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Hooking a brand new PC as much as my monitor’s HDMI 2.1 port was a nightmare

Abstract

  • Utilizing Extremely Excessive Velocity HDMI cables ensures compatibility with excessive refresh charges like 144Hz.
  • Monitor firmware updates and navigating to particular show settings can unlock larger refresh charges like 144Hz.
  • Understanding HDMI 2.1 bandwidth complexities is important for optimum efficiency with trendy graphics playing cards.

I not too long ago obtained my arms on a ridiculously highly effective Asus ROG G700 (2025) gaming rig geared up with Intel’s Core Extremely 7 Processor 265F and Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5090. I am nicely conscious that that is overkill for Halo Infinite and Age of Empires IV — the 2 video games I play most continuously — however when an organization reaches out and gives you the prospect to check out a PC this highly effective, it is troublesome to say no.

My basement workplace setup is considerably difficult. I’ve a Change OLED mannequin, a PlayStation 5 Slim, a Xbox Sequence X, and a M3 Professional Max MacBook Professional, all hooked as much as a 27-inch LG UltraGear 27GP950-B, a comparatively well-reviewed, however now discontinued monitor that dropped again in 2021. On the time, it was one of many few displays on the market that featured full bandwidth HDMI 2.1, opening the 4K 120Hz floodgates for the few supported video games on the PS5 and Xbox Sequence X (actually, it was principally only for Halo Infinite on the Xbox Sequence X). Help for NVIDIA and FreeSync Premium Professional is an added bonus, too.

“Although this setup is considerably difficult, it is labored fairly flawlessly — at the least till now.”

To set the stage relating to my challenge, it is vital to say that this monitor has a really customary variety of ports. There’s DisplayPort 1.4 — which I take advantage of with my MacBook and a USB-C-to-DisplayPort 1.4 cable to get 120Hz output to the monitor — and two HDMI 2.1 ports. For years, I’ve used one HDMI 2.1 port for my Xbox Sequence X and the opposite for an HDMI 2.1-capable switcher that my Change OLED Mannequin and PS5 Slim are plugged into. I’ve no clue what model this HDMI switcher is, however again once I purchased it in 2020, it was one of many first out there on Amazon (it appears to have been discontinued since I am unable to discover it anymore).

Although this setup is considerably difficult, it is labored fairly flawlessly — at the least till now.

Silkland 10K 8K HDMI 2.1 Cable

This HDMI 2.1 Extremely Excessive Velocity cable from Silkland is 4K/240Hz, 144Hz 120Hz, and 8K@60Hz succesful.

Size(s)

1-50ft

Supplies/Building

Braided

Capability

4K/240Hz 144Hz 120Hz, 8K/60Hz

Model

Silkland

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Who knew this tiny, comparatively low cost machine may remedy all of my TV connection woes?

When you’re searching for a dependable HDMI 2.1 cable that is additionally reasonably priced, Silkland’s 10K 8K HDMI 2.1 Cable is a superb choice (I personal roughly 8 at this level).

HDMI remains to be a complicated mess

Greater bandwidth cables make issues much more difficult

HDMI 8K cable

I shortly decided that plugging the Asus ROG G700 (2025) into my HDMI 2.1 switcher can be the simplest answer to my downside. Nevertheless, no matter what I attempted, I could not work out a method to get my 144Hz-capable (160Hz should you overclock it and use show stream compression) monitor to push previous 120Hz over HDMI 2.1, regardless of the port format supporting the 48Gbps bandwidth switch. I might navigate to Superior beneath Show Settings and 120Hz remained the one choice.

“The ROG Astral RTX 5090 is among the first graphics playing cards to characteristic two HDMI 2.1 ports.”

Here is the place I attempted a couple of issues. I hooked the Asus ROG G700 (2025) up via Show Port 1.4 to see if the 144Hz choice appeared in Home windows 11’s Superior Show Settings. Fortunately, it did. I then tried a distinct HDMI cable after noticing the one I used to be utilizing did not say “Extremely Excessive Velocity” on it and as an alternative was labelled “Excessive Velocity.” HDMI 2.0 10.2Gbps Excessive Velocity cables can hit 4K/30Hz (there’s additionally HDMI 2.0a and HDMI 2.0b that help 18Gbps — these are generally referred to as Premium Excessive Velocity HDMI cables), whereas 48Gbps Extremely Excessive Velocity cables can attain a most of 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz/144Hz. I additionally ensured the HDMI cable working out of the switcher was Extremely Excessive Velocity appropriate. Confused but? I don’t blame you.

HDMI 2.1 Switch

Sadly, this nonetheless did not remedy the problem. At this level, my subsequent guess was that the HDMI switcher was in some way the supply of my woes, so I grabbed the HDMI 2.1 switcher I’ve been using in my living room. Whereas this one labored, 144Hz nonetheless did not present up as an choice. My guess is that the majority switchers can solely deal with 120Hz and never 144Hz, regardless of technically being able to supporting the bandwidth. This is smart given HDMI 2.1 144Hz is comparatively new within the PC house, and the ROG Astral RTX 5090 is among the first graphics playing cards to characteristic two HDMI 2.1 ports.

The following step was to skip the switcher and plug the ROG G700 (2025) immediately into my monitor’s HDMI 2.1 port. Sadly, the 144Hz choice nonetheless did not seem in Home windows 11. Does HDMI 2.1 simply not help 144Hz? Are all of the Reddit threads I learn over the previous a number of hours simply solely improper?

Windows 11's HDMI 2.1 settings

Earlier than you scroll all the way down to the feedback to inform me that DisplayPort 1.4 is best than HDMI 2.1 and that I should not be attempting to do that in any respect, the previous port choice with a USB-C-to-DisplayPort-1.4 cable is the one simple method to get my MacBook Professional to connect with an exterior monitor at 120Hz. You may get it to work over HDMI 2.1, however it’s a very complicated process.

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I can’t believe no one is talking about this massive HDMI problem

With so many units, TVs are struggling to maintain up with the HDMI downside.

Ensure that your monitor is up to date and all the time use Extremely Excessive Velocity cables

Welcome to the wild work of HDMI 2.1

LG UltraGear 27GP950 B monitor

It seems that I wanted to replace my monitor through a USB-B cable via LG’s OnScreen app so as to add 144Hz HDMI 2.1 compatibility. Subsequent, I navigated to the UltraGear 27GP950-B’s Settings and chosen Basic. Then I scrolled previous the primary row of choices to get to HDMI Extremely HD Deep Colour and chosen the 144Hz choice. Like magic, the power to set the monitor to 144Hz appeared in Home windows 11’s Superior Show Settings. Why is that this setting listed as being associated to paint and never refresh fee? I’ve no clue. My

55-inch Hisense U8H
has an analogous setting for its one HDMI 2.1/120Hz port.

So what have I discovered from this expertise? First, I am all the time going to verify my monitor is updated with the newest firmware. On high of that, once I’m coping with high-bandwidth resolutions and refresh charges like 144Hz/4K, I now know it is vital to double-check what kind of HDMI cable I am utilizing and to solely stick to Extremely Excessive Velocity cables. You’ll be able to normally establish these cables by the Extremely Excessive Velocity label on them alongside the 8K (they’re usually braided, too).

Hopefully, this convoluted journey via the world of HDMI and excessive refresh charges helped you out in a roundabout way. Within the coming weeks, I will have extra on Pocket-lint about my return to PC gaming and the Asus ROG G700 (2025).

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