USB-C card for desktop
Discussion
Having worked in IT for 25 years I feel I really should know this, but it's been a long while since I was hands-on at a PC level...
I have on my desk at home an Inspiron 3471 PC which has two monitors attached. I also have on the same desk a Dell USB-C docking station, which I occasionally use for my work laptop. Since it's USB-C and the PC doesn't have a USB-C port, I also have to keep two mice, two keyboards and dual-cables to the monitors. It all works OK, but it's a faff changing between laptop and PC, what with moving keyboards around and switching inputs on the monitors.
The PC has a couple of PCI-e sockets spare, so if I buy a USB-C expansion card for the PC, will I be able to plug the docking station into the PC the same as I do with the laptop, and so be able to remove some of the duplicated accessories and cables from the desk? Am genuinely unsure if this would work or not - I can imagine keyboard and mouse working as it'll act like a USB hub, but not sure if the screens would.
I was looking at this one which seems to be decent spec and half-height, so should fit in the low profile case:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-com-PCIe-USB-3-1...
I have on my desk at home an Inspiron 3471 PC which has two monitors attached. I also have on the same desk a Dell USB-C docking station, which I occasionally use for my work laptop. Since it's USB-C and the PC doesn't have a USB-C port, I also have to keep two mice, two keyboards and dual-cables to the monitors. It all works OK, but it's a faff changing between laptop and PC, what with moving keyboards around and switching inputs on the monitors.
The PC has a couple of PCI-e sockets spare, so if I buy a USB-C expansion card for the PC, will I be able to plug the docking station into the PC the same as I do with the laptop, and so be able to remove some of the duplicated accessories and cables from the desk? Am genuinely unsure if this would work or not - I can imagine keyboard and mouse working as it'll act like a USB hub, but not sure if the screens would.
I was looking at this one which seems to be decent spec and half-height, so should fit in the low profile case:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-com-PCIe-USB-3-1...
I'd look for a better value card, for instance:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inateck-PCIe-RedComets-Po...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inateck-PCIe-RedComets-Po...
Sporky said:
Why not a USB switch for the mouse and keyboard? Or a KVM switch for everything?
USB switch is a good shout, it would reduce it to just changing input on the screens.KVM would indeed be the ideal solution, but will be a challenge I think. Desktop machine has VGA and HDMI output, whereas the laptop (via the dock) has 2x DP cables. Which works OK with the screens both having multiple inputs, but looking around for KVMs they tend to be all one connector type.
I do have a third option, leave the laptop running and just RDP to it. That would give me the dual screens and just one keyboard/mouse, and no need for the dock either. Unfortunately my main use for it is to VPN in if Citrix is down for any reason, and with split-tunnelling disabled on the VPN software, that means RDP would drop as soon as I connected the VPN. So not really a solution.
Why can't you use a usb-c female to usb-a male adapters?
Dell docks used to come with these attached to the cable so you could use either.
With usb-a you can't charge, display support is limited and network may not work, but keyboard and mouse should still be ok, it certainly is on the older docks.
Dell docks used to come with these attached to the cable so you could use either.
With usb-a you can't charge, display support is limited and network may not work, but keyboard and mouse should still be ok, it certainly is on the older docks.
mikey_b said:
Having worked in IT for 25 years I feel I really should know this, but it's been a long while since I was hands-on at a PC level...
I have on my desk at home an Inspiron 3471 PC which has two monitors attached. I also have on the same desk a Dell USB-C docking station, which I occasionally use for my work laptop. Since it's USB-C and the PC doesn't have a USB-C port, I also have to keep two mice, two keyboards and dual-cables to the monitors. It all works OK, but it's a faff changing between laptop and PC, what with moving keyboards around and switching inputs on the monitors.
The PC has a couple of PCI-e sockets spare, so if I buy a USB-C expansion card for the PC, will I be able to plug the docking station into the PC the same as I do with the laptop, and so be able to remove some of the duplicated accessories and cables from the desk? Am genuinely unsure if this would work or not - I can imagine keyboard and mouse working as it'll act like a USB hub, but not sure if the screens would.
I was looking at this one which seems to be decent spec and half-height, so should fit in the low profile case:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-com-PCIe-USB-3-1...
