Methods and apparatus for adjusting the operation of a display device so as to be at least within prescribed form factor or other constraints. In one embodiment of the invention, various operational parameters for a display element are adjusted based on considerations specific to high density form factor constraints. For example, in one such device, a Low Power DisplayPort (LPDP) device having a LPDP source and sink adjust the data rate of the visual data to minimize power consumption while still properly supporting display panel resolutions. In some embodiments, the LPDP source and sink may adjust the transceiver voltages to minimize power consumption. In an alternate embodiment, an LPDP device adjusts data rates to minimize the effects of platform noise. In another aspect of the invention, various display elements of a device coordinate quiescent (“quiet”) mode operation during periods of inactivity.