Unplugging HDMI daily from laptop ... longterm effects?

St1mpMeister · 12-10-2018 12:32PM #1

I bring my laptop to work daily and plug it into an external monitor via HDMI, then unplug it when I head home. Can't leave it in work as I need it with me.

So say I do this around 550-600 times a year allowing for holidays etc.

I've heard of ports wearing down over time, but realistically roughly how long will I get before the port is unusable? Has anyone actually experienced a port becoming unusable simply from too many unpluggings?

o1s1n · 12-10-2018 12:35PM

Depends on lots of factors.

How rough/gentle you're being plugging it in and out.
The material the cable connector is made out of.
The material the port is made out of.
The quality of the solder joints connecting the HDMI port to the mainboard.

Hard to say really! I don't think I've ever had a HDMI port go bad on me. Due to the flat shape of them (unlike your usual circular power/3.5mm jack ports), they're pretty robust.

....... · 12-10-2018 12:35PM

I had a HDMI port become unusable after a lot of pluggings/unpluggings.

It was an old Acer laptop and I used to plug it into the HDMI port on my telly. Eventually the port (on the laptop) wore out.

There was some suggestion it might have been a power surge but I think it was just overuse. I did get it replaced at the time but it stopped working again about 10 months later.

mordeith · 12-10-2018 12:54PM

You could always buy a cheap coupler like this and leave it plugged into the laptop. At least you would be saving the port on the laptop then and if the coupler one went eventually it would be a cheap replacement.

St1mpMeister · 12-10-2018 03:04PM

mordeith wrote: »

You could always buy a cheap coupler like this and leave it plugged into the laptop. At least you would be saving the port on the laptop then and if the coupler one went eventually it would be a cheap replacement.

I was thinking of that, but it might actually do more damage since the attachment will get bent while in transport, also the downward force of pushing the HDMI into the coupler each time will probably be worse than just sliding the HDMI horizontally into the standard input.

cunavalos · 12-10-2018 04:02PM

What about using a docking station in your office and using the HDMI outlet on the docking station to connect to monitor. The connection from docking station to laptop will vary depending on model of laptop and could use a proprietary docking connector or USB (USB C or USB 3)

St1mpMeister · 12-10-2018 04:37PM

cunavalos wrote: »

What about using a docking station in your office and using the HDMI outlet on the docking station to connect to monitor. The connection from docking station to laptop will vary depending on model of laptop and could use a proprietary docking connector or USB (USB C or USB 3)

I'm not really bothered about changing the process, I was just wondering if anyone had ACTUAL experience of HDMI connectors wearing down.

The lifetime of the laptop will be 4-5 years before scrappage kicks in and I get a new one, so that will be approx 2,750 pluggings/unpluggings... assuming I'm working in the same setup (doubtful)

demanufactured · 12-10-2018 06:46PM

I wouldn't let it worry you OP.

Johnboy1951 · 14-10-2018 12:55PM

It reads that you are using the laptop for work so if it fails then it should be repaired or replaced by your employer?

Otherwise, as you posted, they replace it after 4 to 5 years, even if it does not fail.

St1mpMeister · 14-10-2018 01:52PM

It's my own laptop. Anyway I'll just continue as is and see if it fails through normal use in the longterm, as an experiment

Unplugging HDMI daily from laptop ... longterm effects?

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