18 Types of Computer Connectors & Cables (With

Pictures)
By W.S. Toh / Tech Tips / June 3, 2022

Welcome to a beginner’s guide and list of the types of computer connectors

and cables. Over the years in computer history, many different kinds of
cables were invented and re-invented. There are so many types of cables
these days that a beginner will be completely lost in the tech jungle. Just
which connector is which? Read on to find out!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Basics Display Devices

Audio Networking Power

 Useful Bits The End

CABLE BASICS

Before going into the types of cables, let us start with some
basic trivial information that may be useful.

THE CABLE STANDARDS

Computer cables are not random pieces of electrical wire, we usually

identify cables and connectors using “strange numbers” such as RJ45 and
IEC 60320. There is no need to be confused, these are just standard codes
by the various international organizations. These are the few that you should
be aware of:

IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

USB IF – USB Implementers Frontier
RJ – Registered Jack
IEC – International Electrotechnical Commission
MALE-FEMALE

There is also a “gender” in the world of connectors.

The “male” part refers to the connector’s side with pins.

While “female” refers to the receptacle side.

Yep… It’s kind of an adult thing.

DISPLAY CABLES

Now that we are done with the basics, let us move on to the
display cables and connectors.

1) VIDEO GRAPHICS ARRAY (VGA)

This is one of the older display connectors, also called an “analog video
connector”. This used to be everywhere in desktops and laptops, but the
VGA connector could no longer catch up with the advanced video
technologies. It was taken over by the DVI and HDMI connector.

2) DIGITAL VISUAL INTERFACE (DVI)

Following a need for a cable that is capable of handling more video data, the
DVI connector took over VGA. It was the “mainstream video connector” for a
while, until the mobile market boom. People quickly realized that the size of
the DVI connector is not good for mobile devices, and it is soon taken over
by HDMI and display port connectors.

3) HIGH DEFINITION MULTIMEDIA INTERFACE (HDMI)

This is the “common Joe” that you see everywhere these days, and it comes
in various different sizes to fulfill the needs of various devices in the market.
In particular, the 3 most common ones are:

HDMI Type A: The full-sized HDMI, is used on desktops and some

laptops.
Mini HDMI Type C: For the smaller tablets and ultrabooks.
Micro HDMI Type D: For mobile devices.

4) DISPLAYPORT
You can call this the “successor of DVI cables” with a much smaller
footprint, much more suitable for mobile devices. But just a quick trivial,
display port and HDMI cables carry both video and audio signals;
Technically speaking, they are not categorized as “pure video cables”, but
“audio-visual cables”.

DEVICE CABLES

Next, we move on with one of the most confusing parts of

computer connectors – The many devices
and miscellaneous connectors.
5) PARALLEL

Once upon a time in the stone age of computers, we connect printers to

computers using these parallel cables. They are built like tanks and wouldn’t
even budge if you yanked hard at it. Of course, they could not handle large
amounts of data fast enough and have been totally phased out.

6) SERIAL
The serial connectors are cousins to the parallel connectors. As some of you
may have noticed, yes, these are the ancestors of the USB.

7) PERSONAL SYSTEM/2 (PS/2)

These are invented by IBM for their line of computers called Personal
System, for the purpose of connecting the keyboard and mouse. It turned
out to be a good idea, got adopted by many other manufacturers, and
became the de facto standard – Until USB took over.

8) UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS (USB)

I don’t think USB needs a lot of explanation, USB devices are everywhere
these days. But what you do need to know, is that there are so many types of
USB that it is rather confusing.

USB 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 – These are the versions of USB, and every later
version of the USB simply supports a better data transfer rate.
USB 3.1 & 3.2 – Still USB 3. But offers faster data transfer, and also
capable of handling more power for fast charging.
Type A USB – The common Joe USB connector that you see
everywhere.
Type B USB – The “square type” connector that is commonly used for
printers.
Mini and micro Type B USB – Used for mobile devices such as
smartphones, tablets, and digital cameras.
Type C – Also used for mobile devices, but this one is reversible. I.E.
There is no direction, and you can plug this in upright or reversed.

9) FIREWIRE (IEEE 1394)

The FireWire is Apple’s so-called early version of the USB, but this is not
compatible with USB devices. While there are a couple of gadgets made for
the FireWire, it was never too popular and was overshadowed by USB.

