[SOLVED] How do I reconsile my AV Receiver's 60hz refresh rate with a monitor's 144hz?

[Rodario]

Hello everybody

To use a 5.1 sound system with my gaming/multimedia PC, I have an AV receiver hooked up to the graphics card via hdmi, and a monitor to the same GPU via DisplayPort.

The receiver is connected by HDMI because optical or coaxial would not allow for high definition surround (e.g. Dolby Atmos).

The monitor is not connected to the receiver for various reasons, but the main ones are a worry about input delay for gaming, and being able to use the computer without turning the receiver on.

Of course, windows sees this receiver as a second monitor, but up until now this problem was solvable by setting them to duplicate as opposed to span (into nowhere).

But now that I would like to upgrade my monitor to a 144hz model, I suddenly face an issue with my setup:

The receiver only goes to 60hz.

If the monitor and receiver's refresh rate isn't synced, screen tears happen. I noticed this because the receiver was originally set to 30hz and I had to find out why I'm having issues with screen tearing.

So, what do you reckon are my options here?

I only have this setup because when my logitec z5500 sound system finally died after about 10 years of service, I had to learn that there are no longer any decent sound systems intended for PCs (or sound cards for that matter), and the receiver/HT speaker setup seemed like the only real possibility.

The receiver in question is a Denon AVR-X2100W, connected to an ASUS STRIX GTX980 on a RAMPAGE V Extreme mainboard.

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

 

[13thmonkey]

HDMI splitter, split the signal you'd normally pass to the AMP into 2, one carries onto the AMP for audio only, the other to the Screen for video only.

 

[Rodario]

Does that work with display port for the screen?

If I use HDMI from the GPU to the splitter, then an hdmi to dp adapter after the splitter, won't I run into new issues soon?

 

[13thmonkey]

The trick is to split the audio signal so it's separate to the video. So dp for video from card to screen, hdmi for audio from card to amp. Just don't run hdmi from amp to screen.

 

[Rodario]

Ah, I misunderstood. I thought you were suggesting taking the split video signal from the splitter to the screen.

Meanwhile, I found out about another option:

It would appear that with HDMI 2.1 it's possible to feed audio back through the cable, which would enable me to hook the monitor up via display port so I can use g-sync, and connect the receiver from the monitor's HDMI port to the receiver's HDMI-in. At least in theory. Guess I'll find out.

Troubles:

- Finding out if the monitor's HDMI connection is 2.1. Doesn't even say which version on the manufacturer's site.

- Finding out if Displayport can supply the audio signal to the monitor in the same quality as HDMI would.

Do you think this would be a better solution than the splitter if it works, or rather not?

Oh, and will windows not see the receiver as a second monitor if I go GPU>Splitter>audio to receiver, and GPU>DP to monitor?

 

[13thmonkey]

You don't need the splitter, gpu to amp and gpu to display. Disable the amp as a screen in windows. You cab try it for free.

 

[Rodario]

You don't need the splitter, gpu to amp and gpu to display. Disable the amp as a screen in windows. You cab try it for free.

When I disable the receiver as a screen, it stops working (becomes unavailable as a playback device).

 

[Rodario]

Addendum: I can't find an HDMI splitter that provides a HMDI video / HDMI Audio out.

Almost all just duplicate the signal to two HDMI outs.

The only one I found that mentions splitting audio off from video offers an HDMI out for video and an optical out for audio.

 

[13thmonkey]

That's what you want is just one that duplicates, windows won't even know they are two screens. But you'll lose G-Sync.

 

[Rodario]

That's what you want is just one that duplicates, windows won't even know they are two screens. But you'll lose G-Sync.

I don't understand. I thought you said I could go display port from gpu to screen and hdmi to splitter to receiver?

And I kind of want g-sync.

 

[13thmonkey]

Sorry I was on the phone. Excluding the G-Sync problem just duplicating is what you actually want.

So with G-Sync, to my mind the answer is the GPU's DP to the monitor for G-Sync, the GPU's HDMI to amp for audio.

The question is then how to make the HDMI audio only so that windows doesn't try and give you a screen.

I can't test it on mine at the moment, but in the nvidia control panel there might be some options, although I've not used Audio over HDMI at all.

 

[Rodario]

Thank you for your efforts.

Meanwhile, I found this thread filled with people with the same problem as me, and it would suggest there is no working solution whatsoever:

https://hardforum.com/threads/is-there-a-way-to-output-sound-by-hdmi-without-video.1896250/

I hope if I can find a monitor with a HDMI 2.1 port, my idea of feeding the audio back from the monitor to the receiver, after conncting the gpu to the monitor will work. That is, I hope I understood this feature of HDMI 2.1 correctly.

 

[13thmonkey]

The only G-Sync's I've seen have be DP only...

Does this help? I was considering a 1x1 resolution.
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/hdmi-for-audio-only-force-a-super-low-resolution.227666/

Ask Lindy or startech's webchat (normally great), you seem to want HDMI in to HDMI out (Video) and HDMI out (Audio) and simply not plug the video in so that windows see's no second screen.

https://www.avforums.com/threads/split-hdmi-into-hdmi-video-hdmi-audio.2140688/

 

[Rodario]

The only G-Sync's I've seen have be DP only...

Does this help? I was considering a 1x1 resolution.
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/hdmi-for-audio-only-force-a-super-low-resolution.227666/

Ask Lindy or startech's webchat (normally great), you seem to want HDMI in to HDMI out (Video) and HDMI out (Audio) and simply not plug the video in so that windows see's no second screen.

https://www.avforums.com/threads/split-hdmi-into-hdmi-video-hdmi-audio.2140688/

I read through the whole thing and it appears they moved on from the 1x1 idea without explaining how to do it.

The second thread was really short and ended in a non-answer.

Long story short, there is no real solution without massive compromises here.

I'll have to decide between

- G-Sync on monitor with extended screen workaround that still somehow requires additional hardware and software

- HDMI Splitter without G-Sync

- Keep screen at 60hz until they make a 144hz AVR

- Don't change anything and wait for nvidia to finally include audio only hdmi out in their drivers.

All old workaraounds with sound cards don't seem to work anymore (because those cards or their driver support don't exist anymore).


Man, I miss my z5500 on a soundblaster card.

 

[Rodario]

Oh, and another question comes to mind: If I go the splitter route, will the computer still recognize the monitor and allow it to work properly with all features enabled (for example freesync)?

 

[13thmonkey]

You could create a custom resolution of 1x1 for that monitor (perhaps?)

I'll have a look at my setup later tonight, i'm not properly connected to it at the moment.

 

[Rodario]

You could create a custom resolution of 1x1 for that monitor (perhaps?)

I'll have a look at my setup later tonight, i'm not properly connected to it at the moment.

Hey, thanks for all the help. But I think I've settled on extending the displays, the fake one in a left corner so the mouse shouldn't travel there, and seeing if I run into too many issues because of it and take it from there.