Question I switched GPU from a GTX 1070 to an RTX 5070 Ti, now the monitor cable no longer works ?

[eMsit91]

Hi everyone,
I'm writing this post because I recently upgraded my PC, switching from a GTX 1070 to an RTX 5070 TI graphic card. The PC was connected to a Samsung S90C TV (which supports up to 4K 144Hz) using a 10-meter HDMI 2.0 cable.
Before upgrading the GPU, everything worked fine. I was able to set the resolution up to 4K with HDR10 (obviously not reaching 144 FPS, but around 30 FPS).

After upgrading to the RTX 5070 TI, I noticed that the cable no longer works — not even at 1080p 120Hz without HDR. When I plug it in, the signal becomes intermittent, the PC freezes, and eventually reboots.

I tried connecting it with a 1-meter HDMI 2.0 cable, and everything works fine, even up to 4K 144Hz with HDR10.

How is this possible? If the 10-meter HDMI 2.0 cable worked at up to 4K 30FPS + HDR before, why does it not work now, not even at lower resolutions, with a more powerful GPU?

If I were to buy a 2.1 cable, I’ve read that even at that length 4K 120Hz isn’t guaranteed — and such a cable costs 80 euros.

Could anyone explain this to me or give some advice?
Thanks a lot!

Giulio

 

[Lutfij]

I'm writing this post because I recently upgraded my PC, switching from a GTX 1070 to an RTX 5070 TI graphic card.
If the GPU is the only thing you've changed, what is the make, model and age of your PSU? Did you run DDU to remove all GPU drivers(intel, AMD and Nvidia) in Safe Mode, to manually install the latest GPU driver sourced from Nvidia's support site?

the PC
Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.

 

[eMsit91]

I'm writing this post because I recently upgraded my PC, switching from a GTX 1070 to an RTX 5070 TI graphic card.
If the GPU is the only thing you've changed, what is the make, model and age of your PSU? Did you run DDU to remove all GPU drivers(intel, AMD and Nvidia) in Safe Mode, to manually install the latest GPU driver sourced from Nvidia's support site?

the PC
Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.

Hi Lutfij, thanks for your reply.
The PC has been completely upgraded (GPU, MOBO, RAM, CPU, PSU), Windows 11 Pro has been reinstalled, and the NVIDIA drivers were installed in Safe Mode using DDU (after also cleaning all video and audio drivers with DDU).


My specs:
CPU: Ryzen 7 7700 (200MHz OC | -20 negative undervolt | PBO unlocked with MOBO's max power limits)
CPU cooler: Air - Thermalright HR02 Macho Rev B
Motherboard: ASUS B650M TUF Gaming Plus (BIOS version 3208 x64)
RAM: ORICO Raceline Champion DDR5 6000 CL30 (timings overclocked)
SSD/HDD: 1 Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB (for Windows)
1 Crucial SSD CT1000MX500SSD1 1TB (for games)
1 Western Digital Black HDD WD1003FZEX-00MK2A0 1TB (for storage)
GPU: Gigabyte 5070 TI Windforce OC SFF
PSU: NZXT C850 Gold ATX3.1 Modular with 12V-2x6 connector for the GPU
Chassis: Cooler Master Elite 430 Black
OS: Windows 11 Pro
Monitor: Samsung TV QE55S90CATXZT OLED 4K 144Hz 55"

 

[Lutfij]

Your specs check out, apart from that case being a potential heat trap.

Per your initial post, the length of the cable being the difference would mean that you're in need of a higher quality cable, per my understanding. You're also comparing the internal construct/quality of an 1 meter long cable to a 10 meter long cable, we don't know if they're from the same brand and if they incurred any bends throughout it's lifetime. Got links(or pics) to both cables?

 

[eMsit91]

As for the temperatures, they are within the normal range.
After the overclock (OC), I ran several stress tests, all of which completed successfully (using OCCT, Y-Cruncher, TestMem5, Cinebench R23).

In-game:

• CPU: 75°C (keep in mind PBO is unlocked)
• GPU: 65°C

Regarding the cables, they are about a year old and have always been stored carefully. Both are fully functional and both are from Amazon Basics.

1M Cable
Amazon Basics High-Speed HDMI Cable, 0.9 m, with Ethernet, 18 Gbps, 4K@60 Hz, 2160p
https://www.amazon.it/dp/B014I8SP4W?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_12&th=1

10M Cable
Amazon Basics High-Speed HDMI 2.0 Fiber Optic Cable, 10 m, braided
https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0BYD8BWP2?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3


The strange thing is that the 10-meter cable worked perfectly with the GTX 1070 (including 4K), but now with the RTX 5070TI the signal is intermittent and mostly absent, until the PC eventually freezes and reboots automatically.

 

[LordVile]

As for the temperatures, they are within the normal range.
After the overclock (OC), I ran several stress tests, all of which completed successfully (using OCCT, Y-Cruncher, TestMem5, Cinebench R23).

