U4320Q, two Apple PC, KVM solutions?

Question

Hi I have this monitor and really enjoy it. In my current living arrangement, I don't have the option of having a second desk/office for personal stuff and I have to use the same monitor for both work and personal projects.

I can't seem to figure out a way to solve my problem. I want to be able to use a hardwired keyboard and mouse with two different computers (both USB-C Macs, one intel, one m1) but the same monitor (U4320Q). I can basically get what I want by using a bluetooth mouse/keyboard and DDM shortcut but I have a very expensive mech keyboard and I hate bluetooth.

I tried using an IOGear KVM but it isn't working. There is a more expensive KVM ($400+) that has power deliver from two USB-C ports which would work, but is ANOTHER $400 ontop of the $800+ for the monitor, seems crazy to me that there isn't a built-in KVM to this monitor.

The easiest solution is just unplug the USB C from the work laptop into the personal one when I'm using it, which is fine but it would be nice to just click a button or use a shortcut.

Thanks,

Ben

jphughan · Accepted Answer

@BenMR721 The fundamental problem here is that the display only has a single "upstream" USB data path back to a host system, namely the USB-C port. So you don't have a way to have two simultaneously connected USB data paths from the display to the system in order to just press a button to toggle them. And as you've found, a KVM when dealing with USB-C laptops is going to be tricky and expensive if you expect one that will allow you to use only a USB-C connection to the KVM for video, USB data, and power for both systems. At that point your KVM is functioning basically as both a KVM and a docking station for two different systems simultaneously. Given what good KVMs and good docking stations cost, $400 actually doesn't seem unreasonable to me for what you're getting, but I agree it's still a hefty cost.

The only other option if this device existed would be a USB-C host switch. I've seen many people ask if this product existed, typically in the context of wanting to switch a single docking station between two different systems, but I haven't seen one yet. There are USB-A host switches that allow you to connect peripherals to the switch and then connect that back to two separate systems, then toggle which host system can see those peripherals at any given time, but that of course won't handle video or power.

If I were in your position, I would probably keep the lids of both systems closed and then stack them so that moving the cable from one device to the other would be quick and easy, and then maybe I'd have a separate USB-C power cable nearby so that I could keep the system I'm not using at any given time charged.

DELL-Cares · Answer

We tried reaching you on a private message asking for the Service Tag number to ascertain the warranty but did not receive a response. Please feel free to reply to the private message whenever you are available.

jphughan · Answer

@BenMR721 Glad I could help, even though I wish I had better news. Regarding your follow-up points....

For displays with multiple USB-C upstream ports, Dell has some in their 2022 model year lineup, but as of right now that means one "full-featured" USB-C port that provides power and accepts video, plus another data-only upstream port. So I guess it's meant to be used with a laptop and a desktop or something. (Those displays also have a USB-C downstream port meant to support USB-C peripherals, and I've already helped people who couldn't understand why their USB-C connectivity wasn't working because they plugged into that port without reading the documentation or noticing the other ports there....) Anyhow, that setup at least gives you a display with multiple video inputs and multiple USB data "inputs" to facilitate peripheral switching, and the display allows you to associate video inputs to each upstream USB path so that when you switch video inputs, the display also switches USB data paths. But even then, the display can only be a power source for one display (and one device will need separate video and USB cables connected to the display). And power is probably the sticking point. Two full-featured USB-C ports would mean you'd need a higher capacity power supply in the display to support the power demands of two laptops, and with the USB PD spec having just been revised to support up to 240W rather than 100W, that means either an even bigger power supply (with the cost and heat concerns associated with that) or supporting lower power levels and then having people complain that they can't properly power their high-powered laptops from their displays. You can never quite win. Granted, maybe the displays on the very high end of Dell's line-up like yours and the ultra high end like their Thunderbolt display and their 8K display might get that sort of tech, but I wouldn't expect it any time soon.

In terms of that VisionTek dock, that would probably work except you'd have to be ok with the fact that it uses that "indirect display" technology called DisplayLink -- not to be confused with DisplayPort. That tech introduces some drawbacks that can be significant in certain use cases, which I've written about in the post marked as the answer in this thread. I suspect the reason they did that is that on may laptops still on the market today, it isn't possible to run 4K 60 Hz and USB 3.x data simultaneously over a regular USB-C, non-Thunderbolt link when using native GPU output (called DisplayPort Alt Mode). Newer systems can do that by supporting a higher-bandwidth revision of DisplayPort, but that would have limited the ability of that dock to offer 4K 60 Hz support to just those systems, and likely generated confusion, complaints, negative reviews, and returns from people who bought that dock with less capable systems. (You wouldn't believe how much time I spend here explaining that not all USB-C systems are equal and that this is why they can't get the results they expected with their various dock and display setups.)

BenMR721 · Answer

Thanks @jphughan for the response. This makes a lot of sense and helps bring it all together for me.

If anyone from Dell takes notes on these sort of matters, I would love to see the next evolution of this monitor have TWO USB-C upstream ports. That would solve everything and be a worth upgrade for myself and others I am sure.

I can't really see myself living with a different monitor at this point, but as you said, I basically have all three of my computers in an upright cradle type of thing and I can plug the USB-C into whatever one I'm working on at the time. Very 1st world problem, but still somehow annoying enough to warrant my search for a KVM that would work, I think this one would: https://www.amazon.com/VisionTek-VT4900-USB-C-Docking-Station/dp/B08TLPZMXC/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=usb-c+kvm&qid=1637187332&sr=8-4

But I also have to justify if $400/not using USB-C for video is worth the small time/task of moving it over. Probably better to wait for a monitor that has two USB-C upstreams as I'm sure it will happen soon enough.

BenMR721 · Answer

Hi Everyone:

I wanted to update this post and let you know I did find a solution that is pretty cost effective and works awesome for this monitor if you want to use it as a docking station like I do:

https://www.amazon.com/CableDeconn-Bi-Direction-Delivery-Transfer-Converter/dp/B092VHC166

This allows you to basically add a switch to the existing usb-c upstream on the back of the monitor. It provides power as well. Mine came with an extra USB-C cable which was not specified in the listing, but it does require USB-C Gen 2 cables (as short as you can is preferable). The cable that it came with is about 1.5' in length. I am using that cable and the existing one that came with this monitor.

Very simple to switch between them 3 seconds. It works MAJORITY of the time pretty well, but I did just get it. We will see how it goes after some time.

Monitors

U4320Q, two Apple PC, KVM solutions?

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