Best Kvm (keyboard Video Mouse Switch For Mac

Newcomer here, seeking advice on sharing a monitor (and keyboard + mouse, ideally) between a PC and Mac. I'm leaning toward a KVM switch, though I see lots of users posting about trouble that route. One of the few successes I see posted is from a 2014 post in this forum, with an LG monitor that seems to work as its own built-in KVM: I also learned a bit about the requirements at the PC end from this useful 2013 thread, on a similar plan (but more focused on the gaming specs): The Ideal Setup Mac Mini for work and personal use, with PC for gaming.

Shared monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Ability to switch from one to the other without reboot is a bonus. The Minimum Setup Shared monitor between the two. The Budget Monitor and KVM switch together, $1K.

If I can get away with less, that leaves me more for my PC. Maybe I can get closer to $500, as with these game-friendly monitors: The Questions. Can I do this with a KVM switch, and if so, how do I tell which one may work?.

Would the LG 34UM95 work without a KVM switch, and are there other monitors with the same feature?. For other monitors, should I look for one with DisplayPort vs HDMI input?. Gaming specs aside for now, do I need any particular hardware in my PC, like Thunderbolt connectivity?. I'm leaning away from software-based solutions and Remote Desktop, to try to avoid a potential weak link there. Should I reconsider that route?

I've been searching on this for a long time, and it's surprisingly hard to find solutions for what must be a common setup. Shared monitor, keyboard, and mouse.You'd need a KVM, or you'd need to remote desktop into one or the other. Most modern higher-end monitors (aka avoid the $99 bargain specials- even if they are good, they usually have a limited input selection) have multiple inputs, usually at least one DVI, one HDMI, and one Displayport (DP). For your purposes, multiple DP's if your systems all have DP outputs is ideal, but DVI or HDMI should work fine assuming the resolution of your monitor in question is supported (e.g. 3440x1440 is beyond the reach of some interfaces).

No need for Thunderbolt, you're just dealing with a video signal. For gaming, yeah, RDC might be an issue, but if the primary machine is the gaming box then you should be fine. No idea on built-in KVM's on LG displays, unfortunately- I haven't had one in to use myself, but it sounds like that could be ideal. For your purposes, multiple DP's if your systems all have DP outputs is ideal, but DVI or HDMI should work fine assuming the resolution of your monitor in question is supported From what I've read, I can use a Mini DisplayPort to VGA for the Mac and HDMI for the PC? This (crazy high-end) shared setup, seems to skip the KVM switch altogether in favor of an HDMI switch for the monitors, and Synergy software for Keyboard/Mouse. Is that viable?

Are there are any PC build considerations I should take into account for my shared setup, or can I build the PC just as I would if using it without sharing the monitor with a Mac? You've got three different things to think about since you've got the Keyboard, Video, and the Mouse.

Keyboard is going to be an issue from my experience of connecting PC keyboards to my wife's Mac. You don't have all the Mac 'special keys' so that may be an issue. Video should be fairly easy. Both can output to hdmi/dvi/vga, so you can convert both to one standard, or better yet have both natively in one format. Mouse shouldn't be too much of a challenge unless you have special buttons on it.

As far as the KVM itself, it's not that complicated. Almost anything with a video port that matches both systems and your monitor, as well as ports for your mouse and keyboard and usb on the other side for the computers. Simplest method: get a monitor that can handle dual inputs (almost any). One computer goes into each input. Get a BT keyboard that can switch between devices (there a re number of these-Kanex makes a full size one). Then just get a pair of wireless mice in two different colors/styles- just swap the mouse, hit the button on the keyboard and change the monitor input.

It's three steps, but will cost less than $100 for the keyboard and mice (it's hard to NOT get a multi input monitor nowadays). Or just get two different wireless keyboards and swap them with the mouse.

A KVM is certainly doable, but not necessarily any better. I use the Kanex and control 4 different machines, all plugged into one monitor and have 4 different colored mice on my desk. Simplest method: get a monitor that can handle dual inputs (almost any). One computer goes into each input. Get a BT keyboard that can switch between devices (there a re number of these-Kanex makes a full size one).

Then just get a pair of wireless mice in two different colors/styles- just swap the mouse, hit the button on the keyboard and change the monitor input. That's a fine option, thanks. Would I use HDMI for the PC and VGA for the Mac, or does it matter? If you can, I'd recommend sticking with digital signals (DVI, HDMI, DP) for both systems. With a good quality cable and not overly-high resolution, VGA is fine, but if you're not satisfying either of those, your picture can start being fuzzy, which you wouldn't have to worry about with a digital signal. You might start encountering issues as low as 1920 x 1080.

Check the monitor you are looking to get- most these days have HDMI and DVI or Displayport (some have have all three, or even multiples). Then just get the right cables to connect- you can stay digital only pretty easily. KVMs are great when you need to bounce around between machines quickly, but for gaming and the like, you are pretty much working on each side pretty exclusively, so the monitor thing is usually good enough. And way back when, there was a Mitsubishi monitor that had dual USB inputs that switched along with the video inputs.