In-game:

• CPU: 75°C (keep in mind PBO is unlocked)
• GPU: 65°C

Regarding the cables, they are about a year old and have always been stored carefully. Both are fully functional and both are from Amazon Basics.

1M Cable
Amazon Basics High-Speed HDMI Cable, 0.9 m, with Ethernet, 18 Gbps, 4K@60 Hz, 2160p
https://www.amazon.it/dp/B014I8SP4W?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_12&th=1

10M Cable
Amazon Basics High-Speed HDMI 2.0 Fiber Optic Cable, 10 m, braided
https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0BYD8BWP2?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3


The strange thing is that the 10-meter cable worked perfectly with the GTX 1070 (including 4K), but now with the RTX 5070TI the signal is intermittent and mostly absent, until the PC eventually freezes and reboots automatically.

How old is the cable?

 

[eMsit91]

How old is the cable?

The 1-meter one is 8 years old and works without any problems.
The 10-meter one is 1 year old and worked fine with the 1070, but causes problems with the 5070 Ti (or the new PC in general).

 

[LordVile]

The 1-meter one is 8 years old and works without any problems.
The 10-meter one is 1 year old and worked fine with the 1070, but causes problems with the 5070 Ti (or the new PC in general).

Does it still work with other devices now the connector and wires have been moved around a bit. It could be a lot of things but generally bargain bin cables can have issues device to device

 

[eMsit91]

Does it still work with other devices now the connector and wires have been moved around a bit. It could be a lot of things but generally bargain bin cables can have issues device to device

Yes, the problem is there. Let's say I'd like to understand whether it's an issue with the cable or with some setting before buying a new one.
I just tested the 10-meter cable on another device and it works without any problems.


In case I need to replace it, for 10 meters and 4K at 120Hz or 144Hz, which cable would you recommend?
Thanks.

 

[SkyNetRising]

The 10-meter one is 1 year old and worked fine with the 1070, but causes problems with the 5070 Ti (or the new PC in general).

Try with old graphics card on new pc.

 

[eMsit91]

Try with old graphics card on new pc.

I have just tried in this moment with the GTX 1070 and the cable still works with no problems at 4k 120hz

 

[SkyNetRising]

I have just tried in this moment with the GTX 1070 and the cable still works with no problems at 4k 120hz

Then it's not a cable problem.

 

[LordVile]

I have just tried in this moment with the GTX 1070 and the cable still works with no problems at 4k 120hz

Probably look at getting the GPU exchanged then

 

[SkyNetRising]

signal becomes intermittent, the PC freezes, and eventually reboots.

Try reducing gpu power target in MSI afterburner with new graphics card.

 

[eMsit91]

it's not a cable prob

No, exactly — but I was quite sure about that because it had been working without any issues just a little earlier.
Anyway, it was a good idea to double-check that the old 2.0 cable was working, just to rule out any doubts.
Also, with this test we eliminated the possibility that the problem was due to a Windows graphics setting or something in the NVIDIA Control Panel.


So ultimately, the issue seems to be with the graphics card.
Is it possible that, somehow, the signal from the 5070 Ti isn't compatible?
Although the signal from the card is 2.1, which should be backward compatible with the 2.0 cable.

Probably look at getting the GPU exchanged then

The graphics card seems to be working. With the 1-meter HDMI 2.0 cable, it appears to work without any issues.

Try reducing gpu power target in MSI afterburner with new graphics card.

Could you give me a guide on how to do this operation? Thank you very much.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Could you give me a guide on how to do this operation? Thank you very much.

Install MSI afterburner.
Move power limit slider to minimum.

 

[Glenwing]

The GTX 1070 is limited to HDMI 2.0 spec, so 4K 120 Hz is not equivalent to 4K 120 Hz on your RTX 5070 Ti. For the GTX 1070 it would need to reduce the color format to YCbCr 4:2:0 to keep the bit rate below 18 Gbit/s. With the RTX 5070 Ti it would probably be trying to use RGB color, so double the bit rate.

Lowering to 1080p 120 Hz probably wouldn't have any effect if you have GPU scaling enabled, which is the default, as the image will be upscaled to the display's resolution (4K in this case) before transmitting, so it would still be trying to send a 4K 120 Hz image. It might be worth trying a lower refresh rate instead of lower resolution to see if that helps though. Try 4K 60 Hz.

Freezing and rebooting I cannot explain though, unless the latest drivers are just buggy and can't handle the signal dropping out... but that feels unlikely to me.

 

[eMsit91]

Install MSI afterburner.
Move power limit slider to minimum.

Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be the issue.

 

[eMsit91]

The GTX 1070 is limited to HDMI 2.0 spec, so 4K 120 Hz is not equivalent to 4K 120 Hz on your RTX 5070 Ti. For the GTX 1070 it would need to reduce the color format to YCbCr 4:2:0 to keep the bit rate below 18 Gbit/s. With the RTX 5070 Ti it would probably be trying to use RGB color, so double the bit rate.

