Spent $40 on a USB switcher and my whole dual monitor setup actually works now

Bought one of those cheap USB 3.0 switchers on Amazon thinking it would just be okay for switching my keyboard and mouse between my work laptop and gaming PC. Figured I'd save money over a KVM. That thing was terrible. Constant disconnects, lag in my mouse cursor, and every time I switched it would take 15 seconds to recognize everything again. After two weeks of rage, I spent $90 on an actual proper KVM switch with dual HDMI ports. Night and day difference. Zero lag, instant switching, and I can use both monitors on either computer now. Has anyone else had bad luck with those cheap USB switchers or did I just get a dud?

2 comments

2 Comments

markm271mo ago

Ha! I actually had the exact opposite experience. Picked up a $25 USB switcher on a whim and it's been flawless for months, zero issues switching my mouse and keyboard between machines. Maybe you just got a dud or your gear draws too much power for those cheap ones to handle lol.

danielh811mo agoTop Commenter

Well markm27, sounds like you got the golden ticket and I got the dud ticket haha. I guess the cheap ones are just a total gamble. Maybe your keyboard and mouse don't pull as much power? Mine light up and have extra buttons so they probably drain those little switchers fast. But hey, if yours works that's awesome, you saved yourself a headache and some cash. I just wish I had that luck instead of wasting a week fighting with mine. Guess I'll stick to my old method of just unplugging cables manually, at least it's reliable.