Want to PC game at 4k, with true 5.1 through a receiver. Why won't it just work!?

[Ascer]

Save me Community!

Goal:

To be able to play my games in 3840 x 2160 at 60hz, while also having true 5.1 from my home theater setup.

Specs:

Chip: i7 4770k @ 3.5ghz OC'd to 4.5ghz
Ram: 32Gb
Motherboard: Asus Maximus VII Formula
GPU's: 2x Evga GTX 980, 4GB VRAM, in SLI w/ both core clocks OC'd to 1.5ghz
PSU: Corsair Strider Gold 1000W
SSD: INTEL SSDSC2CW480A3
Monitors: Primary, KDL55X830B. Secondary, 55LE5500
Receiver: Pioneer VSX-824-K

HDMI Cables are all 2.0 capable, being 18Gbps Rocketfish
All drivers and the Bios are up to date

Issues:

1. When setup as PC-Rx-TV in sequence (GPU HDMI out to MHL in on Rx - TV out on Rx to MHL in on TV) :

• 
  a. Video: My option for 3840x2160 at 60hz disappears from the PC section of the nVidia Control Panel, however it still allows me to do 4096x2160 but at only 24hz. However, under the ULTRA HD section is says I can do 4k x 2k, 3840, but only at 30hz Trying a custom resolution to bring it back to 3840 at 60hz causes the signal to be dropped and no image displayed on screen. In the Sound Manager it doesn't even list my receiver as even there, just my TV and of course the ubiquitous Realtek Digital Output.
  
  b. Audio: Honestly didn't even bother to check, seeing as how I won't use it unless I get my res back.

2. When setup as PC-TV for video, and PC-Rx for audio (HDMI port on motherboard to Rx MHL):

• 
  a. Obviously my Video is good when it's straight through the TV, it's all roses at 4k 60hz.
  
  b. Audio however is a disaster. I can't get a single bit of noise out of it. Again, in the Sound Manager, it only shows the TV and Realtek, but no Rx. Makes me think it's not actually getting to the Rx right.

Thoughts:

I just don't understand why I can't seem to plug my motherboard straight into my Rx for just an audio signal via HDMI, is it perhaps necessary to get an optical cable to do the trick? Do I need to purchase a Sound Card instead of relying on my GPU or Motherboard? Why does it mess up my 4k resolutions when run through the Rx from the GPU, why give me a higher resolution option but not a lower one? Why suddenly change my refresh rate options, isn't Pass-Through supposed to simply allow the signal through without messing with it? What ever happened to plug and play

Anyway, after all that is said and done, I'm back at the Goal part. I just want it to work, please help...

 

[jossrik]

My guess, and that's all it is, 4k is still a ways off for me, but my guess is that when you're using the second HDMI cable the computer is trying to make a second 4k monitor out of it, and that's why you lose resolution, try it with an optical cable from your motherboard to your Rx. When you use the second HDMI (from the second card, it's only acting as a passthrough from the main video card.) Just learned that last bit recently. Not sure if it applies here. But it's worth a shot, and as far as I know a good explanation of why it's not doing what you want it to. Your TV us HDMI 2.0 compliant too I guess? That would be another possible explanation, though with nVidia you should be able to use a 1.4c I think I read somewhere that they had a scalar thing so you could monkey a 4k through a 1.4c HDMI.

This is all just speculation, I run 290Xs I got at the beginning on the year. You seem to be fairly well versed in HW and SW and audio.

 

[-Lone-]

Are you sure the Sony TV supports HDMI 2.0? From what I have just read, they added a software that said it will only upgrade "one" of the HDMI ports to 2.0. But they can't confirm if it works, I prefer a built in HDMI 2.0 than having a software upgrade, never know if it will always work. I have also read that the TV does not support 5.1 audio at all from a Amazon review of the TV, but I have no idea why your sound is not working at all. I use a Logitech Z506 surround sound for mine and connect it to my motherboard on the back. I don't care about sound as much, more about graphics. Also, if you have that kind of money, you might as well buy my TV that is pretty much a LED/Plasma hybrid from Panasonic. The only UHD TV that has displayport if you want to use that instead.

Edit: I have bought a Samsung UHD 40 inch TV before because it said it can support 4k@60Hz. But when I got it, it shows it can, but it can not, so it lied. When I tried to play a game, I get major screen tearing, that's how I knew it wasn't 60Hz. I also talked to Samsung later and then they said it will only support up to 30fps... So then I returned it on day one of use and decided to stop messing with HDMI and I got a TV with displayport instead. So don't believe what it shows you in specs unless there are a lot of confirmations that it works.

