VGA is nowhere near RS-232. The closest thing in a VGA port is the I2 C lines for reading the monitor's specs when you plug it in. Answer from _pseudonym on reddit.com
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GIFA
gifaipc.com › home
Serial Port vs VGA in Industrial Computers: Why Both Still Matter
August 8, 2025 - Both ports have decades of field-tested reliability. VGA signals can travel over long cables without complex setup, and serial ports can operate in electrically noisy environments with minimal interference.
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Quora
quora.com › What-is-the-difference-between-RS232-and-VGA
What is the difference between RS232 and VGA? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): The answer to this question is likely a bit more complex then you hoped for, and the previous answer fails to address the actual difference between the two things you are trying to compare. RS232 and VGA are two fundamentally different “things” as RS232 is not an actual physical ...
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No it will not work with a VGA monitor.

If it is specifically marked as RS-232 (or with a string of one’s and zero’s), then it is a serial port for things like serial mice.

If it on the other hand, it is marked with Mon. or a rectangle, then it is a DE-9 connector for CGA or EGA monitors.

VGA monitors use a special D-sub 15-pin connector (DE-15F) and cannot be connected even with an adapter because the pinouts are completely different (because VGA is analog and works very differently from the older, digital CGA and EGA standards). You could try looking for a converter, but I for one have not seen or heard of any such thing, and would imagine it would be expensive anyway.

Your best bet is to check the local classifieds (especially online ones such as Kijiji or eBay Classified) to see if anyone nearby has a 9-pin monitor collecting dust in the closet. You could also put your own ad specifically asking for one.

Update:

Seeing your photo and the model of the motherboard, it is most definitely a serial port. The P4C800 does not have a 9-pin monitor connector (or even onboard VGA).

What you see is a generic bezel not specific to that motherboard. Cases used to come with several bezels of common variations, but because these days, motherboard backplanes come in a wide variety, they don’t and instead, motherboards come with a bezel specific to the board that can be snapped into a case. The one you see has both icons because it can be used for different motherboards and on some, instead of a serial port, there is a 15-pin VGA connector there (which has the same physical dimensions of a 9-pin serial port).


In summary, no, a serial port is not a video port and there is no way to use a monitor of any kind with it (even a 9-pin monitor, let alone 15-pin one). Since it does not have onboard video, you will need to install a video-card.


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A 9 pin serial port is a communication port and CANNOT be used for a monitor. VGA is 15 pins and 15 pins only. Is what you have perhaps a DE-9 (also known as serial) connector? I do not believe there is an existing adapter for that type of conversion.

