Mac & PC Sharing Monitors

steelbiker · Aug 12, 2014

Hey Guys,

OK, call me crazy, but I wanna try something. As we all know desk real estate is sometimes at a premium. I have multiple projects on the go, and some fun too...So I'm hoping y'all can come up a great idea.

The idea, is to run a pc for gaming, (and I don't run anything really demanding / WoW/ESO/Diablo3, and my regular stuff.

The PC is build as follows
i5 - 2500
16GB RAM (2x - 1600), (2x - 1333)
250GB EVO SSD
1 TB Black HDD (7200)
ATI 6870 1TB GDDR3/5 (i can't remember), - NEEDS upgrading (already know that).

FOr a monitors I'm using 2253 BW Samsung. (its 5 years old, and still running strong).

Now comes in the other part of the equation.

I'm gonna go mac for my music production. So I get 1 HDMI port, 2 thunderbolt ports, and 2 USB 3.0 ports. 1 of those thunderbolts is necessary for ethernet, save I use wifi, instead, to free up the port.

now here comes the tricky part. I want the pc and mac to display on the same set of dual monitors. With a flick or switch of a button, go from the mac system to the pc systme. seamlessly.

I talked to the guy @ apple, who said I would daisy chain the monitors together. Which is great, but most monitors only have 1 DVI input. when I think diasy chain, they all go on the same cable, just with different attachement points.

Maybe I need a switch box between the 2.

2 Computers, 2 monitors, in case your wondering why 2 monitors, it increases productivity by some 40% in users. (so i heard).

What's your thoughts,

Lastly: since my current monitor is working great, but dated, will i notice an illumination difference, between it and a 2nd monitors, would i be better to get 2 brand new monitors.

Best Wishes...and thanks

Byte70 · Aug 12, 2014

You can dual boot on two monitors using virtual machines, but not using actual boots like bootcamp or something.

k1114 · Aug 12, 2014

Some monitors will work with 2 cables in and you just switch which input on the monitor. Else you can just get a switch. Not tricky at all. Google kvm switch or monitor switch. Only dp supports daisy chaining and it's not necessary. The fact that it's pc and mac makes no difference, it would be the same with pc and pc or mac and mac.

Monitor tech hasn't really changed much. It's not about how old a monitor is that's the issue, it's about how good it is. Even more 7 yr old lcd has similar if not better color reproduction than today's higher end tn monitors. The contrast isn't as good compared to led but it's nothing to worry about.

steelbiker · Oct 4, 2014

OK, let me go a bit further, (sorry) for delay in response.

Lets say I have DVI-D (A for PC) and DVI D (B for Mac), I have 2 x DVI D's. If I put them into a switch. That accepts 2 computer inputs for DVI D. BUT ONE DVI out, can I use a cable split for that DVI-D out to 2 monitors. OR does it have to in the switch itself for 2 monitors. So 2 in and 2 out.

is my thinking way off?

k1114 · Oct 4, 2014

1 dvi out means there is only 1 signal going out. If you put a splitter on that, it just duplicates that signal, ie both monitors show the same image. So you want 4 in (2 from each computer) and 2 out.

hunter315 · Oct 4, 2014

You would need to have 2 switches like that, the first would take a DVI from the PC and a DVI from the Mac and output a DVI to screen 1, the second would take another video input from the PC and another video input from the Mac and output it to screen 2.

You cannot simply 'split' a video signal to feed two separate monitors, it will just leave both showing the same image, you will need two cables coming out of each computer to feed two monitors.

k1114 · Oct 4, 2014

I don't see how you can't just have 1 switch. They exist and seem to be cheaper than getting 2.

hunter315 · Oct 4, 2014

You could, but multiport switches start getting expensive and elaborate, really all I usually want out of a KVM switch is 2 USB and 2 video but you always end up with far more than that. You can pick up some 2x1 HDMI switches from monoprice for ~$16 but a 4x2 HDMI matrix will run you 4 times as much.

My suggestion was much more due to me being cheap/lazy than the tech not existing.

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