pair of 5 W speakers and a stand that offers tilt, swivel, pivot and height adjustments. The maximum power usage is said to be 78 W, but this shouldn't include the USB PD part. Other features include KVM support, daisy-chaining via a DP output, picture in picture and picture by picture support and various gaming features such as crosshairs, night vision, black equalizer etc. Gigabyte has as yet to announce official pricing on a release date.

Update Mar 5th: We've received additional details on the DisplayPorts of the AORUS FO32U2P from Gigabyte and only the DP inputs supports DP 2.1, whereas the USB Type-C input and the DP daisy-chain ports are limited to DP 1.4. The MSRP of the AORUS FO32U2P will be US$1399.99 with the AORUS FO32U2 which is a DP 1.4 version will have an MSRP of US$1199.99.

Back in December, details of HP's OMEN Transcend 32 leaked and one of the big reveals was that this upcoming OLED display was going to feature DisplayPort 2.1 support. Now details have emerged via TFTCentral that the Transcend 32 might not be all it was expected to be, as its DP 2.1 port is what can only be referred to as severely limited, since it only supports UHBR10 which equals 40 Gbps worth of bandwidth. Comparing this with the upcoming Gigabyte AORUS FO32U2P which supports UHBR20, you're looking at twice the bandwidth at 80 Gbps. To put this into real world terms, this means that the OMEN Transcend 32 will still require DIsplay Stream Compression enabled to hit its maximum refresh rate of 240 Hz at 4K resolution, as this requires close to 69 Gbps of bandwidth. That said, it's still capable of 144 Hz without DSC, which is a small consolation prize, but it's hardly going to win over potential customers.

The OMEN Transcend 32 does have a few extras though, such as support for VESA AdaptiveSync 240 and ClearMR in addition to AMD's FreeSync Premium Pro. Other niceties include a USB Type-C port with DP Alt mode as well as 140 W USB Power Delivery, a USB Type-C output and KVM functionality. It's also said to feature "OMEN Gear Switch technology" which makes the display act as a network switch and enables files to be dragged and dropped between devices connected to the monitor. HP has as yet to announce pricing and a launch date for the OMEN Transcend 32.

Serial leaker @yuuki_ans on X/Twitter has released details on Intel's upcoming Barlow Rridge Thunderbolt 5 controller which will be known as the JHL9580 or JHL9540 depending on the SKU. The good news is that Intel has finally moved to PCIe 4.0 for the bus interface, which was expected due to the increased bandwidth on offer by Thunderbolt 5 over Thunderbolt 3 and 4. Barlow Ridge will use a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface to connect to the host and it appears that the earlier leak that suggested native Thunderbolt support in Arrow Lake-S might be incorrect, as there are diagrams showing Barlow Ridge connected to Arrow Lake-S CPUs.

Besides the faster bus, Thunderbolt 5 brings asymmetrical data transmission support which means that for display applications there will be a 120/40 Gbps mode, whereas for data only applications Thunderbolt 5 will deliver a symmetrical 80 Gbps mode. We should point out that this only appears to apply to the JHL9580 SKU, which also supports 40 Gbps USB4 speeds, whereas the JHL9540 for some reason remains a Thunderbolt 4 controller. That said, both of the Barlow Ridge SKUs get support for 20 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, something that was lacking in previous Thunderbolt implementations. There will also be support for DisplayPort 2.1 via DP Alt Mode with full UHBR20 support when used with a DP80 certified cable. Actual data transfers are limited to the 64 Gbps PCIe 4.0 interface to the host system, just like USB4, but this does at least give Thunderbolt 5 extra head room for display data even in symmetrical mode. The Barlow Ridge controllers appear to be connected directly to the Arrow Lake-S CPUs via the PCIe 4.0 x4 interface, much in the same way USB4 host controllers connect to AMD's Ryzen 7000-series CPUS.

