KVM Switch Shenanigans

[cosmovagabond]

Hi All Mighty Internet,

 

I could really use some help on picking a KVM switch. My current setup is 1080p 144Hz G-sync monitor with a displayport and a HDMI 60Hz 2K monitor. I want to make sure that the G-sync and framerate still works going though the switch but no matter if it's lv1 tech, blackbox, or startech, they don't actually have information showing whether the switch kills the G-sync signal. And worst yet they always come with two standards, one with 1080p 160Hz another with 4K 60Hz, what about 2K monitors and 1440p monitors and their refresh rate cap? Is this limit to the HDMI cable different version's transmit rate or the switch itself? I don't mind spending a bit of extra to buy a KVM switch cause this is really for work setup, but at the same time I do want to play games after work and I would definitely hope my purchase works. Yet it seems like the entire area of KVM switches is still a wild land on Internet after 20+ pages search with google. Maybe I'm missing something?

[Bombastinator]

 

34 minutes ago, cosmovagabond said:

Hi All Mighty Internet,

 

I could really use some help on picking a KVM switch. My current setup is 1080p 144Hz G-sync monitor with a displayport and a HDMI 60Hz 2K monitor. I want to make sure that the G-sync and framerate still works going though the switch but no matter if it's lv1 tech, blackbox, or startech, they don't actually have information showing whether the switch kills the G-sync signal. And worst yet they always come with two standards, one with 1080p 160Hz another with 4K 60Hz, what about 2K monitors and 1440p monitors and their refresh rate cap? Is this limit to the HDMI cable different version's transmit rate or the switch itself? I don't mind spending a bit of extra to buy a KVM switch cause this is really for work setup, but at the same time I do want to play games after work and I would definitely hope my purchase works. Yet it seems like the entire area of KVM switches is still a wild land on Internet after 20+ pages search with google. Maybe I'm missing something?

This post is about trying to not use a hardware KVM or spend any money at all.  So no suggestions about what to buy. 

 

There are software kvm solutions but I don’t think they’ll help with just switching from one monitor to the other.  They’re better for one keyboard/mouse on multiple machines.  Most people who do what you’re doing just plug both monitors into the computer and use the included GPU software to set up automatic switching. 
 

I could be totally wrong about what you are attempting though because there’s almost no hardware information.  It sounds like you’ve got two older monitors and one machine, but I’m not even sure of that.  If that IS what you have a KVM is a sort of bass ackwards way of going about things.

[cosmovagabond]

Thanks Bombastinator,

 

I have two PCs one for work one for personal use, and I have two monitors that I want to both switch between the PCs with one click on the KVM switch. That is what I want to achieve

[Bombastinator]

2 hours ago, cosmovagabond said:

Thanks Bombastinator,

 

I have two PCs one for work one for personal use, and I have two monitors that I want to both switch between the PCs with one click on the KVM switch. That is what I want to achieve

If the work stuff doesn’t need rendering graphics it can be done with software.  The problem with the software is there’s a lotta lotta video latency.  Way too much for gaming.  You put both monitors on the gaming machine and remote to it using a software solution.  Cheap and easy.  The nice thing about the software solutions is theyre also portable.