Why is it so hard to find a good DP KVM switch?


Recommended Posts

I have the Samsung CRG9 and I operate it with 5120x1440 at 100Hz w/ 10bit color
 
Now I have a GEEKOM Mini PC I am reviewing with onboard Iris Xe graphics and I found this KVM switch (cost me €65 at a local reseller) after looking around for a few days, I got it because of the claims of high resolution switching and it really does work. I can get up to 120Hz no problem with the KVM in between my PC and the monitor, but for some reason when switching between devices the KVM switch will enable HDR on the monitor in such a way that it can't be toggled off in Windows 10 on my main PC (with NVIDIA RTX 2070 SUPER). It does not toggle HDR on the Mini PC with Iris Xe graphics (resolution is set to 5120x1440 at 100Hz).
 
A lot of messing around finally gets it off, but this also results in the picture being set to 5120x1440 @ 60Hz w/ HDR I can't see anywhere in the OSD of the monitor to disable HDR either.
So basically the KVM does what I want but it has quirks with switching.
 
I found this one too, which is the TESmart PKS0201A10 but that has even lower screen resolution switching, it doesn't even list the 5120x1440 refresh rate, it says Not Applicable, but it does have EDID emulation, which is what I am after, to emulate the screen being constantly being connected for faster switching, but also to avoid the picture resetting.
Anyway for whoever got through all this, I hope someone can help me. How come that cheap AliExpress KVM can do full 5120x1440 at 120Hz but the more expensive ones with EDID have lower refresh rate support?
 
BTW what I have always found odd is that although I have set the screen to 5120x1440 at 100Hz with 10 bit color, the OSD shows it at 120Hz:
 
image.jpeg
Always showed it at 120Hz
 
image.png
Windows has it set at 100Hz
  • Like 1

Because KVMs aren't really considered a consumer peripheral, you'll find more of them being used in the server\enterprise space. DP isn't really a thing on that side (know of any servers with DP?)... Probably why you can find plenty of ones with VGA?

Sure, there's consumer KVMs, but err yeah, they leave much to be desired.

IP KVMs ++

  On 24/11/2022 at 12:42, Matthew S. said:

How is that monitor? (sorry dragging off topic but in the market for a new monitor)

Expand  

It's bloody great, it is basically two 2K screens side by side as one (2560x1440 x2) https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/monitors/gaming/49-crg9-dual-qhd-curved-qled-gaming-monitor-lc49rg90ssnxza/

The colors are really great, but Samsung have always had great display panels. The QLED part is a bit misleading, as that is just the backlighting and local dimming. You won't get true blacks like a proper OLED TV. 

I would never go back to dual displays, it took a while to get used to but now I couldn't be happier with it. I paid €1,150 for mine in Nov 2019 but the same store I bought it at has it now for €200 more, in the U.S. it is far cheaper at $850. It also supports G-Sync, but not through NVIDIA's officially tested displays, although it can still be enabled and works great.

  On 24/11/2022 at 14:25, Steven P. said:

It's bloody great, it is basically two 2K screens side by side as one (2560x1440 x2) https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/monitors/gaming/49-crg9-dual-qhd-curved-qled-gaming-monitor-lc49rg90ssnxza/

The colors are really great, but Samsung have always had great display panels. The QLED part is a bit misleading, as that is just the backlighting and local dimming. You won't get true blacks like a proper OLED TV. 

I would never go back to dual displays, it took a while to get used to but now I couldn't be happier with it. I paid €1,150 for mine in Nov 2019 but the same store I bought it at has it now for €200 more, in the U.S. it is far cheaper at $850. It also supports G-Sync, but not through NVIDIA's officially tested displays, although it can still be enabled and works great.

