I recently bought a 34″ LG UltraWide monitor from Costco thinking it would be a simple plug and play. It has been anything but simple. The reason I bought the LG UltraWide monitor was because it was extremely cheap at $279.99. The low price coupled with Costco’s fantastic return policy was enough reason to try out the monitor. For those people without a Costco membership, click here to find the LG 34″ model on Amazon.
The major headache came from trying to connect my laptop to the external monitor. The LG UltraWide monitor has two HDMI ports in the back and has a resolution of 2560 x 1080. The resolution is the main reason why you can’t just plug any HDMI cord and connect it to your laptop. A 2560 x 1080 resolution will need a cable that can output up to 4K. If you use a standard HDMI cable that can only output 1920 x 1080, you’ll get an ugly stretched out view.
Another thing to look for is the refresh rate of the external monitor. Refresh rate refers to the number of times an image on that screen is redrawn per second. A higher refresh rate will lead to a smoother image, especially when viewing fast action or scrolling. The LG UltraWide monitor has a max of 60 Hz, which is an important for selecting the right cable.
I have a Dell XPS 13, which has a USB-C port to connect to external monitors. This helps us narrow down the cable I need to a HDMI to USB-C cable, which can support 4K resolution with a refresh rate of 60 Hz. Like any Amazon veteran, I searched “HDMI to USB-C 4K 60 Hz” to narrow down my search. This is critical to filter out all the other cables that will not work for connecting to a ultrawide monitor. I decided on the Plugable USB-C to HDMI 2.0 because of the good reviews and price.
Features
- Supports resolutions up to 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz when connected to an HDMI 2.0 capable display
- 6 ft/1.8 m cable is fully Plug and Play – No software installation required
The package came in a Plugable ziploc bag with only the cable inside. Connecting my Dell XPS 13 to my external monitor was a breeze. All I had to was connect the HDMI end to the back of my external monitor and connect the USB-C end to my laptop. The external monitor automatically set the correct resolution to 2560 x 1080. The monitor looks fantastic, despite it only be Full HD. I see no lag on my monitor nor do I see any issues with the monitor disconnecting from my laptop.
The cable itself is 6 feet long and relatively sturdy. The seamless, single cable is convenient because I don’t have to add another adapter to connect it to my laptop. The single cable also makes it easier for cable management and tucking it away for the clean desk look.
The Plugable USB-C to HDMI 2.0 cable is backwards compatible with HDMI 1.4 displays and will output lower resolutions such as 2560 x 1440, 2560 x 1080, 1920 x 1080. This makes it the perfect versatile cable to fit all your needs. The Plugable cable is compatible with newer laptops such as 2016-2017 MacBook Pro, Dell XPS 13 and 15, HP Spectre x360, etc. Any recent laptop with a USB-C port should work with this cable.
Overall
The Plugable USB-C to HDMI 2.0 cable is worth every penny. It’s how every cable should work: plug and play. There is no headache and it is able to output up to 4K resolution at 60 Hz. This cable is backwards compatible and it is compatible with lower resolutions. This is a simple, versatile cable is meant to seamlessly connect to an external monitor to increase productivity. Higher quality cables (like this one) are a bit pricier compared to standard HDMI cables. This is due to the increased resolution output at a higher refresh rate. The cheaper cables will only output to a max of 1920 x 1080. You can find the Plugable USB-C to HDMI 2.0 on Amazon for $21.95. If you’re planning on getting an ultrawide or 4K monitor, this cable is an absolute must. Even if you currently have a lower resolution monitor, you should grab one in case you do upgrade in the future. Save yourself the headache and pull the trigger on this fantastic product.
Other Plugable cable options
Active DisplayPort to HDMI 2.0 Adapter (4K @ 60 Hz) $18.95
USB-C to HDMI 2.0 Adapter (4K @ 60 Hz) $19.95
Active Mini DisplayPort to HDMI 2.0 Adapter $17.95
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Nice article man! I do have one question tho. When you use this cable (USB C to HDMI 2.0) will it charge your laptop at the same time? Or do you need a second cable (power or USB) to charge your laptop?
Hi Diego,
Unfortunately, this cable will not charge your laptop at the same time. If you have a monitor and laptop that can support USB-C to USB-C connection that would be a different story.
Hi Luke,
Thanks for the reply and a good review! 🙂