HDMI CABLES DEGRADE FROM HIGH USE :: Hardware and Operating Systems

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STARSCREAM🔰 11 月 21 日上午 8:10

HDMI CABLES DEGRADE FROM HIGH USE

Observations on HDMI 2.1 Cable Degradation Under High-Bandwidth Use
Author: Starscream
Date: November 2025

Abstract
This document examines the real-world degradation of HDMI 2.1 cables under sustained high-bandwidth usage, specifically daily operation at 4K resolution, 120 Hz refresh, and HDR (10–12 bit). Drawing on multiple years of first-hand observation, it highlights the factors influencing cable longevity, the manifestation of signal degradation, and recommendations for maintaining optimal performance.

Introduction
HDMI 2.1 cables are rated for up to 48 Gbps, theoretically sufficient for high-resolution, high-refresh-rate, and high-bit-depth content. However, continuous use near the upper limits of the specification can expose marginal weaknesses in conductor integrity, shielding, and connector reliability.

Methodology
Usage scenario: Daily gaming and media playback at 4K, 120 Hz, HDR (10–12 bit) for multiple hours per day.
Cable selection: Mid-range HDMI 2.1 cables (1–2 m in length), avoiding both low-quality budget cables and ultra-premium specialty cables.
Observation period: Approximately 5 years of high-bandwidth usage, including two instances of cable failure.
Testing: Issues identified through visible flicker, partial screen artifacts, and color anomalies, while lower-bandwidth modes (e.g., 4K 60 Hz) remained stable.

Observations
Rapid onset of degradation: Cables began exhibiting intermittent flicker and color artifacts after roughly two years of daily 4K 120 Hz HDR use. The degradation appeared suddenly rather than gradually.
Bandwidth-dependent failure: Full functionality was maintained at lower resolutions, refresh rates, and bit depths, indicating that the HDMI 2.1 interface itself remained functional.
Cable length effects: Shorter cables (1–2 m) failed after roughly two years. It is reasonable to assume that longer cables may degrade slightly faster under the same conditions due to higher signal attenuation.
Replacement resolves issue: Substituting the failed cable with a high-quality HDMI 2.1 cable restored full performance at maximum resolution and refresh rate.

Analysis
The observed degradation is consistent with electrical stress on the cable’s internal conductors and shielding:
High-frequency signals at maximum bandwidth generate heat and stress on thin conductors.
Repeated flexing, even minimal, can exacerbate connector or shielding fatigue.
Marginal cables (even reputable mid-range brands) may have sufficient tolerance initially but fail under continuous extreme load.

Conclusions

Dielectric fatigue / material creep
The insulators (the plastic around the copper wires) are under constant electrical stress at 48 Gbps. Over months, the dielectric material very slowly changes its properties (microscopic molecular rearrangement). This increases signal loss (attenuation) and messes with impedance. It’s not visible, not oxidation, but it’s real physical aging accelerated by high-frequency, high-bandwidth signals.

TMDS signal is brutal at 48 Gbps
HDMI 2.1 uses four lanes running at ~12 Gbps each (actually 11.88 Gbps raw). That’s an extremely high toggle rate. The sharper and faster those transitions are, the more stress on the cable’s twist rate, shielding, and dielectric. 1440p 120 Hz HDR is usually ~18–22 Gbps total- literally half the stress or less.

Eye pattern closure over time
Engineers measure this: when the cable is new, the "eye" (the clean window where the receiver can read 0s and 1s) is wide open. After a year of pushing 48 Gbps 8-12 hours a day, that eye slowly closes due to the above effects. One day it closes just enough that the receiver can’t recover the clock or data reliably -link fails at full bandwidth. Drop to lower bandwidth - eye is still open enough - works again.

最后由 STARSCREAM🔰 编辑于; 11 月 21 日下午 11:17

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_I_ 11 月 21 日上午 8:55

the more a cable is plugged or unplugged can wear the cables and devices connectors out

cables can be damaged from bending too frequently or too far
the plugs can be damaged from being bent at all

but overall the wire will not change at all over time from the frequency of the bits (electrons) traveling through it

STARSCREAM🔰 11 月 21 日上午 9:06

引用自 _I_：
the more a cable is plugged or unplugged can wear the cables and devices connectors out

cables can be damaged from bending too frequently or too far
the plugs can be damaged from being bent at all

but overall the wire will not change at all over time from the frequency of the bits (electrons) traveling through it

I have rarely unplugged or moved my cables probably less than 20 times in their entire life. The connectors have seen almost zero mechanical stress.

Despite this, multiple of my HDMI 2.1 cables started failing under daily 4K 120 Hz HDR use. This proves the degradation wasn’t caused by plugging/unplugging or bending.

The issue is purely electrical stress on the cable’s internal conductors and shielding when running at the maximum bandwidth the cable supports. The bits traveling through it do not wear it down in normal use; the failure is due to sustained high-bandwidth operation pushing the cable to its limits.

cSg|mc-Hotsauce 11 月 21 日上午 9:12

Exact name and model# of said cable?

_I_ 11 月 21 日上午 9:13

^ this

more likely to be poor cables, or overrated

cSg|mc-Hotsauce 11 月 21 日上午 9:14

引用自 _I_：
^ this

more likely to be poor cables, or overrated

Could also be a bad batch. The variables are crazy, even for good brands/models.

x 11 月 21 日上午 9:24

Proper designed and manufactured cables with proper materials will last a lifetime. They are still mostly copper cables (well, except for the newer fibre HDMI cables) being used to transport electrical signals. We have copper cables with over 100 years of service that are still working. I think whatever HDMI cable it is, if they are properly design, manufactured and used, they will last until they are obsolete and need to be replaced.

