HDMI 2.1 - which gpu?

fleggett

Gawd
Joined
Nov 30, 2004
Messages
546
My apologies if this has been recently addressed, but what is the cheapest gpu that can be had that comes with HDMI 2.1? Gaming performance is NOT needed. I'd like to get something from nVidia, but AMD, Intel, Matrox, Tseng, etc. are all welcome. I've tried researching this myself, but the more I read, the more confused I get. Thanks in advance.
 
Probably RTX 3060 or RX 6700. You can probably get a laptop with a cheaper GPU and HDMI 2.1, but it's a laptop, so you would have to buy the entire system.
 
Probably RTX 3060 or RX 6700. You can probably get a laptop with a cheaper GPU and HDMI 2.1, but it's a laptop, so you would have to buy the entire system.
Yeeesh. Those are the cheapest? Nothing from any prior generations, like Vega 56 or 64? All I'm looking to do is output an HDR signal to my new HDR-capable TV. I realize I can do that with HDMI 2.0, but I'd rather stick with 2.1 for personal reasons.
 
Yeeesh. Those are the cheapest? Nothing from any prior generations, like Vega 56 or 64? All I'm looking to do is output an HDR signal to my new HDR-capable TV. I realize I can do that with HDMI 2.0, but I'd rather stick with 2.1 for personal reasons.
Unfortunately, no. The first generations of GPUs to get HDMI 2.1 are the RTX 3000 and RX 6000 cards.

I know because I moved from an RTX 2070 Super to an RTX 3080, mainly so I could do 4K120 via HDMI 2.1.
 
My apologies if this has been recently addressed, but what is the cheapest gpu that can be had that comes with HDMI 2.1? Gaming performance is NOT needed. I'd like to get something from nVidia, but AMD, Intel, Matrox, Tseng, etc. are all welcome. I've tried researching this myself, but the more I read, the more confused I get. Thanks in advance.
Possible other option is using an adaptor DP 1.4 to HDMI 2.1

https://www.amazon.com/Club-3D-DisplayPort1-4-Adapter-CAC-1085/dp/B08BX49V5V/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2N1K2A6KAHW7E&dchild=1&keywords=dp+to+hdmi+2.1+4k+120hz&qid=1623391882&sprefix=DP+to+HDMI+2.1,aps,169&sr=8-3#customerReviews

Many of the complaints or reviews could solve their problem by getting a proper HDMI cable supporting 48gbps. I had issues with Samsung TV and RTX 3090, cable after cable. Bought a high quality certified 8K cable and wam! It worked perfectly almost instantly, go to gaming mode on TV -> 120hz, HDR content 10bit full RBG, at 120hz, with GSync. Does not disconnect, blank out . . . etc. Finding a card now could be difficult so I figure I mention this. Now I don't have this adaptor.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Display port 1.4 is 32gbps of bandwidth

It can’t convert to true HDMI 2.1, because true HDMI 2.1 with every feature maxed is 48gbps.
 
Blech. This isn't going according to plan. I thought 2.1 had been incorporated into discrete gpus generations ago.

I might have to seriously pivot. What about AMD's apus? Do any of them incorporate 2.1?
 
Blech. This isn't going according to plan. I thought 2.1 had been incorporated into discrete gpus generations ago.

I might have to seriously pivot. What about AMD's apus? Do any of them incorporate 2.1?

No as they currently are based on Vega which doesn't have it.
 
Possible other option is using an adaptor DP 1.4 to HDMI 2.1

https://www.amazon.com/Club-3D-DisplayPort1-4-Adapter-CAC-1085/dp/B08BX49V5V/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2N1K2A6KAHW7E&dchild=1&keywords=dp+to+hdmi+2.1+4k+120hz&qid=1623391882&sprefix=DP+to+HDMI+2.1,aps,169&sr=8-3#customerReviews

Many of the complaints or reviews could solve their problem by getting a proper HDMI cable supporting 48gbps. I had issues with Samsung TV and RTX 3090, cable after cable. Bought a high quality certified 8K cable and wam! It worked perfectly almost instantly, go to gaming mode on TV -> 120hz, HDR content 10bit full RBG, at 120hz, with GSync. Does not disconnect, blank out . . . etc. Finding a card now could be difficult so I figure I mention this. Now I don't have this adaptor.

Unfortunately these DP to HDMI converters only support 16bit 48KHz audio.
No high def audio at all.
Even 44KHz audio must be converted to 48KHz or it cant be used.
I found this out the hard way.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Ugueyeha. All my dreams are turning into 2.1 nightmares.

