GPU HDMI input, Gigabyte BIOS and Yamaha receiver strangeness

[307pcbuild]

Current specs:
Gigabyte D3HP
i5 4670k
Gigabyte GTX 970
Windows 7

Where to start?
So I've been having display issues off and on for a while. I built a computer with a Gigabyte D3HP mobo, MSI GTX 760 and i5 4670k in December 2013.
Since day one, I've run two displays, a normal BenQ monitor and my TV. I had an HDMI cable running from my GPU to my Yamaha RXV375 receiver to my Proscan LED TV.
I wouldn't always want to have my TV on, so I would often turn the receiver and TV on while my computer was already running. The screen would glitch a couple times, I'd see the GPU usage spike in Afterburner and then everything would be fine.
However, I'm beginning to think that was the first sign that there's something going on power-wise that's eating up my GPUs.
In September this year, I started getting crashes while gaming. At first, it happened only when I played Shadow of Mordor on high settings. Then I started to see screen tearing and artifacts all over the place: Vanishing of Ethan Carter, Black Flag, even lame old How I Met Your Mother on Netflix.
I figured I'd gravely wounded my GPU running Mordor at higher settings than I should have, so I bought a new GPU this December.
Everything worked fine, except: I could never get the startup BIOS to appear after installing the new card.
Then on Monday, I was watching a TV show through my PC when the audio degraded and the video slowed to a crawl. It bounced back after about a minute, but was pretty freaky, so I resolved to get to the bottom of it today.
I read a post that recommended taking out your GPU if you were having issues with the BIOS not appearing and checking settings using on board graphics. I did that, got into the BIOS and saw that it was already set to use my PCI 1 slot at boot. I disabled on-board graphics for good measure, hooked my GPU back up, and it worked fine. The BIOS appeared every time after that.
But when I plugged my HDMI cable back in, poof -- BIOS gone. I've now just left my HDMI unplugged, but this all seems really weird to me.
Is my receiver surging power into my GPU? If so, is my new GPU already fracked? Just what in the heck is going on?

 

[boju]

I'm not exactly sure whats going on, it shouldn't be harming your gpu, although HDMI has current going through it, the AVR shouldn't be overvolting.

I'm guessing it could be a couple of things, HDCP compatibility or HDMI control.

I have a 780GTX through a Yamaha RX1800 and in Nvidia CP under HDCP status it warns of possible HDCP compatibility issues. I still get a display right from BIOS so dont think it's a drama, albeit i haven't tried another display together with the TV.

Try without the AVR and see if the TV does the same thing - Check the HDCP status in Nvidia CP.

Possibly try disable HDMI control and ARC if you can in the AVR, might be causing problems.

From manual;

About HDMI Control
HDMI Control allows you to operate external devices via HDMI. If you connect a TV
that supports HDMI Control to the unit with an HDMI cable, you can control the unit's
power and volume with the TV's remote control. You can also control playback
devices (such as an HDMI Control-compatible BD/DVD player) connected to the
unit with an HDMI cable. For details, see "HDMI Control" (p.75).

About Audio Return Channel (ARC)
ARC allows audio signals to travel both ways under HDMI Control. If you connect a
TV that supports HDMI Control and ARC to the unit with a single HDMI cable, you
can output video/audio to the TV or input TV audio to the unit.

 

[307pcbuild]

I'm not exactly sure whats going on, it shouldn't be harming your gpu, although HDMI has current going through it, the AVR shouldn't be overvolting.

I'm guessing it could be a couple of things, HDCP compatibility or HDMI control.

I have a 780GTX through a Yamaha RX1800 and in Nvidia CP under HDCP status it warns of possible HDCP compatibility issues. I still get a display right from BIOS so dont think it's a drama, albeit i haven't tried another display together with the TV.

Try without the AVR and see if the TV does the same thing - Check the HDCP status in Nvidia CP.

Possibly try disable HDMI control and ARC if you can in the AVR, might be causing problems.

From manual;

About HDMI Control
HDMI Control allows you to operate external devices via HDMI. If you connect a TV
that supports HDMI Control to the unit with an HDMI cable, you can control the unit's
power and volume with the TV's remote control. You can also control playback
devices (such as an HDMI Control-compatible BD/DVD player) connected to the
unit with an HDMI cable. For details, see "HDMI Control" (p.75).

About Audio Return Channel (ARC)
ARC allows audio signals to travel both ways under HDMI Control. If you connect a
TV that supports HDMI Control and ARC to the unit with a single HDMI cable, you
can output video/audio to the TV or input TV audio to the unit.

Thanks much for your thoughts!
OK, so I checked HDMI control on the Yamaha, and it was already disabled. ARC doesn't show up as an option unless I enable HDMI control.
I plugged the TV straight into the GPU to see what would happen... more weirdness.
Plugged directly into the TV, my PC uses that for the initial display upon boot. I can see the BIOS, but the audio sounds all degraded at first. I've turned it on and off a few times, and about half the time the audio improves. The rest of the time it continues to sounds like crap.
What's really weird, however, is that Nvidia control panel says there are no HDCP issues with either display, yet my computer refuses to let me make my monitor the primary display when the TV is plugged in directly.
What's worse is I can't even move my mouse over to my monitor when the TV is plugged in. My Desktop background still shows up on the BenQ, but it's bordered by about eight inches of black on every side.
In short, plugging the TV gets a different yet still screwed up result.
A few other trouble-shooting thoughts on my part:
-- I'm going to take the GPU out and see what HDMI does plugged into my onboard graphics tomorrow.
-- I'm half-debating putting the GPU in my other PCI slot just to see what happens, even though it's not PCI 3.0.
-- The HDMI cable I'm using is a 30' Coboc I purchased from Newegg about a year ago. It's always struck me as cheap crap, so I'm going to move some things around tomorrow and try a different cable.

 

[boju]

Weird.

Out of those other troubleshooting idea of yours, trying another HDMI cable is a good suggestion.

I found this, whether it's related i have noidea, but might be worth looking into; monitor auto detection (win7)

Someone asking for answers, though never really got it.
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/8a9b5aa7-fe33-4e6d-b39b-8ac80a21fdc2/disable-monitor-off-detection-how?forum=w7itprogeneral

Of a little hdmi device that kills the auto switch detection between pc and tv. First time seeing one of these lol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y3jnk5g4UI