Too bad that never became a thing. With a good quality cable and not overly-high resolution, VGA is fine, but if you're not satisfying either of those, your picture can start being fuzzy, which you wouldn't have to worry about with a digital signal. You might start encountering issues as low as 1920 x 1080. With a decent/good quality cable, there shouldn't be any fuzziness unless the monitor simply doesn't handle analog vga well at high resolutions.

Keyboard Mouse And Monitor Switch

I've been using 2048x1536 for over 10 years now on high-end crt monitors using just plain vga cable and the analog signal without any issue. Just be sure your monitor is up to the task. Digitally, you can see artifacts and some serious weirdness if you're at high res and the signal gets corrupted. And way back when, there was a Mitsubishi monitor that had dual USB inputs that switched along with the video inputs. Too bad that never became a thing.Mitsubishi used to make some seriously beautiful high-end crt monitors. It was always them with their DiamondScan and Sony with the Trinitron that were always competing at the top. Those same monitors can display 1080p even today.

Too bad a lot of those 20' monitors ended up in the scrap heap-a dvd player with full bnc connectors would have been beautiful on those. I really wonder if they could have taken an analog 4k signal. I don't think my 20' Eizo can. I've been trying to find a Display Port/USB KVM that supports 2650x1440 and Macs for a while now. I took a chance on a SIIG model, but it failed within a few months of purchase. Can anyone recommend any display port switches operating at 2560x1600 or beyond?

I could see about sourcing an Amulet Hotkey K4U+, which I know work, but they cost somewhere north of 500 GBP IIRC Belkin have a business level at least on the US site. But for some unknown reason the input ports for mouse/keyboard are type B?

I must be missing something, that makes no sense to me, that's in the same ball park as the Amulet. All the 'secure' ones block keyboards with USB hubs, this isn't the end of the world, though it would be nice not to have that. I presume the SIIG one you tried was. No EDID locking in by the sounds of things. There's the Aten, perhaps Geffen?

Any other suggestions? Maybe wait for more 1.2 spec ones to come out?

Edit: Hmm, just realised both current devices have hdmi output capability, so just using would work for the windows PC, sadly according to the mac mini will only do 1080p or 1920 x 1200 via DVI-D adapter. I wonder if a displayport to hdmi adapter would work? Hmm At those prices I'll give it a go. I can handle the K and M being separate.

I'd get a dual input monitor and a cheap KVM for the input devices. I have a 30' Dell with plenty of inputs. It just has excrecable ergonomics for switching. It is likely that I will switch the Mac mini to a high spec windows PC next year, along with the existing silent nuc, and I find I do switch back and forth in the meantime a lot. I'm willing to pay for the convenience and simplicity, but not 500 quid.

Paying 30 for the video part while I'm windows/Mac and have different keyboards will do for now. Hopefully high end tech will have filtered down to the cheaper models a bit in a year. Assuming they are both connected to the same physical network, is there a reason you wouldn't just use a remote desktop/vnc type connection? I'm not sure I see what the potential weak link would be. Remoting into a Mac leads to pretty miserable visual quality (it's just VNC, which I was never impressed with). RDP is the way better remote desktop technology, but then you are dealing with visual and input latency when it comes to gaming. May not matter for the types for games you are playing, but if it's FPSers, it definitely will.

Simplest method: get a monitor that can handle dual inputs (almost any). One computer goes into each input. Get a BT keyboard that can switch between devices (there a re number of these-Kanex makes a full size one).

Then just get a pair of wireless mice in two different colors/styles- just swap the mouse, hit the button on the keyboard and change the monitor input. It's three steps, but will cost less than $100 for the keyboard and mice (it's hard to NOT get a multi input monitor nowadays). Or just get two different wireless keyboards and swap them with the mouse.

A KVM is certainly doable, but not necessarily any better. IMO, this is the best option available.

It's cheap, and just as effective and elegant as a KVM (with the exception of requiring two mice). The sad bit is no matter what money I'd spend there was no solution for what I wanted - a KVM for high res monitor + multiple USB devices. The good bit is I acheved the same by having a monitor with two inputs and all my USB devices plugged to an USB3.0 powered HUB.

That way: I have both (actually 3 in my case) computers plugged in to various inputs in the display (HDMI, DVI, DP). I then switch a single USB connection between these machines. I spent $0 on that solution - it's a bit cumbersome and sometimes I forget which device is current, but it's good enough for me. Now I might look at USB only KVM or something like that. Edit: Hmm, just realised both current devices have hdmi output capability, so just using would work for the windows PC, sadly according to the mac mini will only do 1080p or 1920 x 1200 via DVI-D adapter. I wonder if a displayport to hdmi adapter would work? Hmm At those prices I'll give it a go.

I can handle the K and M being separate. To follow up on this, the HDMI switching didn't work.

No idea why, it just plain wouldn't display either through it. Could be a duff switch, but I'm not inclined to spend more effort on it as the mac minis days are now firmly numbered. Oh, and the Logitech MX Master mouse switching mode is sufficient for my needs in the mouse department, so that helps (dongle to the NUC, bluetooth to the Mac).