Question Thunderbolt 4 and USB-c (4). Are they still different?

[Mike K and emperor zod]

It's my first question, so be gentle if I picked the wrong subtopic. I would like someone to explain why the following product is $100 USD more valuable than a decent ub/kvm.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NQPVZF3

I admit I'm not current with my buyer's specs, but isnt this a product in search of a problem? What I am looking for is something to wrangle the new monitors I got this holiday and the ever-increasing devices on my desk. Right now those include watch, phone, 2TB external ssd and whatever the family shoves at me for "support".

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums and a Happy New Year, newcomer!

Perhaps if you could elaborate on what you'd like to tether to a possible hub(purchase) in order for us to see what other options are at your disposal...?

I would like someone to explain why the following product is $100 USD more valuable than a decent ub/kvm.
Might want to include a link to the USB(?)/KVM you're trying to compare the hub to.

Often times some listings on Amazon are higher when compared to an exact same thing but from another seller. If the product is unique and you can't seem to find other sellers with the same hub, then chances are the price is marked up due to exclusivity. There's the last point, which would be that the device's internal componentry is of higher quality.

You posted this thread in the Displays section, are you looking to tether two system's to your monitors or are you looking a hub/dock for your devices?

Thunderbolt 4 and USB-c (4). Are they still different?
Read here.

 

[jojesa]

It's my first question, so be gentle if I picked the wrong subtopic. I would like someone to explain why the following product is $100 USD more valuable than a decent ub/kvm.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NQPVZF3

I admit I'm not current with my buyer's specs, but isnt this a product in search of a problem? What I am looking for is something to wrangle the new monitors I got this holiday and the ever-increasing devices on my desk. Right now those include watch, phone, 2TB external ssd and whatever the family shoves at me for "support".

I don't blame you since USB and its so many revisions can be quite confusing and USB 4 is very similar to Thunderbolt 4.
That device supports both, USB4 and Thunderbolt 4..
If you elaborate a bit more about the devices you are connecting and what you are trying to accomplish we might be able to provide a more helpful answer.

 

[Mike K and emperor zod]

Ok, thanks for the gentle intro. I want to connect two external LG monitors to my HP laptop, and be able to swap my work-suppled lenovo as need (currently I use an unpowered 2-port kvm -- all usbA and HDMI). I also seem to be getting more devices on my desktop - an assortment of apple stuff (watch, ipads, air phones, etc.). This the "new normal" home customer workset, i believe. I can buy whatever connection doohickey I need, but I find I keep buying them and I have too many now. It's easy to get slotA into slotB solutions, but what a really want is a plug-n-play device which will accept and power all my stuff and connect them together in easy ways. I thought that USB-c was the promised land, but Apple is slow, and I don't have time to figure out the coming new-best-standard. So -- I'm asking -- 3 years from now, what kinds of cords/hubs/swtiches/adapters will still be useful, and do you have specific recommedations?

 

[jojesa]

Ok, thanks for the gentle intro. I want to connect two external LG monitors to my HP laptop,

Could you list the laptop and monitor models?

 

[Mike K and emperor zod]

Laptop - hp pavilion 14-dv0; monitors are a (new) LG 34WQ73A-B and an (older) LG IPS 32-ish office ratio with IPS but no usb-c connectivity.

 

[jojesa]

Laptop - hp pavilion 14-dv0; monitors are a (new) LG 34WQ73A-B and an (older) LG IPS 32-ish office ratio with IPS but no usb-c connectivity.

According to the specs, the HP Pavilion 14-dvo USB-C port does not support an external monitor over USB-C port.
That USB-C port is for data transfer only and can transfer at most 10GB/s

No all laptops or devices with USB-C ports support video transmission.
If your laptop does not support USB- C to HDMI or USB C to DP (DisplayPort), a hub won't magically add the video transmission feature.
There are usually small symbols next to the laptop's USB-C port that indicates whether it supports video transmission or not...or it could be found on your device manual.

The only way you might be able to use those two monitors on that laptop is by connecting one monitor to the HDMI port and another via a USB-A to HDMI adapter (like this one).
You might not be able able to run them at full resolution.

 

[Mike K and emperor zod]

I've got the 14-dv0 running the new LG with USB-c, and the old LG by HDMI. I've got a couple of external ssd drives I want to connect, and ideally switch the montor setup to my work laptop. I guess my real question boils down to using a USB-C "hub" to get those internals in the mix. I can physically swap out the laptops as needed.

Still wondering about this product. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NQPVZF3

 

[jojesa]

I've got the 14-dv0 running the new LG with USB-c, and the old LG by HDMI. I've got a couple of external ssd drives I want to connect, and ideally switch the montor setup to my work laptop. I guess my real question boils down to using a USB-C "hub" to get those internals in the mix. I can physically swap out the laptops as needed.

Still wondering about this product. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NQPVZF3

Are you sure the laptop model # is 14-dv0...or are you missing some numbers?
If both laptops support USB-C DP alternate mode, then you will be able to use the hub to connect both monitors and also plug other USB SSD devices.

 

[jasonf2]

Your laptop p/n was incomplete. But based on what I could see on the HP site I don't see any thunderbolt support anyways so that device isn't going to be fully supported. I know the whole thing is pretty confusing but let me see if I can clarify. Thunderbolt and USB are different busses. Both busses are similar in the fact that by spec the latest versions of each other both use the USB-c connector and are able to share the same port, but just because you have a USB-c port doesn't mean that it is thunderbolt 3 compliant, and from what I can see yours' aren't. From what I can see your computer is advertising a 10 gbps USB which is probably a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port. So any dock you are looking at would need to match, but not exceed that spec.

Now back to the original question: What is the difference between a dock and a KVM. A KVM is designed to connect multiple computers to a single keyboard, video output and mouse. A dock is designed to single cable connect a laptop to stationary workstation hardware. This typically includes power, monitors, keyboard, mouse, network connection, and whatever other usb peripherals you have. So they are pretty different devices. A KVM is just a switch that changes between computers inputs while a modern dock is more of a usb or thunderbolt hub with a bunch of other integrated busses included. With a KVM I typically care less, but with a dock I will usually get one from the OEM that is specifically listed as compatible with the laptop. You pay a little more, but they usually are pretty seamless to plug in and work. With the diversity of USB spec in the wild you must pay attention to every detail, especially cables, to make sure that aftermarket stuff is going to work.

 

[Mike K and emperor zod]

Laptop is Pavillion 14-dv0097nr

 

[jasonf2]

Laptop is Pavillion 14-dv0097nr

It looks like the same thing. I would definitely look at the HP universal usb-c multiport hub or the HP universal USB-C Multiport Hub for business, if you are looking for a dock. Both are listed as available workspace accessories for your laptop and you can get multi monitor support that way.

 

[jojesa]

Laptop is Pavillion 14-dv0097nr

The USB Type-C on the Pavilion 14-dv0097nr supports DisplayPort 1.4 (DP), Power Delivery (PD) and data transfer.
The hub supports 4x times the bandwidth of your laptop's USB port and also Thunderbolt which is not supported on your laptop.
That hub would work just fine since it s backward compatible with previous USB versions.
Also if you plan to upgrade or use another system that supports Thunderbolt 4 or higher and bandwidth you won't need to upgrade the hub.

You might need a powered hub if you are connecting too many USB devices at once.

The HP Universal USB-C Multiport Hub is a good option, but it does not support monitors over USB-C port.