Sabrent Launches Thunderbolt 4 KVM Switch with 8Kp60 Support
by Anton Shilov on June 27, 2023 12:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Peripherals
- KVM
- Thunderbolt 4
- Sabrent
Sabrent has introduced one of the industry's first Thunderbolt 4 KVM switches, supporting displays up to 8K@60 Hz while also delivering 60W of power to host devices. The switch is aimed at creative professionals who want to use one monitor and set of input periphreals with two host computers.
The Sabrent Thunderbolt 4 KVM Switch is a compact aluminum candy bar that has three Thunderbolt 4-certified USB Type-C ports supporting data transfer rates of up to 40 Gbps and DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode, as well as four USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports featuring a 10 Gbps speed. Notably, the full speed downstream Thunderbolt ports allow the switch to be used with 8K displays running at a full 60Hz refresh rate, which requires virtually the entire bandwidth of a TB4 port.
Meanwhile, to make it easier to switch between PCs, the KVM switch comes with an external button that can be placed everywhere on the desk.
The Thunderbolt 4 KVM Switch from Sabrent supports USB Power Delivery 3.0, allowing it to supply up to 60W of power to Thunderbolt 4-connected host. In addition, its USB Type-A ports also support Battery Charging 3.2 support and can deliver up to 12W of power to any connected device. The device comes with an 120W external power supply, which is quite large.
Sabrent's Thunderbolt 4 KVM Switch is not cheap: it has an MSRP of $299.99 and is among the most expensive devices of this kind on the market. The unit can be bought either directly from the company, or ordered from Amazon.
Source: Sabrent
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DanNeely - Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - link
60W power delivery seems an odd choice. If the target market was desktops it's an unneeded expense; but the people using 8k displays with laptops are likely to be using higher end ones that would benefit from 100W charging.FreckledTrout - Wednesday, June 28, 2023 - link
I assume they only meant it to power laptops. I use a KVM between a desktop and laptop. This would save a little space and power my laptop without adding an additional power plug.DanNeely - Wednesday, July 5, 2023 - link
Using it with Laptops is my point. You're not going to use an 8k monitor on a low end laptop; and high end ones are going to be capable of, and under heavy use need, more than 60W charging.brianstokes - Tuesday, July 11, 2023 - link
I think they are targeting Apple users. Even the most tricked out MacBook Pro with the M2 Max doesn't consume more than 36W at full load. Would have been nice though. I am curious how they handle power delivery from say a thunderbolt monitor that can output more than 60W.Grapple - Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - link
Why are the downstream ports labeled “Thunderbolt 4 Ports” while the upstream ports are labeled “USB-C Ports”? Surely they must be Thunderbolt 4.erotomania - Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - link
USB-C is just that, USB-C. TB4 is on the other side. Uplink would definitely be thru one of the TB4 ports.erotomania - Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - link
or maybe, Sabrent's graphic is shite.Lucky Stripes 99 - Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - link
Being a DisplayPort KVM, I'd wait to see some real life reviews before spending this much money. I've found that DP KVMs tend to be less reliable than either DVI or HDMI models. Also, nowhere in the article or Sabrent's site does it mention if the TB-DP connection is emulated/persistent for the non-connected PC. The video on their site mentions that it takes a couple seconds for everything to come up, so I assume no. That can cause issues with desktop resizing, USB resource exhaustion, and shorter battery life for wireless keyboards and mice.sygreenblum - Tuesday, June 27, 2023 - link
I have a love hate relationship with KVM switches, particularly with a multi-monitor set-up. When they work, they're great but the problem is the multi-monitor support seems to have a very short life span and can be glitchy beyond belief. Currently, I just use a low cost Cable Matters switch minus the monitors and switch the monitors manually. $299 isn't a bad price for 8K, which I do use for my main monitor for plan reading and takeoffs. I've paid a lot more for a 4K switch before and have been disappointed every time. If this actually works, I might buy it.FreckledTrout - Wednesday, June 28, 2023 - link
I have a UDP2-12AP from back when it as early adopter and a lot cheaper. I did update the firmware on it and its been solid.