10) THUNDERBOLT
Following up with a not-so-popular FireWire, the Thunderbolt is the
successor with a twist.

Thunderbolt 1 & 2 – Adopted much of the DisplayPort technologies.

The Thunderbolt port is a versatile one that can be used to both
connect devices and output video.
Thunderbolt 3 – If you can’t win them, join them. Apple finally cracked
under pressure, this is pretty much a USB Type-C port with video
output capabilities.

11) LIGHTNING
Lightning is the latest generation of iPhone/iPad connectors, and it is
specific to Apple devices only. Well, the certain half-eaten fruit company
definitely has no love for the mainstream standards.

AUDIO CABLES

Now for the audio cables, which seems to be the only one
that has not changed much since the old days.

12) 3.5MM AUDIO JACK

This is another one that is commonly seen everywhere, but take note of the
number of black stripes on the connectors.

The one with 2 black stripes is what we call a 3 pole connector.

While the one with 3 stripes is called a 4 pole connector.

The reason for that extra pole is to support an additional microphone on the
earphones/headphones. So yep, just be aware that they are different.

13) OPTICAL FIBER AUDIO CABLE

Unlike the traditional copper wires, this one uses light to transmit data, and
thus called “optical fiber”. Although expensive, the reason why some people
may choose optical fiber is that copper wires have a tendency to introduce
noise (static sound).

Light signals do not introduce noise, and that results in a cleaner sound.
Just don’t stare into the ends of the optical fiber cable, some may use lasers
and can blind people.

NETWORKING CABLES

Networking cables have not changed much since the old

days as well, maybe that is because most of it has gone
 wireless…

14) ETHERNET

You may have seen this while connecting a wireless router to the modem.
Yep, in the old days when we do not have wireless, this is what we use to
connect the PC to the router. For you guys who want to sound like legit
engineers – The standard for Ethernet is IEEE 802.3, and the connector is
RJ45.

P.S. There are cat 5, cat 6, cat 7, and cat 8 ethernet cables. The difference is
in the supported bandwidth… Just get the latest cat 8 cables if unsure, they
are technically backward compatible.
15) TELEPHONE

Well, you should know this from your home telephone, and it is also
connected to AIO printers to send out faxes. Call this RJ11 if people want to
get technical.

16) FIBER OPTIC CABLE

When it comes to a faster Internet – Electricity and light are 2 of the fastest
things that we use to transmit data. But sadly, copper wires are reaching the
technical limitations for data transfer. The newer generations of “serious
networking devices” are skewed towards using fiber optic cables for ultra-
fast data transfers.

POWER CABLES

For this final section, we will walk through the true survival of
time – Power cords that have never changed since… forever.
17) POWER CORDS

The power cords of a computer comply with the IEC standards, which is the
same as almost all of our other household appliances. Here are 3 of the
common power plugs that you see in computers:

IEC 60320 C13 &C14: The standard plug for desktop computers. Also
known as the “kettle plug”, because it looks just like the one we use
for electrical kettles.
IEC 60320 C5 & C6: This is the standard plug for the chargers of
most laptops, also known as the “cloverleaf”.
IEC 60320 C7 & C8: Yet another standard plug for the chargers of
laptops and even some speakers.

18) DC BARREL JACK

The common Joe that you see everywhere in the world of electronics… But
take note – Even though it looks the same, these actually come in different
diameter sizes.

USEFUL BITS

That’s all for this guide, and here is a small section on some
extras and links that may be useful to you.

LINKS & REFERENCES

16 Types of Computer Ports and Their Functions – Electronics Hub

Computer Cable types and descriptions – HardSoft
Different Types of computer connectors – IK Studies
 THE END

Thank you for reading, and we have come to the end of this
guide. I hope that this has helped you to better understand
the various connectors, and if you have anything to share with this
guide, please feel free to comment below. Good luck and may the digital
force be with you.

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41 thoughts on “18 Types of Computer Connectors & Cables

(With Pictures)”

Older Comments

CHERYL BEAN
NOVEMBER 9, 2022 AT 4:37 AM

Excellent. Thank you.

Reply
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ABOUT ME
W.S. Toh is a senior web developer and SEO practitioner with over 20 years
of experience. Graduated from the University of London. When not secretly
being an evil tech ninja, he enjoys photography and working on DIY projects.

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