Q Regarding External LCD Monitor to laptop connection

Im ordering an external monitor to connect to my laptop (HP nc8430) as a xmas present to myself.

The screen Im getting has both VGA and DVI inputs, but only comes with a VGA cable.

Im also getting a docking station for my laptop which has both DVI and VGA outputs.

M question is, is it worth me buying a DVI-DVI cable? Will I notice any graphical difference? i.e. is it worth paying £20-£25 for one when I can just use the VGA cable that comes with the monitor?

Are there any other significant advantages to using a DVI connection?

Any help appreciated

Defoe

 

dvi to dvi will give you the sharpest picture. VGA to VGA won't be terrible, but can be affected by the quality of the cable. Usually the included cable will suit the monitor well. In other words, yes the DVI will be sharper, but it is up to you if that is worth 25

 

Thanks mate, thats pretty much the answer I was looking for.

 

I have an extra DVI cable if you want I bought a HP W2207 and just got a DVI->HDMI cable for it - so my DVI cable is useless. I have PayPal

 

I personally have noticed zero difference between analog and digital signals.

If you really want to use DVI, you could get one for less than $10 on eBay.

 

I think the vga vs dvi really matters on the resolution of the screen. The higher the resolution, the more noticeable the difference of improvement dvi offers. For 19" or less, i doubt you'd ever see the difference.

 

Thanks for all the replies.

Ive had a (generous) friend offer me a DVI cable for free so Ill try them both and see if there is any difference.

Thanks again for helping a noob out!