You can avoid the tangled web of cables, as well as switch between or among PCs through hotkeys or an app, rather than pressing a physical button (although some hardware KVMs offer hotkey-based switching, as well). The other end of that same cord breaks into two parts to plug into the PC: an HDMI for the PC's video-out, with an additional USB cord attached. If this kind of teleportation magic sounds like something your home setup needs, here’s a guide to finding the right KVM switch for you. For the least hassle, you'll want to choose a KVM that works natively with the video outputs of all connected PCs (assuming they all support one in common!

That means you can switch between computers with a keyboard and mouse, but a standard, inexpensive USB switch will not pass through a video signal. That might create some clutter in your work area, especially factoring in the two input cables per computer (HDMI, USB-B). The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag.Hide the switch box anywhere and use the push-button remote (attached by a 6-foot cable) to swap peripherals between the two connected computers. But you get what you pay for, and if these details don't bother you, it's a high-performing basic four-PC option that includes a wired remote. In addition to seeing the computer displaced on both monitors (in extended or duplicate display mode), you can pull up both computers at the same time—on different monitors.

PCMag is obsessed with culture and tech, offering smart, spirited coverage of the products and innovations that shape our connected lives and the digital trends that keep us talking.This model has audio- and microphone-specific input cabling, and it was the only KVM we tested that had them. This range is also backed by our industry leading warranty and has been designed and manufactured for excellent performance and reliability. Just push a button on the KVM switch, and you’ll instantly see the other computer on the same desktop monitor you were just using, and you can control it from the same set of input devices. The video playback showed no blurriness or lag, and the switch times were similar, differing only by half-seconds at the most.

You may also want to hook up a direct-connected printer, webcam, speakers, or external microphone (for all the streamers and podcasters out there). Plus, to switch between these arrangements, the TESmart allows you to use a keyboard shortcut to avoid needing to press a button or deal with a remote (although it comes with one, too. If you want to share an external hard drive between two computers for backing up or transferring data, a USB KVM switch can help with that too, though you'll often need to plug either the drive or the switch into a power source.

The Ablewe HDMI USB KVM switch, which shares a monitor and two USB peripherals, supports 4K display at 60Hz, 4K at 30HZ, 3D, and 1080p, as well as lower resolutions.