
Laptop-to-TV cables: what 4K 120Hz actually requires
Getting 4K 120Hz from a laptop to a TV depends on the ports at both ends, not just the cable. Calculating bandwidth per resolution shows exactly where 18Gbps and 48Gbps diverge.

Getting 4K 120Hz from a laptop to a TV depends on the ports at both ends, not just the cable. Calculating bandwidth per resolution shows exactly where 18Gbps and 48Gbps diverge.

HDMI 2.1's 48Gbps shrinks to 42.6Gbps once encoding overhead is stripped out. Here is the bandwidth 4K 240Hz at 10-bit really demands, calculated line by line against every standard.

To run 4K 120Hz gaming, 8K or VRR you need HDMI 2.1 — and a certified Ultra High Speed cable. Bandwidth is 18Gbps versus 48Gbps. Here is the required bandwidth computed by resolution and refresh rate.