Courtesy of X/Twitter user @yuuki_ans, we now have what should be very detailed information on Intel's next generation consumer desktop platform, assuming the leaked information is real. The leaker not only provided confirmation on the CPU specs of the Arrow Lake-S desktop CPUs, which will feature up to an 8+16+1 core configuration. However, it appears that it's not all smooth sailing for Intel to get Arrow Lake-S up and running, as a note points out that the pre-alpha hardware has the performance cores disabled due to a hardware bug that is expected to be fixed in a future hardware revision. We can also see that the official memory support is DDR5-6400 from the block diagram, which is quite a jump from DDR5-5600 which is what the current 14th gen CPUs officially support.

That said, the rest of the documentation shared is very detailed and provides us with a ton of details in terms of the various platform interfaces we can expect. For starters, the Arrow Lake-S CPUs will feature native Thunderbolt 4/USB4 support (once again an odd mistake here stating USB4.0), as well as DisplayPort 2.0 (UHBR20 only) and HDMI 2.1 support. The CPU is said to deliver 24 PCIe lanes, of which 16 are PCIe 5.0 lanes for the GPU and the remaining eight are for NVMe SSDs, with half being PCIe 5.0 and half PCIe 4.0.

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) announced today that it has released DisplayPort 2.1, the latest version of the DisplayPort specification, which is backward compatible with and supersedes the previous version of DisplayPort (DisplayPort 2.0). VESA has been working closely with member companies to ensure that products supporting DisplayPort 2.0 would actually meet the newer, more demanding DisplayPort 2.1 spec. Due to this effort, all previously certified DisplayPort 2.0 products including UHBR (Ultra-high Bit Rate) capable products - whether GPUs, docking station chips, monitor scalar chips, PHY repeater chips such as re-timers, or DP40/DP80 cables (including both passive and active, and using full-size DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort or USB Type-C connectors) - have already been certified to the stricter DisplayPort 2.1 spec.

Achieving a robust, end-to-end user visual experience remains the utmost priority for VESA's DisplayPort specification, whether across a native DisplayPort cable, via DisplayPort Alt Mode (DisplayPort over the USB Type-C connector), or tunneled through the USB4 link. As such, DisplayPort 2.1 has tightened its alignment with the USB Type-C specification as well as the USB4 PHY specification to facilitate a common PHY servicing both DisplayPort and USB4. In addition, DisplayPort 2.1 has added a new DisplayPort bandwidth management feature to enable DisplayPort tunneling to coexist with other I/O data traffic more efficiently over the USB4 link. This increased efficiency is on top of mandated support for VESA's visually lossless Display Stream Compression (DSC) codec and VESA's Panel Replay capability. DSC bitstream support can reduce DisplayPort transport bandwidth in excess of 67 percent without visual artifacts, while VESA's Panel Replay capability can reduce DisplayPort tunneling packet transport bandwidth in excess of 99 percent when Panel Replay operation is taking place.

BizLink, a global leader in interconnect solutions, is proud to announce the release of the world's first VESA certified DP80 Enhanced full-size DP cable after the launch of DP80 mDP cable in March 2022. DP80 as the highest standard for cable configuration defines a new standard for display connectivity with emphasis on higher link rate. Certified with the latest version of DP technology, BizLink's DP80 Enhanced full-size DP cable provides a maximum throughput data rate up to 80 Gbps, covering new data rates per lane: UHBR10 (10 Gbps), UHBR13.5 (13.5 Gbps), and UHBR20 (20 Gbps).

In an era consisting of trends such as remote work and extended reality, to deal with the growing needs for high-performance displays and "stay connected" at the most elevated implementation levels becomes crucial. Satisfying user experience and reliable connectivity requires higher data rate conversion. The DP80-marked cable supports UHBR20 at their highest transfer rate, enabling ultimate connections of advanced and latest display applications and systems. With a satisfactory data rate value up to 80 Gbps, the DP80 standard unleashes new capabilities for bringing superior connection to achieve a given level of video quality as image capture and display technology advance.

