It sounds like you're experiencing a common issue related to audio output selection when connected to an NVIDIA GPU via HDMI. Windows sometimes requires a system reboot to apply changes made to the audio output device.
Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can try to switch the audio output without rebooting:
1. Restart Windows Audio Service:
- Press Win + R
, type services.msc
, and press Enter.
- Locate "Windows Audio" in the list of services, right-click on it, and select Restart
.
2. Disable and Re-enable the Audio Device:
- Right-click on the sound icon in the notification area and select Open Sound settings
.
- Under the "Output" section, select the desired audio device (NVIDIA...