Expand  

I use AMD cards anyways soo looking at freesync.  Does it support multiple sources?  (I think my Vega 56 is only DP 1.2)

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Posts

    • This DDR5-6400 CL36 32GB RGB RAM that supports both AMD and Intel is only $72 by Sayan Sen Recently, we covered several SSD deals, both internal and external. These include the Crucial X9 Pro and X10 Pro, the P310 2280, and the Samsung 990 EVO Plus. Meanwhile if you are looking for RAM to upgrade your desktop PC or build a new one, the PNY XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X RGB DDR5-6400 Kit can be your go-to choice as it is currently just $72 (purchase link down below). In terms of specs, this dual-RAM kit delivers 32GB of total DDR5 capacity (each module is 16GB) running at 3200 Hz to deliver 6400 MT/s (PC5-51200) at 1.4 volts. Pre-programmed Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO memory overclocking preset profiles mean you can fire up the kit to its rated speed with a simple BIOS tweak, rather than having to deal with manual timing adjustments. The CAS latency for this DDR5-6400 kit is 36, which is quite tight for a preset profile. Thermal performance is said to be stellar thanks to the aluminum heat spreader, which should help dissipate heat during extended gaming sessions. Additionally, the heat spreader is also said to feature an "embossed pennant design that enhances the overall look and complements the lighting of other components." Speaking of lighting, the included EPIC-X RGB model features ARGB LEDs diffused through a geometric polymer light pipe and allows syncing via Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light, or ASRock Polychrome Sync software. Get the PNY RAM at the link below: PNY XLR8 Gaming Epic-X RGB™ 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 RAM 6400 CL36-48-48-104 Desktop Memory Kit (MD32GK2D5640036XRGB): $72.24 (Sold and Shipped by Amazon US) (MSRP: $109.99) This Amazon deal is US-specific and not available in other regions unless specified. If you don't like it or want to look at more options, check out the Amazon US deals page here. Get Prime (SNAP), Prime Video, Audible Plus or Kindle / Music Unlimited. Free for 30 days. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Vivaldi 7.5 is out with colorful tab stacks, improved tab menu, and more by Taras Buria Vivaldi Technologies has released a new feature update for the Vivaldi browser. Version 7.5 is now available with some much-requested features by the community, privacy improvements, bug fixes, and other changes. The release is not the biggest one, but it still packs useful changes, such as colorful tab stacks, a reworked tab context menu, and multiple improvements under the hood: Vivaldi now supports colorful Tab Stacks. This feature groups related tabs and helps you keep everything well-organized. Now, besides giving your stacks names, you can assign colors, which makes it easier to find the stack you need. Developers also added a new dialog: right-click a stack, click "Edit Stack," and give it a new name or choose a color. The browser also received a cleaner and better-organized tab context menu. Vivaldi says the new version is more intuitive and easier to use. Another important change is the ability to define a custom DNS provider with support for DNS over HTTPS. Finally, here are some of the under-the-hood improvements in Vivaldi 7.5: Address Bar: Fixed focus weirdness, suggestion hiccups, and dropdown quirks Ad Blocker: Now supports badfilter, strict3p, and strict1p rules Bookmarks & Notes: Better drag-and-drop, with clearer visual feedback Mail & Calendar: Smarter threading, invite handling, and polish throughout Dashboard & Widgets: Layout tweaks, transparency improvements, drag-and-drop goodness Quick Commands: Now shows synced tabs and handles errors more gracefully Settings: UI improvements across the board, from DNS input to workspace rules visibility You can find the complete changelog for Vivaldi 7.5 in a blog post on the official website. If you want to try this highly customizable browser, download it using this link.
    • "While users may say they do not want their data used for personalized ads, Meta believes that without personalization, user experience declines with an almost 800% rise in ads being marked as “irrelevant” or “repetitive”. The ads might be more irrelevant, but it's not like people crave ads in the first place. My user experience with ads isn't better with personalization, because I don't want them there to begin with. So I might as well have non-personalized ads if I am gonna have ads, because then I at least get tracked less, and that makes it a better user experience for me.
    • The fact that they didn't offer a non-personalized ad-supported option, when they were mandated by law, was the final nail in the coffin in my case.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      BeeJay_Balu earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      filminutz earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Reacting Well
      SteveJaye earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • One Month Later
      MadMung0 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      Uranus_enjoyer earned a badge
      One Month Later
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      446
    2. 2
      ATLien_0
      161
    3. 3
      +FloatingFatMan
      147
    4. 4
      Nick H.
      65
    5. 5
      +thexfile
      62
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!