I'm replacing an old Logitech X540 system with an Ultimea Poseidon D80 7.1 setup. The D80 is currently connected to my RTX 5080, but adding it caused my internal Lian Li 8.8-inch display to stop working. I already have three other monitors connected, so I'm wondering whether the GPU is limited to four active display outputs, including the internal screen.
The speaker system seems to require HDMI or ARC/eARC for 7.1 audio because AUX, Bluetooth, and optical don't provide the surround format I want. I'm using an MSI B650 Edge WiFi motherboard with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D and was warned that connecting the D80 through the motherboard's HDMI output could cause gaming stutter or audio latency. What's the best way to connect everything properly, and is there a device or configuration that would let me keep all my displays working while getting real 7.1 sound?
3 Answers
A PC generally treats an HDMI connection to a soundbar or speaker system like another display connection; it doesn’t provide eARC in the same way a TV does. Since your GPU appears to be driving the internal Lian Li screen too, connecting the D80 may push you past the four-display limit. One workaround is to connect a monitor to the D80’s HDMI ARC port, connect the D80’s HDMI input to the GPU, and let the D80 pass the monitor’s video signal through while extracting the surround audio. Another option is to connect the D80 to the motherboard HDMI output and see whether the 7800X3D’s integrated graphics handle it cleanly. The copy path through system memory can theoretically add overhead, but if you aren’t seeing stutter or audio delay, it may be perfectly usable.
The RTX 5080 should be able to send audio through its HDMI ports without a problem. If a display disappears when you connect the sound system, the likely issue is the GPU’s active-output limit rather than a lack of audio capability. With three monitors plus the Lian Li panel, you may already be at the maximum number of simultaneous displays. The exact behavior can also depend on how the Gigabyte AERO model and the Lian Li display are connected.
It’s worth testing the motherboard’s HDMI output before ruling it out. The warning about possible stuttering may not apply to your setup, and a quick test will tell you whether you actually notice any latency or performance problems.
That makes sense. I’ll test the motherboard HDMI connection instead of assuming it will cause problems. I was mainly concerned because I’d heard the integrated graphics could introduce latency while gaming.