Reviewing a six-foot cable sounds like a joke, and for most people this one is a boring purchase that works. The interesting part is what it can’t do, and how often a cable gets blamed for a problem that lives somewhere else.
A cheap cable rarely inspires long forum posts, so I lean on what the standard says and I will tell you where owner evidence runs out.
Product image from the Amazon listing.
My opinion in one line: this is a fine cable for a 1440p or 4K 60Hz desk monitor on a PC with a DisplayPort output, and it is the wrong purchase if you own a MacBook and nothing else.
What “1.2” Really Means on a Cable
Strictly speaking, DisplayPort cables don’t have versions. Wikipedia’s DisplayPort article puts it plainly: “DisplayPort cables are not classified by “version”.” They are classified by the bandwidth they are certified for, and VESA, the group behind the standard, does not allow version numbers on labels. Sellers still use them, and “1.2” has become shorthand for a cable built for HBR2 speed.
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So read the name on this cable as a claim about speed. A UK deal listing for the 1.8 metre version, which is roughly this six-foot length, repeats the product’s claims: 21.6Gbps, 4K at 60Hz, 2K at 165Hz and gold-plated plugs.
That 21.6 figure needs a small correction. It is the raw rate. Wikipedia explains that only 80 percent of those bits carry video, which leaves 17.28 Gbit/s. That lower number decides what you can actually run.
The VESA-run DisplayPort site adds some useful news: it says all certified DisplayPort cables support HBR2, and that this is enough for 4K at 60Hz. It also suggests buying from a reputable brand or picking a certified cable. I found nothing showing that this cable is VESA certified, so treat it as a brand-name cable and no more than that.
The Sums for Your Monitor
Here is some rough maths to make this real. For each case, multiply width, height, refresh rate and 24 bits of colour per pixel. Real signals need a bit more than this for timing, so leave some room.
A 2560 x 1440 screen at 144Hz needs about 12.7 Gbit/s. That fits, and Wikipedia’s table lists it as achievable on HBR2 with 8-bit colour. The 165Hz claim on the listing works out to about 14.6 Gbit/s, which also fits on paper.
A 3840 x 2160 screen at 60Hz needs about 11.9 Gbit/s. That also fits, and Wikipedia says HBR2 can even carry it at 10-bit colour.
A 3840 x 2160 screen at 144Hz needs about 28.7 Gbit/s. That does not fit, and the same goes for 5K at 60Hz, which needs about 21 Gbit/s. One Slickdeals commenter gave the same warning: this is a 1.2 cable and not for high-refresh 4K or HDR setups.
The practical split is simple enough. A normal office screen, a 1440p gaming monitor, or a 4K monitor at 60Hz is the job this cable was made for. A fast 4K gaming panel needs a higher class of cable, and possibly a higher class of everything else too.
One point goes in this cable’s favour. The DisplayPort site says that standard cables work across generations, so a better GPU or monitor later does not make the cable useless. It just stays limited by what it can carry.
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Product image from the Amazon listing.
Why a MacBook Owner Should Stop Here
This is the mistake I would most like to prevent. The cable has a full-size DisplayPort plug on both ends. A MacBook has no full-size DisplayPort socket. Apple’s guide to Mac ports says that for displays that don’t plug in directly, you use an adapter.
So a modern Mac setup needs a USB-C to DisplayPort adapter or a dock with a DisplayPort output, then this cable, then the monitor. Every extra link is one more thing to fail and one more thing to check. If your monitor has a USB-C input, or you are buying an adapter anyway, a single USB-C to DisplayPort cable is often simpler. That leaves this cable for a Mac mini or Mac Studio on a dock, or for a dock that already has the right socket.
The signal path matters on the PC side too. Check that your graphics card or laptop has a DisplayPort output and that the monitor has an input of the same shape. Some small laptops use Mini DisplayPort, and this cable won’t fit those.
Once you have your chain, a monitor at 144Hz also needs the correct setting. Many monitors ship set to 60Hz, and some have a menu option for the DisplayPort mode. A cable can be perfectly fine while your system runs at the wrong refresh rate. Check the display settings on your computer before you assume anything is broken.
When the Cable Gets the Blame
The best owner story I found shows how misleading these problems can be. On a Woot forum thread for the 10-foot version of this cable, an owner wrote in January 2024 that “after a few months the picture gets wonky if you turn your monitor off for awhile.” Five days later, the same owner corrected it: “This actually ended up being an issue with my monitor or GPU. Replaced the cable and it still had the issue.” They finished by saying “These are great if you need a long displayport cable.”
That is the longer cable, so it only tells you so much. Still, the lesson carries over. DisplayPort wake and black-screen trouble often comes from the monitor, the graphics card or the driver. A cheap spare cable is a good test, because swapping it rules one thing out.
Other comments are mixed, and they come from retailer pages that merge different models. One owner said the cable worked for 1440p in the few times they tested it. Another, with several 1440p monitors, reported periodic trouble that continued even after tying the cable down. Without a firm link to this exact length, I would give those little weight. I found no reliable report of how the six-foot version behaves at 165Hz, and no measured failure rate.
Product image from the Amazon listing.
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The Pin 20 Question
Older buyers may remember a scare about bad DisplayPort cables. Wikipedia explains that pin 20 carries 3.3V power, and that normal passive cables must leave it unconnected. Linking two devices through that pin can cause a short circuit, and VESA found some off-brand cables wired it anyway.
I found no owner report tying this problem to this cable. I also found nothing on how the pin is wired here. A big-name budget cable is a lower risk than a nameless one, but that is my reasoning and not proof. If your PC ever behaves strangely with a new DisplayPort cable connected, unplug it first and ask questions later.
A Plain Cable for a Plain Job
I would buy this for one simple case: a desktop PC or a dock with a DisplayPort output, a monitor with a DisplayPort input, and a target of 1440p at up to 144Hz or 4K at 60Hz. It is cheap, it is long enough for most desks, and it is a useful spare for fault-finding.
Skip it if you want 4K above 60Hz, or if your laptop only has USB-C and a direct USB-C cable would do the same job with one less part. Look for a certified cable if you want the very most your monitor can do.
For a normal desk, the Amazon Basics DisplayPort 1.2 Cable (6ft) is a sensible low-cost choice, provided both ends of your setup really do have DisplayPort sockets. This is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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