StarTech MXT105MMHQ 15ft Shielded VGA Monitor Cable

Overview

The StarTech MXT105MMHQ is a 15-foot (4.6 m) male-to-male VGA cable built for display connections where signal integrity at distance matters. With a 75-ohm impedance rating, aluminum-mylar foil plus braid shielding, and a single ferrite choke, this cable is engineered to suppress interference and deliver a clean analog signal across the full 15-foot run — relevant in server rooms, control rooms, or any environment with dense cabling and electrical noise nearby. It carries a lifetime manufacturer warranty, making it a practical long-term infrastructure investment rather than a throwaway connector.

If you're specifying display cabling for a surveillance monitoring station, AV rack, or desktop workstation, the MXT105MMHQ covers the standard 15-pin HD D-Sub connection found on the vast majority of legacy monitors, KVM switches, and video sources still in active deployment.

Key Features

• 75-Ohm Impedance Matching: VGA signals are transmitted at 75 ohms — using an impedance-mismatched cable causes reflections that show up as ghosting or blurring on screen. The MXT105MMHQ is rated at exactly 75 ohms, so you're not fighting signal artifacts at the end of a 15-foot run.
• Aluminum-Mylar Foil + Braid Shield: Dual-layer shielding handles both high-frequency interference (foil) and lower-frequency EMI (braid). In control rooms with UPS units, motor drives, or dense switching power supplies nearby, this matters — a single-layer cable at this length will often show visible noise on the display.
• Single Ferrite Choke: The inline ferrite suppresses common-mode noise at the connector end, an added layer of protection when the cable runs near power conduits or fluorescent lighting ballasts.
• 28 AWG Wire Gauge: Heavier gauge than many bargain VGA cables, which helps maintain signal strength over the 4.6-meter length without the voltage drop and capacitive loss you get from thinner wire.
• Nickel-Plated Connectors: Nickel plating resists corrosion and oxidation better than bare contacts, which is relevant for permanent infrastructure installs where you won't be re-seating the connector regularly.
• CMG Fire Rating (UL2919): CMG-rated cable is approved for general commercial wiring in cable management trays and open plenum-adjacent runs. The UL2919 listing means this cable has been independently tested for flame spread — a requirement in many commercial building codes and a spec your facilities or IT team may specifically ask for.
• 9mm Cable OD, PVC Jacket: At 0.4 inches outside diameter, the cable fits standard cable management clips and conduit fill calculations without oversize issues. PVC jacketing provides flexibility for routing around rack corners and furniture.
• Operating Range 0–60°C: Rated for standard commercial environments. Not intended for outdoor or extreme-temperature industrial use, but covers every normal indoor equipment room scenario.
• Lifetime Warranty: StarTech backs this cable for its lifetime — relevant when you're deploying across many connections and want to avoid per-unit warranty tracking.

Integration and Compatibility

The MXT105MMHQ terminates in standard 15-pin High Density D-Sub (HD-15) connectors on both ends, which is the universal VGA pinout. It is compatible with any VGA-output source (desktop GPU, laptop VGA port, KVM switch, DVR/NVR with VGA output, digital signage player) and any VGA-input display (monitor, projector, large-format screen). The 34mm maximum connector dimension is within the clearance envelope of most rack-mount equipment and desktop monitors without requiring adapter spacing.

For deployments pairing a network video recorder or DVR with a local monitor, VGA remains a common output interface on budget and mid-range recorders — this cable handles that connection reliably at the 15-foot distance common in rack-to-desk or rack-to-wall-mount monitor setups. If you're building out a full monitoring station, pair this with a surveillance accessory kit appropriate to your recorder platform.

For guidance on how display connectivity fits into a broader control room or monitoring workstation design, the camera and monitoring system buying guide covers workstation layout considerations. If your application requires digital output (HDMI or DisplayPort), VGA is not the right interface — this cable is strictly analog and does not carry audio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the maximum resolution supported by the MXT105MMHQ?

A: VGA is an analog interface and does not have a hard digital resolution ceiling the way HDMI or DisplayPort do. Achievable resolution depends on the source device, the monitor, and signal quality over the cable run. The 75-ohm impedance and dual-layer shielding help preserve signal integrity at higher resolutions over the 15-foot length, but VGA is generally practical up to 1080p or 1920x1200 at this distance.

Q: Is the MXT105MMHQ suitable for outdoor or industrial environments?

A: No. The operating temperature range is 0 to 60°C and the cable uses a PVC jacket without any outdoor-rated UV protection or moisture resistance. It is designed for indoor commercial use only.

Q: Does the MXT105MMHQ carry audio?

A: No. VGA is a video-only interface. The MXT105MMHQ does not carry audio signals. A separate audio cable is required if your setup needs sound.

Q: What does the CMG fire rating mean for my installation?

A: CMG (Communications Multipurpose Cable, General Use) is a UL fire rating indicating the cable meets flame-spread requirements for general commercial installations. The MXT105MMHQ is UL2919 listed, which satisfies many commercial building code requirements for cable routing in open trays and non-plenum spaces. If your installation is in a plenum air-handling space, you would need a CMP-rated cable instead.

Q: What warranty does the MXT105MMHQ carry?

A: StarTech provides a lifetime hardware warranty on the MXT105MMHQ.

Q: Will the MXT105MMHQ fit standard cable management systems?

A: Yes. The cable has a 9mm (0.4 inch) outside diameter and a 34mm maximum connector dimension, both of which are within the standard sizing for commercial cable management clips, Velcro bundles, and rack cable trays.

James Everett

The detail I keep coming back to on the MXT105MMHQ is the dual-layer shield construction — aluminum-mylar foil combined with a braid over 15 feet at 75-ohm impedance. Most generic VGA cables at this length use foil only, which handles high-frequency noise but leaves you exposed to the lower-frequency EMI that's common in equipment rooms with active UPS systems or motor-driven HVAC. The braid layer is what separates a cable you can install in a real commercial environment from one that will give you a soft, noisy picture six months in.

Technical Highlights:

• 75-Ohm Impedance: Matched to the VGA signal standard — impedance mismatches at 15 feet show up as ghost images or ringing artifacts that are difficult to diagnose without a cable tester.
• UL2919 / CMG Rating: Independently tested and listed for commercial cable installations — satisfies general-use building code requirements for open cable trays in non-plenum spaces without needing a variance or substitution.
• Lifetime Warranty: For infrastructure cabling across a multi-station deployment, a lifetime warranty means you're not tracking per-cable replacement cycles or negotiating limited-term claims on a $30 component.

Deployment Considerations:

• At 547g (19.3 oz), this cable has real mass — plan your cable management clips accordingly, especially on vertical runs where unsupported weight can stress the connector seating on lighter monitor stands.
• CMG rating covers general commercial cable trays but not plenum air-handling spaces — if your monitoring station is in a ceiling plenum, you will need a CMP-rated substitute. Do not assume CMG is sufficient without checking your building's code classification for that space.

This cable is the right call for a fixed monitoring workstation connecting a rack-mounted DVR or NVR to a local display at the typical 10–15 foot rack-to-desk distance — particularly in a control room or security operations center where EMI from adjacent UPS and switching equipment makes shielding quality a real spec rather than a checkbox.