[SOLVED] KVM Switch / Docking Station Help

Nov 21, 2021
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Hi,
I am looking to once and for all clean up my desk of cables and streamline my workflow. I work from home, and I have a macbook pro for work (one of the new M1 ones), and a desktop pc for gaming that I built. I would like a setup where all of my peripherals (monitors, ethernet, keyboard, mouse, headset, webcam, etc) can be switched between the two systems seamlessly.

From what I can tell, the most confusing thing is the display support. I currently have a 2 X 1440p, 144Hz monitors. I know a lot of the usb-c 3.0 dongles are limited and can't support the higher refresh rate. So do I need thunderbolt? Or how can I connect them?

Ideally (though less important) the dock support passthrough charging for the macbook. I'd like to be able to detach the macbook for when I travel.

Can anyone give me specific advice? Or direct me to a company with a knowledgeable sales rep? Price isn't a huge concern, since I believe I can get my work to pay for it.
 
Solution
What you need is a DisplayLink supported dock. I have the same requirements as yourself, with the exception of the high refresh rates. You'll need to use the DisplayLink drivers, see: https://www.synaptics.com/products/displaylink-graphics/downloads
Synapsis is the owner of the DisplayLink technology.

In terms of docks available I recently stumbled across this website which shows a list of DisplayLink. docking stations that should work with an M1 machine.
This is where you can find the specific information about what else you want on your dock, such as passthrough power. These will all be connected through a simple USB-C cable that plugs into your M1 Mac.

In terms of the frequency, you'll need to look into the docks and...

Snorrealv

Honorable
Feb 5, 2015
12
0
10,510
What you need is a DisplayLink supported dock. I have the same requirements as yourself, with the exception of the high refresh rates. You'll need to use the DisplayLink drivers, see: https://www.synaptics.com/products/displaylink-graphics/downloads
Synapsis is the owner of the DisplayLink technology.

In terms of docks available I recently stumbled across this website which shows a list of DisplayLink. docking stations that should work with an M1 machine.
This is where you can find the specific information about what else you want on your dock, such as passthrough power. These will all be connected through a simple USB-C cable that plugs into your M1 Mac.

In terms of the frequency, you'll need to look into the docks and see what they support, rule of thumb is that if its gonna work with 2x 144hz, it has to be a dual 4k 60hz dock. If it does work with 144hz however, I dont know. You can look at the amazon Q&A and see, or even ask a question there yourself. I for one ran one 60hz 1080p and one 100hz 1440p on a dual 4k 60hz dock with no problems whatsoever.

(Note that the cables are also important, quick guide:
1.1080p content at 144Hz, you will need either a dual-link DVI, a DisplayPort, or an HDMI 1.3 or higher cable.
2. 1440p at 144Hz, you will need at least an HDMI 2.0 or a DisplayPort 1.2 cable. <- you, so two DP 1.2 cables would work fine, most docks come with two DP outputs
3.4K at 144Hz, you will need a HDMI 2.1 or a DisplayPort 1.4 cable which can carry 120Hz signal without compression.)

There is however one caveat to this entire ordeal, and I have the exact same problem as yourself, the dock using DisplayLink is in a way an external GPU, meaning it will run the monitors, and not the GPU on your gaming machine when you run games and really anything. This is how it works with the M1, seeing as the M1 only have one lane for communicating with graphics (one possible picture output from the CPU).

The solution?
I got no clue mate, I am waiting for my new monitor and my new dock, when that arrives I will be experimenting with it myself and figuring something out. One valid possibility would be to disable the monitors provided from the dock on the gaming computer, and running cables from the GPU to the monitors as well as from the dock, so that in reality your PC finds 4 monitors, but you disable the once that comes from DisplayLink, (perhaps by not installing the DisplayLink software on your gaming computer with will make it so that the peripherals work, but not the monitors?) I can update you as soon as I got everything tested myself, but as far as I know this is the only way.

Hope my somewhat inconclusive guide helped you either way.

Best,
S.
 
Solution