Denon surround amp being seen as monitor by Nvidia control panel

[Lesthegringo]

Guys, finally have my new rig and am setting up the new PC

i7 8700 3.2G CPU, Gigabyte S370 motherboard, 16Gb 3000 DDR4 ram, 500Gb M2.0 SSD with Win 10 home 64 running on it, Nvidia 1070 Ti, LG 2560 X 1980 144hz monitor

I am trying, without success, to get the Nvidia control panel to accept that I have 1 monitor, but because I am using Nvidia's surround sound connected via HDMI to a Denon AV amp, it thinks I have two monitors and so dedicates desktop space to the amp. As a result, stuff opens on the non-existent monitor so I can't see it, and if I try to stop it, it disables the surround sound. There is no optical out put on the Mobo (stupidly I thought it would be redundant due to the Nvidia surround) and the HDMI output on the Mobo doesn't seem to want to recognise the amp, forcing me to use the graphics card.

I tried passing through the amp, but that disables the higher resolution and framerate of the monitor.

What can I do to limit the monitor to the monitor and the sound to the amp?

Cheers

Les

 

[Mr Latte]

Why are you running HDMI to the Denon and would you be as well off, just using optical cable from a USB soundcard or the various analogue outputs from soundcard into multichannel inputs (if your amp has that) for 5.1?

 

[Durge Driven]

I agree if Denon supports optical try that

If you don't use HDMi sound for say 2nd monitor for TV like me don't install it
with Nvidia driver
I use 2 sets of USB headphones (TV stereo / Gaming 7.1 virtual )
I also disable on-board sound card

ie: live in units can't use speakers if i wanted to

OT I hear USB headphones drag more process then analog.
Tried both in various game benches and I could not see a difference other then normal variance
and I can't see how extra 2 USB will matter have 9 used as is

OT
My best advice for many usb buy a "good" hub so much better and does not wear the USB plugs on mobo or tower.... you know how connectors can become tiny loose from constant weight etc
I brought 10 braided cables diff length and cable tied together to all devices, neatest setup ever

 

[Durge Driven]

Oh yeah nice build mate

I have basically the same

8700 , B360-F, 16GB 2400MHz , 500GB M2 + W10 Home retail
only GTX1070 so I lose a lil' there ..oh also 2560x1440 144MHz (165OC) Gsync
basically brothers p

I know supports 2666 but new memory is too dear at this time
I have good latency Corsair from my last build so lose another 1% there

 

[Lesthegringo]

Thanks Guys

My Mobo doesn't have an optical out so looks like a soundcard is on the shopping list!

I'll be running 7.1 using the Denon amp, any reasonable price sound cards you can recommend?

Les

 

[Durge Driven]

Duc will give you best advice for audio

My B360-F has optical but like I said can't turn up sound here
https://www.asus.com/au/Motherboards/ROG-STRIX-B360-F-GAMING/overview/

If you spec a 8700 and 8700K with appropriate level cooling, motherboard and memory from Corsair it works out ($300 ) so 25% dearer for 10-15% gain
( Australia )

But the big kicker is if you add another $100 to the 8700 build you could get a founders edition RTX2080 ( $1200) over a GTX1080 Gaming X ( $800 )


8700 - 499
Corsair H60 all you need for 65W - 99
Good B370 gaming motherboard - 169
32GB best 2666MHz Corsair - 499
RTX 2080 Founders - 1199

TOTAL: 2,465

8700K - 579
Corsair H110 - 159
Z370 Gaming 5 - 269
32GB best 3200MHz Corsair - 559
MSI GTX 1080 gaming X - 799

TOTAL: 2,365

The 8700 build for $100 more would then humiliate the 8700K for gaming ... no overclocking needed lol

 

[DucFreak]

Thanks Guys

My Mobo doesn't have an optical out so looks like a soundcard is on the shopping list!

I'll be running 7.1 using the Denon amp, any reasonable price sound cards you can recommend?

Les

Quality 7.1 soundcard for general home use, with optical output, and reasonable price (under 100.00 Euros?), I'd say to look at these following ones from Asus and Creative....

....If internal (PCIe):

• CREATIVE Sound Blaster Audigy Rx (priced around 60,00 Euros):
  https://us.creative.com/p/sound-cards/sound-blaster-audigy-rx
  
  
• ASUS Xonar AE 7.1 (priced around 70,00 Euros):
  https://www.asus.com/us/Sound-Cards/Xonar-AE

...if external (USB):

• CREATIVE Sound Blaster X-Fi HD (priced around 90,00 Euros):
  https://us.creative.com/p/sound-cards/sound-blaster-digital-music-premium-hd

 

[Emery]

When it comes to the SoundBlaster cards, don't even think about optical. It works, but not fully for all software (including SB's own software!), so you end up tearing out your hair. Took me a couple days to sort that out to my satisfaction! Just plan on using good old fashioned audio cables.