Lowering to 1080p 120 Hz probably wouldn't have any effect if you have GPU scaling enabled, which is the default, as the image will be upscaled to the display's resolution (4K in this case) before transmitting, so it would still be trying to send a 4K 120 Hz image. It might be worth trying a lower refresh rate instead of lower resolution to see if that helps though. Try 4K 60 Hz.

Freezing and rebooting I cannot explain though, unless the latest drivers are just buggy and can't handle the signal dropping out... but that feels unlikely to me.

This seems to make sense!


I actually tried running several tests by manually configuring the color parameters in the NVIDIA control panel, and this is where things start to make sense. These are the tests I did:

(OK = Works - only desktop, for games these configurations change)
4K 8-bit color, ycbcr420 color format (HDR cannot be activated)
60Hz – OK
100Hz – OK
120Hz – OK
144Hz – NO


4K 8-bit color, ycbcr422 color format (HDR cannot be activated)
60Hz – OK
100Hz – OK
120Hz – NO
144Hz – NO


4K 8-bit color, ycbcr444 color format (HDR can be activated)
60Hz – OK
100Hz – OK
120Hz – NO
144Hz – NO


4K 8-bit color, RGB color format (HDR can be activated)
60Hz – OK
100Hz – NO
120Hz – NO
144Hz – NO

---

4K 10-bit color, ycbcr420 color format (HDR can be activated because it's 10-bit)
60Hz – OK
100Hz – OK
120Hz – OK
144Hz – NO


4K 10-bit color, ycbcr422 color format (HDR can be activated because it's 10-bit)
60Hz – OK
100Hz – OK
120Hz – NO
144Hz – NO


4K 10-bit color, ycbcr444 color format (HDR can be activated)
60Hz – OK
100Hz – NO
120Hz – NO
144Hz – NO


4K 10-bit color, RGB color format (HDR can be activated)
60Hz – OK
100Hz – NO
120Hz – NO
144Hz – NO

---

Conclusion: It really seems that as the signal quality increases, the 10-meter HDMI 2.0 cable starts to struggle. By "playing" with these settings, I believe I can manage this with this cable. The optimal solution (based on the differences between color format and color depth) seems to be the following:


Color format: ycbcr444 (which allows me to activate HDR), color depth: 8-bit, and 4K 100Hz (currently, without frame generation, with the 5070ti, I can reach 90 fps with balanced DLSS).


Also, I believe that the solution to get more "quality" in the signal (switching to RGB format or 10-bit depth) would be to buy an HDMI 2.1 cable.
I also think that I don’t need a super expensive cable if I settle for a combination like “ycbcr444 10-bit 4K 120Hz” or “RGB 10-bit 4K 100/60Hz.”
However, if I want to aim for a higher configuration like “ycbcr444 12-bit 4K 120Hz” or “RGB 10-bit 4K 144Hz,” I would need to spend a bit more for a cable that can maintain the signal over longer distances.


Additionally, I believe the reason the GTX 1070 worked with the HDMI 2.0 cable but the RTX 5070 TI doesn't, is exactly what you described. The 5070 TI, being more powerful, caused the NVIDIA control panel to set the color settings to too high a quality, while with the 1070, being much less powerful, the control panel automatically set a lower color quality that the HDMI 2.0 cable could handle properly.


Now that I've pinpointed the issue, I’d like to ask for some further advice.
Which option do you think is best?

1. Buy a medium-quality HDMI 2.1 cable from Amazon for around 40 euros and try that, and if it doesn't work, return it and try something more performant.
2. Buy a high-quality HDMI 2.1 cable, i.e., fiber optic, for 80 euros.
3. Buy a DisplayPort 2.1 cable (which has more bandwidth than HDMI) for about 80 euros and then a DP to HDMI 2.1 active adapter (with USB for 5V power) for an additional 20 euros (total cost 100 euros). Even though it’s an HDMI 2.1 adapter, it should retain all the bandwidth of DisplayPort 2.1.

Which one would you recommend? (Unless you have another, better option.)


Thanks a lot!

 

[Glenwing]

The monitor should have come with suitable cables, but I suppose you need a longer distance.

As a note regarding your initial comment:

If I were to buy a 2.1 cable, I’ve read that even at that length 4K 120Hz isn’t guaranteed — and such a cable costs 80 euros.

HDMI cables don't have version numbers, but rather speed ratings, so there is no guessing game as to what a cable can handle. There is a certification process which tells you what speed the cables have been tested at. For your use case you just need to look for any Ultra High Speed certified cable, provided it's not fake/falsely advertised.

If you are ok with the reduced color resolution of 4:2:0 (mainly it degrades readability of fine text with high contrast, but natural images are generally not impacted much) then you can stick with your current solution, otherwise you'll need to shop around. That's sort of up to you.

DisplayPort is another solution but it's going to be the same sort of deal there. Ultimately that video format requires a certain bit rate, and the difficulties in cable manufacturing to transmit at that rate (and thus the cost to get a proper signal at some given length) is going to be pretty much the same story. I would avoid any kind of solution with adapters though, adding another conversion step is just more trouble.