USB Type-C has a new feature called Alternate Modes. If your USB-C cable has this feature, you can connect to non-USB devices that support the same Alternate Mode. For example, if your USB-C cable has the Thunderbolt Alternate Mode, you can connect to Thunderbolt devices. There's no setting to turn on—your device automatically uses the appropriate mode if it's supported.

A Complete Guide to Monitor Cable Types - Cable Matters A Complete Guide to Monitor Cable Types - Cable Matters

If you have a laptop - your monitor may, or may not, offer charging over this port....meaning the USB-C connection can actually power/charge the machine it is connected to. To get this working, though, you need to be very careful with cable selection. If your monitor comes with a USB-C cable, then this is the obvious choice of cable to use, and should 'just work'. However not every monitor comes with every cable. Swipe down from the top of your screen to open action center. The notification appears in action center with the error code listed there. Cable Matters DisplayPort 1.4 cable is an indispensable companion for the latest computers and monitors equipped with DisplayPort. Interactive Displays Pantone Validated Smart Signage Series 4K Smart Signage Series BenQ Board Accessories Smart Display Accessories Wireless Presentation

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The HDMI Alternate Mode lets you project video and play audio on an external display that supports HDMI.

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For new generation games consoles like the Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5, you want to use an HDMI 2.1 cable connected to an HDMI 2.1 gaming monitor or TV. This gives you all the bandwidth you need, and opens up the option of use eARC for reduced cabling in surround sound speaker setups. For desktop and laptop gamers, HDMI 2.1 is still a great choice, giving you all the bandwidth you need for 4K gaming at up to 144Hz (or even 240hz using Display Stream Compression). Splitters are supported in DisplayPort connections, for example, which will allow you to use one port on the laptop to connect a number of monitors, although this isn’t a very economical way to do it since it might be a bit expensive. If you have a USB-C analog audio adapter connected to your PC, unplug it, then connect a USB-C digital audio adapter instead. HDMI is the standard connection used by most televisions and monitors, and should be familiar to most people. Be aware, however, as there are variants. There are micro-HDMI and even mini-HDMI connectors, as well as the standard full size, so make sure you select the right cable. Chargers that don't have a standard USB Type-C connector might use a proprietary, nonstandard connector that your PC (or phone) doesn’t support.

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DisplayPort 1.4a also supports dynamic metadata for HDR content, which means Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support for wider brightness and color gamut. Your monitor's capabilities will be the limiting factor here, though, not DisplayPort. If you have a spare cable lying around, it might not be good enough, unfortunately, as most HDMI cables don’t tell you what version they are.

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Usually, a task which should essentially be “plug this into this” becomes complex and time consuming. However, don’t let this dissuade you from accomplishing your monitor goal, just make sure you do plenty of research before buying a cable, and make sure it’s the one you need. There's some contention over whether daisy-chaining multiple 4K monitors is possible over USB-C, though. If that's important to you, you're better off going with DisplayPort or opting for a Thunderbolt 3 monitor, instead. The main issue with these cables, apart from their age, is that they don't support audio transmissions, so you’ll need to connect a separate audio connector to rig yourself up properly. In addition, we’d recommend choosing a new HDMI cable unless you’re confident that yours is fairly new. The HDMI specification has also changed over time, and older cables might not give you HD, or even 4K. For the best performance, look for HDMI 2.0 or HDMI 2.1, but anything over 1.4 should function.

Conclusion

As technology continues to progress and new standards are created, it’s becoming more frequent to find difficulties in achieving the result you want. This also applies to monitors. The everyday, casual, user might not be familiar with USB-C, DisplayPort, or HDMI, and it’s not always clear for them. The Alternate Mode feature must be supported on the PC or phone's hardware and software, and the connected device or dongle. You might also need a specific USB-C cable. As a hook-up, USB-C to USB-C can be ideal - you can have just one cable carrying the video signal, data (e.g. for the calibration side of things, or to enable downstream USB/ SD card ports on the monitor, audio (if your monitor has speakers, or an audio output) - AND even power.

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The definitive guide on how to connect a monitor to your laptop with a USB-C or a variety of cables

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DVI– A video only cable type that is typically found on older monitors, desktop graphics cards, and laptops. Commonly found in DVI-D and DVI-I formats, it was also available as Mini-DVI and Micro-DVI for a time. Browse DVI Cables The device or dongle you connected to has new features for USB-C that your PC (or phone) doesn’t support. At the end of the day, USB-C over DisplayPort offers a convenient alternative to many previous display interfaces. With DisplayPort 2.0 set to become more supported in consumer devices, using a USB-C cable rather than a specific DisplayPort cable will be a great, user-friendly addition. Both USB-C to DisplayPort and USB-C to HDMI cables are, in 2020, readily available from Officeworks, JB-HiFi, most computer stores etc. All should in theory work ok for up to 4k/60hz.