AMD's upcoming Radeon RX 7000 series of graphics cards based on the RDNA 3 architecture are supposed to feature next-generation protocols all over the board. Today, according to a patch committed to the Linux kernel, we have information about display output choices AMD will present to consumers in the upcoming products. According to a Twitter user @Kepler_L2, who discovered this patch, we know that AMD will bundle DisplayPort 2.0 technology with UHBR 20 transmission mode. The UHBR 20 standard can provide a maximum of 80 Gbps bi-directional bandwidth, representing the highest bandwidth in a display output connector currently available. With this technology, a sample RDNA 3 GPU could display 16K resolution with Display Stream Compression, 10K without compression, or two 8K HDR screens running at 120 Hz refresh rate. All of this will be handled by Display Controller Next (DCN) engine for media.

The availability of DisplayPort 2.0 capable monitors is a story of its own. VESA noted that they should come at the end of 2021; however, they got delayed due to the lack of devices supporting this output. Having AMD's RDNA 3 cards as the newest product to support these monitors, we would likely see the market adapt to demand and few available products as the transition to the latest standard is in the process.

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA ) today announced that the first video source and display devices supporting DisplayPort UHBR (Ultra-high Bit Rate) - the higher data link rates supported by the DisplayPort standard version 2.0 - have completed certification through the DisplayPort UHBR Certification Program. To achieve this important milestone, UHBR chipset reference source and display designs provided by AMD, MediaTek and Realtek successfully met the PHY, link and interoperability testing requirements outlined in the DisplayPort 2.0 Compliance Test Specification (CTS). The higher bandwidths enabled by UHBR support a variety of use cases such as uncompressed 8K 60 Hz HDR, 4K 240 Hz HDR, two 4K 120 Hz HDR or four 4K 60 Hz HDR displays through a single cable.

VESA also announced today that qualified VESA DisplayPort Authorized Test Centers (ATCs) are ready to begin testing and certification of UHBR end-products using approved test equipment and reference sink and source devices for interoperability testing. An engineering demonstration of a reference source and sink device setup from AMD and MediaTek operating at UHBR link rates will be showcased at the Display Week Symposium and Exhibition in San Jose, Calif., on May 10-12, 2022 at VESA booth #214 at the San Jose Convention Center.

For decades, Intel has been a champion for PC platform innovation. We have delivered generations of CPUs that provide the computing horsepower for billions of people. We advanced connectivity through features like USB, Thunderbolt and Wi-Fi. And in partnership with the PC ecosystem, we developed the ground-breaking PCI architecture and the Intel Evo platform, pushing the boundary for what mobile products can do. Intel is uniquely positioned to deliver PC platform innovations that meet the ever-increasing computing demands of professionals, consumers, gamers and creators around the world. Now, we take the next big step.

Today, we are officially launching our Intel Arc graphics family for laptops, completing the Intel platform. These are the first discrete GPUs from our Intel Arc A-Series graphics portfolio for laptops, with our desktop and workstation products coming later this year. You can visit our Newsroom for our launch video, product details and technical demos, but I will summarize the highlights of how our Intel Arc platform and A-Series mobile GPU family will deliver hardware, software, services and - ultimately - high-performance graphics experiences.

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA ) today announced its certification program for video source, display and cable products supporting DisplayPort UHBR (Ultra-high Bit Rate), the higher data link rates supported by the DisplayPort standard version 2.0. Through the DisplayPort UHBR Certification Program, device and cable manufacturers can send new products to DisplayPort authorized test centers (ATCs) for testing and certification. The higher bandwidths enabled by UHBR support a variety of use cases such as uncompressed 8K 60 Hz HDR, 4K 240 Hz HDR, two 4K 120 Hz HDR or four 4K 60 Hz HDR displays through a single cable.

Today, VESA also announced the introduction of VESA certified DP40 and DP80 UHBR cables, which guarantee display connectivity and operation at the highest performance levels introduced with DisplayPort 2.0. VESA certified DP40 cables must support up to the UHBR10 link rate (10 Gigabits per second or Gbps) defined by DisplayPort 2.0, and support the full four-lane operation, providing a maximum throughput of 40 Gbps. VESA certified DP80 cables must support up to the UHBR20 link rate (20 Gbps) defined by DisplayPort 2.0, with four lanes, providing a maximum throughput of 80 Gbps. VESA certified DP80 cables will also support the UHBR13.5 link rate (13.5 Gbps), which is also defined by DisplayPort 2.0.