 

[Ascer]

My guess, and that's all it is, 4k is still a ways off for me, but my guess is that when you're using the second HDMI cable the computer is trying to make a second 4k monitor out of it, and that's why you lose resolution, try it with an optical cable from your motherboard to your Rx. When you use the second HDMI (from the second card, it's only acting as a passthrough from the main video card.) Just learned that last bit recently. Not sure if it applies here. But it's worth a shot, and as far as I know a good explanation of why it's not doing what you want it to. Your TV us HDMI 2.0 compliant too I guess? That would be another possible explanation, though with nVidia you should be able to use a 1.4c I think I read somewhere that they had a scalar thing so you could monkey a 4k through a 1.4c HDMI.

This is all just speculation, I run 290Xs I got at the beginning on the year. You seem to be fairly well versed in HW and SW and audio.

Thanks for your prompt response!

So, first off, I pretty sure my other monitor isn't entering into the equation. It's not 4k, and I'm not trying to make it one, so it shouldn't somehow be messing it up. Also, when SLI is enabled, which I'm of course doing it disables the second monitor anyway, so it might as well not even be there. I think so anyway... if I understood what you were getting at.

Also, yes the TV is HDMI 2.0 or equivalent. It has 2x MHL HDMI's, in ports 2 and 4. I know the video works fine in 4k if I plug the PC straight into the TV. I can game great at 4k, getting upwards of 40+ FPS on Extreme settings with Rome 2, with no issues. Just have to listen to the Audio from the TV's speakers then, which pretty much sucks.

And yes 1.4 will do 4K, but my understanding is that it will cap it at 30hz, limit the Chroma to 4.2.0, and possibly limit the amount of audio channels you can pass. Aka, alright enough for 4k movies, but crap for gaming. So I just skipped over all 1.4 and went straight to 2 for everything:TV, GPU, Receiver.

 

[Ascer]

Are you sure the Sony TV supports HDMI 2.0? From what I have just read, they added a software that said it will only upgrade "one" of the HDMI ports to 2.0. But they can't confirm if it works, I prefer a built in HDMI 2.0 than having a software upgrade, never know if it will always work. I have also read that the TV does not support 5.1 audio at all from a Amazon review of the TV, but I have no idea why your sound is not working at all. I use a Logitech Z506 surround sound for mine and connect it to my motherboard on the back. I don't care about sound as much, more about graphics. Also, if you have that kind of money, you might as well buy my TV that is pretty much a LED/Plasma hybrid from Panasonic. The only UHD TV that has displayport if you want to use that instead.

Edit: I have bought a Samsung UHD 40 inch TV before because it said it can support 4k@60Hz. But when I got it, it shows it can, but it can not, so it lied. When I tried to play a game, I get major screen tearing, that's how I knew it wasn't 60Hz. I also talked to Samsung later and then they said it will only support up to 30fps... So then I returned it on day one of use and decided to stop messing with HDMI and I got a TV with displayport instead. So don't believe what it shows you in specs unless there are a lot of confirmations that it works.

I hear ya there mate, but I'm fairly certain the video's working fine as long as it's straight into the TV. Desktop Resolution goes to 3840x2160 at 60hz in Nvidia control panel just fine. In game settings recognize the res, and it is very obvious once in game that it is set, as the UI for most games becomes microscopic. I also have RivaTuner installed, and set to monitor my frame rate on screen and in game, so when I set V-Sync on, and it locks it in, it does it at 60fps, not 30. I know a lot of people have been having the same issue you had, with it being locked at 30, but mine seems to be fine... as long as I bypass that damn receiver that is.

I'm not sure about the software upgrade for the 2.0, but considering what I said above, I think it's sorted out... but I could be wrong.

Also, I don't understand what your getting at in regards to the TV not supporting 5.1. I'm not trying to bring the signal from the TV to the receiver (like with ARC)... am I missing something?

I really wanted to do what you did. Get a Surround system designed for the PC, but I couldn't find any with 3.5mm cables that would be long enough. I'm not at a desk, and my setup is in my living room, with the 20-30 feet of cable that that requires for my rear speakers to be connected.

 

[-Lone-]

Well, I guess guess our setup is different then, because I sit like 3 ft away from my TV, that's probably the only reason why I can see those "microscopic" icons, lol. My pc is next to my TV, so my 3.5mm cable is pretty close. But since we're using different sound systems, I guess that could be the problem, I doubt mine is home theater.

Edit: So the reason that's preventing you from using a surround sound like mine is because of the cable length? Have you tried to find one that has a long 3.5mm cable? I'm trying to look for one but I get some odd results.

 

[Ascer]

From what I could gather, if I had 3.5mm cables that were long enough then there would be a lot of signal degradation, but that was when I looked into it last year.

I also sit with my feet by my TV I just push my couch up!