this post was submitted on 22 Dec 2025
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Which mini PC do you have that has native analog out for a CRT? Most of the ones I see only have HDMI or DisplayPort and scaling those down to component or composite always introduces awful lag.
I currently use an HP EliteDesk SFF (the middle size one) and use a DAC for DisplayPort to RCA.
DACs generally add less than 1 frame of lag. Youre thinking of scalers. If the adapter applies any sort of processing other than simply converting from digital to analog, then it adds more lag. But simply converting will usually have nearly imperceptible levels of lag. I can try to measure it when I use it next and see, but I can say that I don't notice any "awful lag." I am not a fighting game player, but timings in Shenmue for QTEs and Legend of Dragoon for combat don't feel off or bad.
If you wanted, the EliteDesk Mini has a proprietary expansion slot in the rear for modular video output, and one of the available modules is VGA. VGA to RCA is just a cable adaption (analog to analog) and intoduces zero extra lag, so that could be an option if you for whatever reason feel like DAC conversion introduces too much lag.
Which DAC do you use? I'd love to have a decent machine for playing PC indie games on my CRT natively.