Now, we all know there are thousands of companies around the world making substandard products. But that is a completely different issue.

最后由 x 编辑于; 11 月 21 日上午 9:25

STARSCREAM🔰 11 月 21 日上午 9:32

Actually, my experience proves otherwise. The cable in question is a mid-range, properly made HDMI 2.1 48 Gbps cable, rarely unplugged or flexed probably less than 20 times in its life.

Despite that, after daily use at 4K 120 Hz HDR for multiple hours, it started showing flicker and color issues. This wasn’t a “bad batch” or mechanical abuse the cable simply reached its electrical stress limits.

引用自 x：
Proper designed

Proper materials and design help, but sustained maximum-bandwidth operation can degrade even good HDMI 2.1 cables in a few years. Your 100-year copper example isn’t relevant here, because that’s low-frequency, low-bandwidth use the stress from modern 4K120 HDR signals is in a completely different class.

Bottom line: Even well-made HDMI 2.1 cables have a finite lifespan under extreme, daily high-bandwidth use. This is exactly what happened in my case.

引用自 cSg|mc-Hotsauce：
Exact name and model# of said cable?

:nkCool:

Unitek HDMI 2.1 48 Gbps, 1M (this time)

smallcat 11 月 21 日上午 9:42

@_I_ , electrons dont travel through HDME cable but oscillate in place .Electric charge waves (voltage changes) travel down the HDMI cable .They are decoded at the receiver

x 11 月 21 日上午 10:03

引用自 STARSCREAM🔰：

Bottom line: Even well-made HDMI 2.1 cables have a finite lifespan under extreme, daily high-bandwidth use. This is exactly what happened in my case.

Then they are not well made, sorry. They can be the best in the world, but if power lines last decades and decades under load, an HDMI cable should last as long. You don't see people rewiring their houses or even a mere night lamp because the cables went bad. They do it because standards and technology change needing more modern cabling. My house has 60 yo copper wires and there are many that are much, much older. We did rewire the kitchen but only because it was needed for the modern machines.

STARSCREAM🔰 11 月 21 日上午 10:04

引用自 smallcat：
@_I_ , electrons dont travel through HDME cable but oscillate in place .Electric charge waves (voltage changes) travel down the HDMI cable .They are decoded at the receiver

RighT the signal in an HDMI cable is not electrons physically moving from end to end, it’s voltage changes (electrical waves) propagating down the conductors, which the receiver decodes.

That means the bits themselves do not wear out the cable. Any failure is due to mechanical wear (plugs, bending) or electrical stress at high bandwidth, not the “flow of electrons.”

In my case, the cable failed despite almost zero plugging/unplugging or bending, proving it was electrical stress at 4K120 Hz HDR, not normal signal transmission, that caused the degradation.

#10

STARSCREAM🔰 11 月 21 日上午 10:05

引用自 x：
引用自 STARSCREAM🔰：

Bottom line: Even well-made HDMI 2.1 cables have a finite lifespan under extreme, daily high-bandwidth use. This is exactly what happened in my case.

Then they are not well made, sorry. They can be the best in the world, but if power lines last decades and decades under load, an HDMI cable should last as long. You don't see people rewiring their houses or even a mere night lamp because the cables went bad. They do it because standards and technology change needing more modern cabling. My house has 60 yo copper wires and there are many that are much, much older. We did rewire the kitchen but only because it was needed for the modern machines.

That’s a fair point for low-bandwidth, low-frequency wiring like household power lines, but HDMI 2.1 is a completely different scenario.

Household AC wires carry relatively low-frequency 50/60 Hz power. They’re thick, robust copper, and the voltage/current is tiny relative to the conductor’s capacity. That’s why they last decades.

HDMI 2.1 cables carry ultra-high-frequency, high-bandwidth digital signals 48 Gbps for 4K120 HDR. That’s pushing tiny wires to their electrical limits. Sustained use at that spec can stress the conductors and shielding over time, especially on mid-range cables.

Your 60-year-old house wires never experienced sustained multi-gigabit signaling at room-scale conductor thickness. HDMI cables aren’t comparable; they’re far more delicate.

So yes, a “well-made” HDMI 2.1 cable can fail after a few years of extreme use, even if it’s properly manufactured. It’s not a design flaw it’s the physics of pushing near-spec limits in a tiny conductor.

#11

Crashed 11 月 21 日上午 10:39

The higher the frequency, the more prevalent skin effect is, and thus any damage will degrade high frequency signals more significantly.

Oh, turns out the article was all made up.

最后由 Crashed 编辑于; 11 月 21 日上午 10:39

#12

_I_ 11 月 21 日下午 12:11

引用自 smallcat：
@_I_ , electrons dont travel through HDME cable but oscillate in place .Electric charge waves (voltage changes) travel down the HDMI cable .They are decoded at the receiver

no, they travel
its not ac, its dc, high and pulled down on each line

with ac they oscillate since they travel both directions not really moving anywhere
dc/pwm and pull down they travel, stop, travel all in the same direction

either way, its not wearing on the wire, if its copper, aluminium or even cca (copper cladd aluminium)

#13