Don't know if the Asus cards are any better in that regard.

 

[Durge Driven]

My X-Fi titanium and DT3500 was great
Windows sound had all speakers in test etc
But it was 4 point audio converted by the amp into 5.1
done rather convincingly too

Only way it worked 100% was with one sound card the platinum live
using a adapter came with system to connect spdif from sound card to amp via a back-plate

ie: You could not use analog 5.1 speaker system on it

It worked good in sims but better in some like rF2 maybe not the best audio
sim but great spatial effect
Even with stereo headphones in rF2 you can feel cars behind you
never get that in other sims

Still is awesome sound thing is eons old

Blown away can't sell it on GumTree for $80 that is card, amp, speakers,
unused tripods........sounds great in W10
even offered to install it for nothing to test

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/sou...er-x-fi-titanium-soundworks-dt3500/1194915252

I enjoying Virtual 7.1 headphones in sims that support them

 

[Lesthegringo]

When it comes to the SoundBlaster cards, don't even think about optical. It works, but not fully for all software (including SB's own software!), so you end up tearing out your hair. Took me a couple days to sort that out to my satisfaction! Just plan on using good old fashioned audio cables.

Don't know if the Asus cards are any better in that regard.

Got this message AFTER ordering the Soundblaster Audigy Rx as it had the optical output that my Denon Amp has......

*sigh*

Les

 

[Emery]

Basically the optical troubles have to do with the Dolby encoding/decoding.
http://www.tomsguide.com/answers/id-2355866/sound-spdif-creative-sound-blaster-logitech-z906.html

 

[DucFreak]

For any product for the PC market, there'll always exhist some sort of hiccup, and someone with a problem. Even if 0.0001% chance, it'll always happen. Always, no matter what.

What I mean is, while I won't detract what others have/could/may/will say, I honestly think it's far too soon (waaaaaay too soon) to even imagine -much less worry in antecipation- that the particular model you just ordered will present the exact same issue as some other product presented for someone out there, just because it is from same manufacturer.

...but if it does, you'll have always have three choices... 1) ask for assistance directly from the manufacturer, 2) try someone's elses advise and 3rd party/modded drivers (if available) or, 3) return the product under warranty justifying the issue as valid motive for it.
And if it ends up being point 3), then perhaps get the equivalent product from the competitor brand.

As much as I'd like to help you in the optical audio usage side of things (with those products, or any other) I can't say anything due to lack of experience, as I see myself as an analogue sound user forever and ever - or for as long as I have good working hears, that is.

 

[Durge Driven]

How about external, this has optical in/out

https://us.creative.com/p/sound-cards/sound-blaster-digital-music-premium-hd

 

[Bjarne Hansen]

Maybe this one will do!
https://www.amazon.com/Proster-Extr...hdmi+switcher+with+,aps,306&sr=8-4&ref=sr_1_4
I am using it for a projector setup that feeds sound to a amp with the optical link.
Only using 1920 x 1080 60hz so do not know if it works with higher frequencies.

 

[Mr Latte]

I have not tried my soundcards optical out in a while as have been using headphones a lot recently with my speakers/subs disconnected. Although with optical to my 7.1 amps in the past I dont think I had issues?

I do have the Dolby Atmos update (Paid) and this can offer good upscaling of 2 channel - a multichannel mix for headphones but really it's a preference thing if you like it or not with certain material. Do not know if this helps with the multichannel encoding/decoding output or not if installed.

Have the following cards but will have to look into this issue in future when re-connecting the amps/speakers...

Soundblaster Onboard Audio
Soundblaster Omni (USB 5.1)
Asus DGX (5.1)
Asus U5 (USB 5.1)


However, to be honest, it would take some time on comparisons to see how much better if any PC audio via the sound card (in multichannel) is, compared to outputting 2 channel to an amp and using DSP on the amp (Via DTS or Dolby) to upscale stereo to 5.1 or 7.1 With some titles you may get a better result or at least the one intended by the sound designer if sticking to using the soundcard for decoding.

Another option is using the GPU via HDMI output to an HDMI duplicator that has optical passthrough, however with HDMI and these you can get a delay, you may also run into issues with screen resolutions/compatibility if going beyond video standards of 1080p/4K 60Hz.

I will in the near future be looking at some titles and in particular, comparing how ACC outputs in 2 channel stereo Vs 5.1 audio. I will be able to see exactly how each channels audio is being used with different sound effects using this hardware recently purchased below.