It's probably not just USB-C, but Thunderbolt.I have on my desk at home an Inspiron 3471 PC which has two monitors attached. I also have on the same desk a Dell USB-C docking station, which I occasionally use for my work laptop. Since it's USB-C and the PC doesn't have a USB-C port, I also have to keep two mice, two keyboards and dual-cables to the monitors. It all works OK, but it's a faff changing between laptop and PC, what with moving keyboards around and switching inputs on the monitors.
The PC has a couple of PCI-e sockets spare, so if I buy a USB-C expansion card for the PC, will I be able to plug the docking station into the PC the same as I do with the laptop, and so be able to remove some of the duplicated accessories and cables from the desk? Am genuinely unsure if this would work or not - I can imagine keyboard and mouse working as it'll act like a USB hub, but not sure if the screens would.
I was looking at this one which seems to be decent spec and half-height, so should fit in the low profile case:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-com-PCIe-USB-3-1...
So you would typically need a GPU with a Thunderbolt interface
mikey_b said:
USB switch is a good shout, it would reduce it to just changing input on the screens.
KVM would indeed be the ideal solution, but will be a challenge I think. Desktop machine has VGA and HDMI output, whereas the laptop (via the dock) has 2x DP cables. Which works OK with the screens both having multiple inputs, but looking around for KVMs they tend to be all one connector type.
New graphics card in the desktop?KVM would indeed be the ideal solution, but will be a challenge I think. Desktop machine has VGA and HDMI output, whereas the laptop (via the dock) has 2x DP cables. Which works OK with the screens both having multiple inputs, but looking around for KVMs they tend to be all one connector type.
My desktop is 2x DP, laptop is 1x HDMI and 1x DP, so I switch inputs on the monitors, but have a USB switch for keyboard, mouse, and scanner.
CorradoTDI said:
Never thought of using a dock with a desktop!
I can't think why it wou;dn't work - is it the D6000 dock?
If so then install the displaylink drivers and try it via USB (with the inline adapter)
It's a WD-19. Not sure of the difference between them, but there doesn't seem to be a displaylink driver for it (which there is for the D6000).I can't think why it wou;dn't work - is it the D6000 dock?
If so then install the displaylink drivers and try it via USB (with the inline adapter)
mikey_b said:
CorradoTDI said:
Never thought of using a dock with a desktop!
I can't think why it wou;dn't work - is it the D6000 dock?
If so then install the displaylink drivers and try it via USB (with the inline adapter)
It's a WD-19. Not sure of the difference between them, but there doesn't seem to be a displaylink driver for it (which there is for the D6000).I can't think why it wou;dn't work - is it the D6000 dock?
If so then install the displaylink drivers and try it via USB (with the inline adapter)
I'd still give it a go tbh, it may depend on the desktop and if there is a dedicated graphics card etc for it to work with the screens but most screens have at least one other input too that could be used.
If you google WD19 with desktop there are a few people who have asked the same Q but I'd maybe just order a card and give it a go tbh...
WD-19 I think is thunderbolt, or semi thunderbolt as I think there were some different versions with different levels of compatibility.
I don't think they support displaylink mode, only display port over usb-c (or thunderbolt 4 which is the same or atleast compatible), so with a usb-a adapter there is no display support, this will likely be the same for any usb-c card that isn't a graphics card.
But if it is just for keyboard and mouse then I still think a simple usb adapter would be the way to go.
I don't think they support displaylink mode, only display port over usb-c (or thunderbolt 4 which is the same or atleast compatible), so with a usb-a adapter there is no display support, this will likely be the same for any usb-c card that isn't a graphics card.
But if it is just for keyboard and mouse then I still think a simple usb adapter would be the way to go.
mikey_b said:
Sporky said:
Why not a USB switch for the mouse and keyboard? Or a KVM switch for everything?
USB switch is a good shout, it would reduce it to just changing input on the screens.It's cheap and works well. Generally I leave the work laptop running 24x7 and when I switch on my own desktop it automatically switches to use that, then back to the laptop when I shut my desktop down again. There is a button to manually switch between the two. Unfortunately my monitor doesn't have auto-switching for the source so I still have to manually change that but that's first world problems really.
I have one of these because I wanted the remote switch.
https://www.startech.com/en-gb/cards-adapters/hbs3...
https://www.startech.com/en-gb/cards-adapters/hbs3...
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