Hey y’all,
So I’d like to get a L1 KVM for my main desk, finally, but I have some questions about the KVM that I think I should get.
I have an ultrawide monitor and a vertical display. I use the ultrawide to game on my gaming PC (and the small vertical monitor is either off or has discord or something pulled up on it). I also use this setup with my mini-pc for any low power computing tasks. Finally, I like to connect my work laptop to this setup on days that I work from home. So I figure that the Dual Monitor - Four Computer KVM is what I want. Yes, it has support for an extra computer that I don’t have, but I’ve been considering building a new PC to use as a hobbyist open source programmer’s rig so that I can stop using my gaming PC for that.
So I’m honestly somewhat confused about the USB situation on Level1 KVMs. I currently use a cheap USB 2.0 KVM from Amazon, and I have currently plugged into it my keyboard, a USB DAC, my printer, and an APC UPS.
So, using the image above, it looks like there are 3 USB 2.0 ports in the bottom left (the ones marked HID). Then four USB type B ports with a 3.5 mm headphone jack that I plug into the computers. It appears to me that the section of ports marked console are where I plug in my peripherals that I want to be able to switch between computers. Also what is USB 2.0 HID? The store page says:
This KVM switch will work with USB 3.0 (USB 3 5gbps, or USB 3.2 gen 1) peripherals as well as USB 2.0 HID devices.
I am really curious about the port on the bottom right that’s labeled USB 3.0. See I got this nifty new System76 launch keyboard recently, and I really would like to use the USB hub that’s built into it using that port. It appears that my version of the Launch keyboard has a USB 3.2 Gen 2 hub; but that port doesn’t look like it changes on the 10Gb KVM anyway, so if I plug it into that port I am still going to be limited to 5Gb. I think that I would like to use the 10Gb KVM, but I don’t know which port on that KVM that I can plug the keyboard into. Maybe some ports on the front of the KVM?
Also I don’t intend on using any of the audio features of the KVM because of my USB 2.0 DAC. I really hope it works with this KVM; but it works with the cheap Amazon KVM, so it probably will.
I think that pretty much covers it, but also I want to leave you guys with this table on my monitor specs just in case there might be quirks passing my setup through the KVM. I’ve never put these monitors on a KVM.
| Ultrawide Monitor | Vertical Monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Viotek | LG |
| Panel Type | VA | IPS |
| Size | 34" | 24" |
| DP Version | 1.4 | ??? |
| Resolution | 3440 x 1440 | 2560 x 1440 |
| Refresh Rate | 144Hz | 75Hz |
| Color Gamut | 116% sRGB | 99% sRGB |
| Adaptive Sync | AMD FreeSync | AMD FreeSync |
| Date Purchased | Nov 2020 | Jan 2024 |