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PointerClicker
pointerclicker.com › rs232-vs-vga
RS232 vs VGA: Key Differences Revealed - PointerClicker.com
RS232 is a serial communication ... using 9-pin connectors. VGA is a display standard for transmitting analog video signals between computers and monitors, identifiable by its 15-pin connector....
Published   October 31, 2023
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › types-of-computer-ports
Types of Computer Ports - GeeksforGeeks
June 3, 2024 - VGA ports are similar to serial port connectors only difference is, that serial connector has pins and VGA has holes.
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AliExpress
aliexpress.com › s › wiki-ssr › article › serial-port-vs-vga
Serial Port vs VGA: A Practical Guide to Choosing the Right Connection for Your Legacy Hardware
VGA cables transmit analog video signals and are physically and electrically incompatible with serial data transmission. Attempting to do so will result in no communication and may damage the device or motherboard. I once had a colleague try to connect a serial GPS module to a monitor using ...
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AVS Forum
avsforum.com › home › forums › display devices › crt projectors
RS 232? Is that VGA? | AVS Forum
On the other hand, the NEC XG projectors use HD-15 plugs for serial connections (I believe because they support both RS-232 and RS-485). Aside to bkchurch: a quick Googling of RS-232 would have gotten you the answer also. ... Quote: Originally Posted by mtmelvin /forum/post/0 In the case of the Xbox 360, in order to ulitize the component output you need the component adaptor cable, which you probably already have. This will not allow you to watch your SD-DVD's upscaled. The VGA cable will, and you will need a breakout cable to adapt from the HD15 (VGA) connector on the output cable to 5 BNC connectors.
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pfSense Documentation
docs.netgate.com › pfsense › en › latest › hardware › console-types.html
Console Types | pfSense Documentation
June 21, 2021 - The VGA console is active by default using the normal memstick installer or ISO. The serial console uses a serial/COM port to communicate with a serial client. It is primarily intended for systems without a monitor or keyboard.
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PCSTATS
pcstats.com › articles › 2681 › 2.html
Beginners Guides: PC Ports, Connectors and Sockets
Parallel (printer) port: A 25 pin connector used with printers and communication cables primarily. Used initially for devices and applications that required faster data transfer than serial ports could provide, the parallel port is on its way out now due to the success of USB connectors.
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Hotspot Outdoors
hotspotoutdoors.com › home › fishing, hunting & outdoor activities › equipment-expert information* › serial vs. vga cable
Serial Vs. VGA cable - Equipment-Expert Information* - Outdoor Re-Creation HotSpot Communities
March 24, 2009 - Are they the same? I have two dance dance revolution interfaces that have broken pins in the cable ends. They look like serial cables. I found some VGA cables that look the same. Soldered them in and have no function control. I'm thinking they are two different things?
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OSDev.org
forum.osdev.org › board index › operating system development › os development
Serial vs VGA - OSDev.org
November 10, 2016 - Then you need to support various manufacturers of USB to serial converters (although most are FTDI-compatible). VGA used to be really nasty with palettes and bit-planes, but nowadays you can get an LFB buffer directly from EFI (or via VBE, which is slightly more complicated).
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Hotenda
hotenda.com › ask › 28226 › can-a-vga-cable-be-used-as-a-serial-cable
Can a VGA cable be used as a serial cable?
Hotenda Technology Co.,Ltd: Leading distributor of integrated circuits and electronic components. Extensive stock for immediate shipping. Specializing in major electronic brands.
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Proxmox
forum.proxmox.com › home › forums › proxmox virtual environment › proxmox ve: installation and configuration
[SOLVED] - VGA v.s. SERIAL differences between | Proxmox Support Forum
April 8, 2018 - I'd also throw in - better scriptability in comparison to the GUI - better security if you block ANY incoming traffic to the VM and use only serial to configure - depends heavily on the OS, but all unix-like OSes should not have a problem with that and most importantly: - feeling like a real pro - AND feeling really old
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VideoHelp
forum.videohelp.com › forum home › other › computer
Is it possible to run my VGA monitor through an RS232 cable? - VideoHelp Forum
February 26, 2023 - VGA require R,G,B signals and H, V (can be combined) so 4 wires (4 pairs) is enough to carry VGA signal - R,G,B are wide bandwidth type signals when H,V are relatively similar to RS232.
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Texas Instruments E2E
e2e.ti.com › support › interface-group › interface › f › interface-forum › 392651 › using-a-vga-port-instead-of-a-serial-port
Using a VGA port instead of a serial port - Interface forum - Interface - TI E2E support forums
I am a student doing my Masters in Electrical Engineering. I have used RS232 for serial communication. I was just wondering if I could use the VGA port present in some of the older laptops and desktop computers, connect a VGA to serial port converter and use that as the COMM port to do serial communication.
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Xenarc
xenarc.com › different-types-of-monitor-ports.html
Types of Monitor Ports - HDMI, VGA, DVI, USB Type-C, AV, NDI, SDI
SDI: SDI Serial Digital Interface is a professional video signal that is preferred in production environments because of its longer range (up to 300 feet) and reliability, since it’s typically sent along BNC Cabling that has specialized connectors on each end to lock into the devices they connect to. Previously, only an analog VGA ...
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Stack Exchange
hardwarerecs.stackexchange.com › questions › 15066 › vga-to-usb-adapter-or-serial
VGA to USB (or serial) adapter - Hardware Recommendations Stack Exchange
July 3, 2021 - Whilst they both refer to protocols introduced in the graphics adapter in the IBM PS/2, VGA text mode and the VGA monitor interface have basically nothing to do with each other. Text mode is on the input, and the vga monitor interface the output.
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Faranux
faranux.com › home › connectors › vga to rs232 serial cable con36,r25
VGA To RS232 Serial Cable CON36,R25 - Faranux Electronics
VGA To RS232 Serial Cable CON36,R25
VGA to RS232 serial leads are commonly used for peripheral equipment such as modems and printers to PC, in traditional desktop computer setups, a cable connects to a monitor , a video graphic array (VGA) cable carries analog signals and supports video resolutions.
Price   RWF 8,000