3 Dell U3223QE Monitor 31.5" 4K - shared between Windows 11 and Mac Studio Pro with 1 keyboard and mouse

[macuserdimi]

Hi,

I am looking for the best way to connect the 3 Dell monitors to my Windows 11 and Mac Studio Pro M2 using one keyboard and mouse.

If i understood correctly i can use the Dell daisy chain:

How to Daisy Chain Monitors for a Multi-Display Setup | Dell US

I can use one rear thunderbolt port with the proper thunderbolt cable to monitor 1 and then chain the other two monitors using the usb ports.

Having also the keyboard and mouse (i use usb cables for both) i can just switch from usb c (mac) to display port (windows) and all will work as the monitor supports auto KVM.

The issue: I think that using them that way i will need to use 1920 x 1080

Is a better solution to use 3 Display port cables (windows) and 3 thunderbolt cables (mac) and use an external kvm?

If yes which one do you recommend me please?

I am looking to use the monitors as extensions and not mirrored.

Is there any other way?

Thanks in advance !

 

[iStorm]

You won't be able to daisy chain these on the Mac for a couple reasons:

1. They are not Thunderbolt displays.
2. MacOS does not support MST.

Daisy chaining will work on most Windows PCs, but you would be limited to 1080p for three monitors though.

I'm not sure if what you're wanting to do can be done with a simple set up.

One option that comes to mind is to get a Thunderbolt dock/hub (assuming your PC also has a Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 port). Something like CalDigit's TS3+, TS4, or Element Hub.

Two monitors would plug into the dock. The third monitor would be connected directly to your Mac and PC. The third monitor could potentially act as the KVM, but you would still need to physically disconnect/reconnect the dock between the two computers to drive the other two displays as needed.

Otherwise, you would need to get an external triple monitor KVM. You'd need to figure out how to connect your computers to the KVM, and may need a couple docks/hubs (one for each computer) to expand the ports into what you need depending on the KVM's input types.