Something tells me I should've bought a TV with DP inputs (assuming they exist).

So, nobody's cpu has 2.1 HDMI as part of its igpu? Not even Intel's newest?
 
If you want HDMI 2.1 with full quality audio, atm you have to get a gaming card (good luck with that!) or a laptop.
It is absolutely brand new, nothing else supports it yet.
 
Well, we're back to glorified adapters, but what about an A/V receiver? Can any take a full-fledged, modern-version DP signal with all the HDR, full quality audio, and refresh bells and whistles and transmutate it into an HDMI 2.1 one? I could use a receiver for other reasons, so that would be a huge reason to get one.
 
Well, we're back to glorified adapters, but what about an A/V receiver? Can any take a full-fledged, modern-version DP signal with all the HDR, full quality audio, and refresh bells and whistles and transmutate it into an HDMI 2.1 one? I could use a receiver for other reasons, so that would be a huge reason to get one.
No receivers accept DP.
Very few TVs accept DP, I only know of one with DP 1.2 a long time back.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wat
like this
No A/V receiver on the market right now accepts DP? What!?

Yeah, my state-of-the-art new QLED only has HDMI. Doesn't have a single legacy input, which I forgot was gonna be a problem, as I have a laserdisc player and a dvd recorder (I need to find a cheap s-video to HDMI converter).

So, I'm stuck trying to find either a green side 3xxx or a red side 6xxx. What a PITFA.
 
Display port 1.4 is 32gbps of bandwidth

It can’t convert to true HDMI 2.1, because true HDMI 2.1 with every feature maxed is 48gbps.
May not need it but yes. DP 1.4a will do 4:4:4 RGB 8bit at 120hz (32gbps) while true HDMI 2.1 will do 4:4:4 RGB 12bit at 120hz (48gbps). With DSC DP 1.4a will do 8K at 60hz. Anyways if one has a HDMI 2.1 4K 120hz TV and stuck with a video card that does not have HDMI 2.1, what are you going to do? Run it at 60hz or go with an adaptor and run that at 120hz full RGB 8bit (more at 100hz). Now so far I don't think the adaptors support VRR (no FreeSync or GSync) and of course a new shinny video card with HDMI 2.1 would be best if one can afford and find one for sell.
 
No A/V receiver on the market right now accepts DP? What!?
DP is a computer standard, it is not mainstream.

If I was you I wouldnt worry about using HDMI 2.0b, I dont.
When playing HDR material on my Q9FN QLED TV I use (4:4:4 effectively) 8bit full RGB, not 10bit 4:2:2 YcBcR, and almost never can tell the difference.
The only issue that can crop up is banding due to the difference using 8bit and 10bits to spread all the colours over.
But I only saw it in one movie for a moment.
It has never been a problem in games.

The TV itself has an occasional banding problem that is not alleviated by anything, it happens regardless.
Using HDR with 8bit full RGB works incredibly well.
Give it a try.
 
Last edited:
I'm currently using an Intel igpu solution (HD 4600), so no HDR bit level is available to me. And I can't find any setting that'll let me play HDR encoded material that won't make it look almost completely color drained. I tried madVR along with mpc-hc and nothing I did worked. The file either stuttered constantly or was always rezzing out or doing something to make things unwatchable. I've heard Plex will "thunk down" HDR encodes to SDR, but I don't run Plex and just run stuff through mpc-hc, mpc-be (when mpc-hc is acting-up), and finally vlc when both mpc's fizzle-out.

BTW, I've got a QN75Q6.
 
I'm currently using an Intel igpu solution (HD 4600), so no HDR bit level is available to me. And I can't find any setting that'll let me play HDR encoded material that won't make it look almost completely color drained. I tried madVR along with mpc-hc and nothing I did worked. The file either stuttered constantly or was always rezzing out or doing something to make things unwatchable. I've heard Plex will "thunk down" HDR encodes to SDR, but I don't run Plex and just run stuff through mpc-hc, mpc-be (when mpc-hc is acting-up), and finally vlc when both mpc's fizzle-out.

BTW, I've got a QN75Q6.
Unfortunate, you need a better gfx card regardless.
Such a harsh time to need a gfx card, prices and availability are whacko.
Find the cheapest card with HDMI 2.0a or 2.0b (those are the versions with HDR).
Good luck!
 
Ack!, Nenu, you're like Krampus at Christmas, shoving nasty coal in my stockings and making off with my kids.

Well, I guess that answers that question, though I suppose I could try noko's adapter option as a stopgap measure. Knowing my luck, though, I'm probably running some old-ass version of DP so that it wouldn't make a difference, anyway.

