Separate audio/ video output from graphics card - possible?

[Bluecube]

I’ll soon have in my hands a TV capable of 120hz and VRR. I also have an Atmos capable soundbar which (of course) isn’t able to pass through 120hz VRR video signals. Is it possible to output the sound and video to their respective devices from a single graphics card? Or am I going to need a sound card? The sound card is a Zotac 1070ti if that’s relevant.

My Google-fu is failing me hence the query.

 

[Bluecube]

They can’t handle 120hz/ VRR/ Atmos unless they’re stupidly expensive. I’m sure I read somewhere that it was possible to do the split with a graphics card but I can’t find any such info anymore.

 

[Bluecube]

That’s great news! Thanks for the info.

Moving on, will a DisplayPort to HDMI cable manage Atmos and/ or 120hz VRR? Or do I need to purchase an active adapter?

 

[Bluecube]

So you can only do 60hz VRR? And I’d have to use the DisplayPort connection for audio?

HDR on Windows 10 is meh. I won’t be using it so it won’t be missed.

 

[Bluecube]

I was thinking that I’d use HDMI to the TV and DisplayPort to the soundbar.

 

[Bluecube]

That’s good to know from a practical point of view. I’ve bought what I hope is the correct cables and adapters and I’ll report back on my own findings.

 

[Bluecube]

In my eyes it shouldn’t be an issue especially if DTSHD and the likes work.

 

[Bluecube]

So I plugged in my DisplayPort - HDMI adapter to my Atmos capable soundbar (a Samsung N950 if you’re interested), put the pure HDMI connector into the TV, turned on the PC and it all just worked. Sound automatically came from the soundbar though I did have to change it from Stereo to Atmos in sound settings.

Two displays are indeed found and it defaulted to an Extended desktop which I changed to Duplicate (or whatever it’s called). While in the graphic settings I turned on HDR just to see if it worked and it certainly seemed to as the desktop became far richer and brighter in colour.

Atmos works correctly through the DisplayPort connection. I loaded up Plex and played Dredd which has an Atmos soundtrack. The soundbar showed that it was picking up the Atmos track and playing it.

So, all in all, we’re off to a good start. I haven’t ordered my VRR capable TV yet as I’m trying to find more info regarding the Nvidia/ Freesync situation as it’s not very clear what does and doesn’t work.

EDIT: for info, the DisplayPort-HDMI adapter is just a cheapy cable from Amazon. Nothing fancy about it at all so obviously there’s no need expensive splitters or whatnot as I feared may be the case.

 

[Bluecube]

The fact that HDR works (or seems to) is a bonus. It’s not something I can get worked up about.

The knowledge that Nvidia cards only do VRR over DisplayPort is a major spanner in the works though. Enough to put me off buying a new TV as I don’t want to have to buy a new graphics card on top of that. On the other hand if I can get my games running smoothly at 120hz then that would be rather good. I only really play indie games so nothing too onerous.