I’m looking to replace my current K/V/M with something that either handles all three monitors (1,440p @ 180 Hz + 1,080p @ 60 Hz x2) or just the primary monitor for my personal and work machines. LevelOneTechs seemed a company worth supporting, but I wasn’t sure if they had the following:
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Do any of the K/V/Ms have extenders that don’t require the actual switch to be within reach? The current unit’s 3.5 mm extension is quite handy for reducing desk top clutter, but not having that means I’d have to route a new switch under the desk, around the piano, and purchase 8-10’ DisplayPort cables. Not the end of the world if they don’t, but certainly a nicety.
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Do the LevelOneTechs switches support 1,440p @ 180 Hz? The product pages state “Lower resolutions + higher frame rates possible (e.g., 144 Hz @ 1,440p) (overclocking not supported)”, but I don’t know if that means the 144 Hz is the refresh rate cap or not.
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It looks like the LevelOneTechs triple monitor/two computer switch is the only “all-in-one solution” I’ve found, but it mentions not supporting E.D.I.D. emulation. Would that mean every open window on both computers would minimize and fall back to the primary monitor? This seems like a company worth supporting, but it’s tough to gamble on a $750 piece of hardware without knowing for certain.
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Would you all even recommend a switch, even if just for the main monitor, for one keyboard, mouse, and webcam? Or should I just get a U.S.B. switch with H.I.D. emulation?
A bit wordy, but any assistance is highly appreciated. Thank ya kindly!
You might want to check the KVM FAQ [Official] L1Techs KVM FAQ -- Ultimate Guide & Help!
If stuff is still unclear you’ll probably get a more detailed answer by mailing you questions to level1techs store support.
Support page
But I also don’t want to send you away completely empty handed.
- What I can find on controlling the KVM, it only has a physical button on the unit itself.
They also should support keyboard shortcuts, I believe if you hit scroll lock 2x it will switch inputs.
- Probably best to verify this with store support. My understanding is every display gets the full bandwidth of displayport 1.4. So you should have more than enough bandwidth for 1440p@180Hz, but the 144Hz example given is confusing.
- Even with the lack of EDID emulation your application windows should keep their original position.
If you don’t have any issues with your old kvm relating to this (As it probably lacks EDID emu to), the level1 KVM will work no differently.
- You might want to check if your current monitor doesn’t already have a KVM integrated as many have nowadays.
Alternatively you could setup remote desktop or moonlight, but if you ware already thinking of a KVM you probably tried it already.
I would not have looked in the “Level1 Store” subcategory for something like that, so I sincerely appreciate it.
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I mean, a keyboard shortcut would also suffice! I’ll double check with the store support team on that.
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Yep. Just wanted to confirm before ruling out LevelOneTechs hardware entirely. Adding it to the list to ask the team.
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Perhaps I misunderstood the purpose of E.D.I.D. emulation if it can still do that without it. Safest bet is that my current one also lacks it, so a fair point, especially with the knowledge that Windows 11 has settings and Windows 10 has a script that could help offset any potential issues. I’m glad they added those workarounds on the product pages.
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I am sadly not the admin of my work laptop, so R.D.P. and Moonlight are non-starters. It’s either a K/V/M or a U.S.B. switch.
Thanks a ton for the guidance on this!
No worry, glad I could help a bit.
Btw I came across this page here, the store has some adapters available to improve EDID support so it might be worth taking a look.
When work from home exploded in the dark times, I decided to get a thunderbolt dock to make my life more easy.
Both my office and home laptop had thunderbolt support which helped justify the expense.
Resulting in a neat way to connect all the peripherals on my desk and charge from a single cable.
The reason for telling you about my setup was to direct your attention to the L1store which offers a usb-c capable kvm switch.
As current usb-c is compatible and equipped with all features thunderbolt has.
It might be worth your time to take a look at the usb-c kvm switch.
If any of your devices lacks support for usb4/usb-c or thunderbolt, take a look here: USB-C Combiner: DisplayPort and USB to USB-C — Level1Techs Store
This device allows you retrofit full usb-c support using the included usb and video out.
Just in case the displayport kvm did not fully live up to your wishes, I wanted to show you a second solution to check.