What a world, what a world....
 
I believe AMD is going to release an entry level 6000 card later on this year, but yeah, the cheapest HDMI 2.1 cards are the 6700 XT and the 3060, but they aren't exactly that cheap.
 
I wish tv and audio manufacturers would support displayport. Its royalty free, So no additional licensing costs.
But unfortunately its connector is too similar to hdmi. Most non tech people don't even know what displayport is, and try to shove them into each other's hole. As exciting as that sounds, it results in broken parts.
 
Screw Display port and HDMI. They are increasingly failed, expensive cables.

We need to move to Cat cables for video signal instead of HDMI and Display port. They are cheap and plentiful and properly shielded and so work at extremely long ranges. (Where HDMI cables struggle over 30 feet historically, cat cable will run 300 feet without issue). Cat 8.1 supports 40Gbps which is capable of 10bit 4,4,4,HDR, 4K, 120hz, and VRR.

and it’s stupid cheap…($2.99 shipped for 6.5 foot at Amazon. Try finding a 6’ HDMI 2.1 cable for $2.99 shipped)

Veetop CAT8 Ethernet Cable 6.5ft/2m 40Gbps 2000Mhz High Speed Gigabit SSTP LAN Network Internet Cables with RJ45 Gold Plated Connector for Use of Smart Office Smart Home System iOT Gaming(1 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TWQ1P73/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_PBKHEV6RG831DK4XFRA1

Too cheap and effective which is why I guess Cat will never be adopted by the audio video industry. Sickening.

The HDMI organization gets a royalty on HDMI ports and cords used. So you can figure they’ll never give up their little proprietary crappy standard willingly. Display port is a free standard, so I’d rather see that mainstream, but display port will never be as mainstay as cat cables which are used by the hundreds or thousands or hundreds of thousands by every business and so incredibly cheap and standardized by comparison. HDMI has brought nothing but headache to the table in the 2.1 generation so far.

Where one cable isn’t enough bandwidth in the future you could just use two, three or four cat cables and not even change the cable.
 
Last edited:
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
This is the adapter you want for 8k60 or 4k120 on a rtx 2080 ti.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Y246V8X
So the OP is clear on this:
Its a USB type C adapter, hardly any gfx cards have USB C.
My 1080ti FE (Pascal) didnt. The FW update was to get Displayport 1.4, it doesnt help a USB C to HDMI 2.1 connection.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
  • Like
Reactions: mikeo
like this
The sad part about these adapters (probably mentioned earlier in the thread), they only support 16bit 48KHz audio, nothing higher or lower.
This means the windows mixer must be in use to get any audio on most media, no highest quality direct signal allowed, only down sampled or specific 16/48.
I only found this out when it was impossible to get hi def audio on a movie, this rendered the adapter pointless for me.

For this reason my new Gfx card has more than one HDMI port so I never need another adapter.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
So, can a person get an expansion card with a USB-C connector that supports "DisplayPort Alternate Mode", get the last listed adapter, and call it a day? How do you pipe video through a USB port if your system isn't specifically built for it?
 
Ugueyeha. All my dreams are turning into 2.1 nightmares.

Something tells me I should've bought a TV with DP inputs (assuming they exist).

So, nobody's cpu has 2.1 HDMI as part of its igpu? Not even Intel's newest?
back in the day NVIDIA released the BFG Displays basically 55" monitors with DP Gsync 1000 nit HDR. but those seemed to have been very limited to techtubers and maybe a few really lucky early adopters.
 
Good luck finding either a new GPU or vdeogame with HDMI 2.1.
I mean, my RTX 3080 and LG CX OLED display both have HDMI 2.1. It's not hard to find. Unfortunately, it's expensive as hell for the moment.
 
Good luck finding either a new GPU or vdeogame with HDMI 2.1.
Games dont have HDMI 2.1.
HDMI 2.1 requirement is down to resolution and bit depth (and form of compression if any) you use with your display.
 
Games dont have HDMI 2.1.
HDMI 2.1 requirement is down to resolution and bit depth (and form of compression if any) you use with your display.
Your point being? Most games on the PS5are lucky to be running 4k/60Hz let alone 120Hz.
 
Your point being? Most games on the PS5are lucky to be running 4k/60Hz let alone 120Hz.
Thats fair enough if they also dont use HDR.
Otherwise it willl need to use 4:2:2 YcBcR at 4K60 which I'm not a fan of.
I would rather use 8bit colour HDR than 10bit compressed.
 
PS5 can be used as a media player but no Dolby Vision / HDMI 10.
 
Back
Top