Question KVM Switch versus Docking Station suggestion ?

[enrico.ribelli]

Hello everyone!
My current (new) setup is the following:
- (New) Macbook PRO M4 for work (IT stuff)
- Macbook PRO M2 for personal use
- Desktop PC for 3D animations and gaming
- 2 x LG UltraGear 27GP850P-B monitors

So far I had only 1 Macbook PRO . What I did so far was connecting 2 dongles to it, each one with its own HDMI exit and therefore each one going to a monitor. Moreover, to any of these 2 dongles I have connected a webcam (cause I keep my Macbook closed) and a receiver for my keyboard/mouse, all things that now I need for my 2nd Macbook.

Instead, the PC has its own mouse/keyboard receiver and its own displayport cables going to the 2 monitors.

So far, I was always thinking sooner or later to get a KVM switch to switch input source for my monitors between my PC and my first Macbook in a smoother way than everytime manually selecting the input source on both my monitors: when I say manually I mean going every time in the settings on the monitor, through the physical monitor button, and switching input source.
I didn't mind it too much but was not ideal either.
The problem now is that I got a new Macbook to connect to the whole system.

1) Biggest of the problems: I do not want new dongles, new keyboard/mouse receivers and new HDMI cables for my new Macbook, but I want to reuse those of my first Macbook. I won't be using both Macbook at the same time anyway. I believe for this problem a docking station would be enough? In this case, I think that if I want to switch from a Macbook to another I will just have to take the usb-c of the docking station and switch its connection from a macbook to another. Question: would I cause any problem in the long term if I keep disconnecting/reconnecting the docking station between the 2 Macbooks?

2) Smallest of the problems: It would still be handy to have a monitor switch between the docking station (being any of the 2 Macbooks) and the PC. If this entails buying a KVM Switch of 900 EUR to connect the 2 Macbooks and 1 PC, then no, I am not willing to go for it haha.

My budget is max 400 EUR. I am quite stuck in deciding what's the best way to proceed and looking forward to have some expert opinion
Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Lutfij]

I would look into a KVM switch and have everything hard wired to said KVM switch, then again you could just use a BlueTooth keyboard that has the option to pair with multiple devices like the MX series of devices from Logitech.

What docking station were you looking at anyway?

Moved thread from Components section to Computer Peripherals section.

 

[enrico.ribelli]

I would look into a KVM switch and have everything hard wired to said KVM switch, then again you could just use a BlueTooth keyboard that has the option to pair with multiple devices like the MX series of devices from Logitech.

What docking station were you looking at anyway?

Moved thread from Components section to Computer Peripherals section.

Thanks for your reply first of all !
I do have the MX keyboard and mouse. I use 2 different bluethoot USB receivers so far, one for the PC and one for the Macbook (eventually both Macbooks now). Reason for not using Bluethoot is that they gave me problem and periodically disconnect, so I opted for the receiver and since then both devices worked well.

Do you have any suggestion for a KVM ? Any brand I could look into?
Didn't look specifically into any docking station. Found many, but if you have any brand to suggest then I could look into it too. Would it be a problem what I mentioned before, being plugging and unplugging the docking station between the 2 Macbooks as needed?

 

[enrico.ribelli]

@Lutfij I made some more research and, correct me if wrong, but I don't believe I can find any KVM switch for my Macbooks and PC under 400 EUR.
If that's the case, I believe therefore it's just better to solve the biggest of the problems: unplugging continuously the 2 dongles from one Macbook to the other, or adding extra dongles/HDMI cables/MX keys and mouse receivers for my new Macbook.
After some research seems like Anker and CalDigit are the most mentioned ones around. What do you think about those? And do you think it's worth in my case waiting for the their TB 5 version to be available this late June or a previous version will be enough?