New
#11
You have a relatively complex sound setup compared to mine, so I'm not sure I can be of further help.
I'm wondering why you have more choices when you poke the speaker icon in the notification area than I do. I have Realtek 1150 sound chip--the newest as far as I know. What is yours? I'm wondering if some of your other hardware or software has given you those additional choices?
My "Windows volume control" slider per your second red arrow is clear up at the top, not midway like yours.
My playback tab "Realtek High Definition Audio" meter bounces only to the 3rd or 4th bar on playback--less than half of it's height, although still higher than yours.
If you poke the word "mixer" on the Windows volume control, that opens up 4 more tabs on my PC, each tab with a slider. All are maxed out on my PC. Have you examined those 4 items?
Off the top of my head---regarding playback levels, you say "they are linked so they all go up and down together."
I'm wonder if that's the problem. One is preventing the others from maxing out. Can you unlink them and then set each one to max manually? Is this "linking" why your Windows volume control is not maxed out like mine?
Has this new system ever been "OK" on sound or has it been bad since you built it? If the former, do you have a System Restore point to a date when it was "OK"?
Windows sound is the most frustrating part of it in my experience. Lots of trial and error. Dozens of settings. Various drivers. Lots of cursing.
As a last resort, you might try earlier drivers. Or even an external USB sound card.
That's about all I can offer you other than sympathy.