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I have just bought a new 22" HP monitor and I'm using the HDMI connection on my laptop. I find that it loses its connection with the monitor constantly.

When moving the cable on the laptop side, it loses connection. Now is this the cable that has a bad connection or is it the laptop slot?

It's not a gold plated HDMI cable at the connections. Are they better?

Where do I check the drivers of the HDMI interface? Or is that part of the graphics card?

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HDMI drivers are provided by the graphics card, but honestly this sounds like a physical problem. The HDMI plugs I've worked with have felt like they make a pretty solid connection, so either you've got a poorly made HDMI cable that's just a bit too small, or a poorly made HDMI jack that's a bit too big.

  • I'd try other cables first. If you try 5 cables and they all feel like they're about as loose as the one you have now, continue to the next step. (You don't need to buy 5 cables; just borrow friends' or take your laptop to the nearest shop that carries them and try some out.)

  • Visually inspect the jack (with a magnifying glass & flashlight if necessary). Look for any signs that it's been bent out of shape. (Is it possible you've torqued a cable while it was plugged in? That could deform the jack.) If you find some, you may need to take the laptop in for servicing, although you may be able to carefully bend the jack back into shape.

  • If none of the cables really work well and you don't see any signs of deformity, you may be dealing with a poorly designed laptop component. If the laptop is under warranty you may be able to make a warranty claim to get it fixed. You might be able to jury-rig something to work (like wrapping electrical tape around the plug so it fits better -- carefully, so you don't get the adhesive on the contacts). Or, if you're handy with a Dremel and a soldering iron, you might be able to replace the HDMI jack with a better one.

The gold-plating is for corrosion protection. It's not a bad thing to have but it won't help with a loose connector. (It isn't worth a $50 markup though.)

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