I don't think it's going to work the way you're describing.
You're thinking that there's two USB-C upstream ports that support DP alt mode? As in, two ports where you can plug in a single USB-C cable to your laptop and get video, audio, display and full KVM usage?
I think it's still one.
And for the second computer you'd need to connect via DP AND USB-C upstream.
I'd certainly be happy if you were right, however.
I guess I missed this comment. My current setup is 2 U2722DEs.
The U2722DE has the following for ports:
- HDMI
- DP In
- USB-C Video/Data (90W Charging)
- DP Out
- USB-C upstream
- 4 USB-A
- USB-C downstream
My criteria for considering this setup acceptable is that:
1. I have only one cable to the laptop total
2. My speakers plug into one of the monitors and not the laptop
3. All USB ports on each monitor are usable so I don't have to remember what works and what doesn't
In order to make this work, I had to do the following:
1. One cable from the laptop USB-C main power/data port to the video + data port on Monitor #1.
2. In order to get video on the second monitor, I had to run a DP cable from DP Out on Monitor #1, to DP In on Monitor #2. Using the USB-C ports for anything video related on Monitor #2 didn't work.
3. To get any USB functionality out of Monitor #2, I had to run a cable from any USB-A port on Monitor #1, to the "USB-C upstream" port on Monitor #2, which then activated all of those USB ports on that monitor.
4. To plug in the 3.5mm aux for my speakers, it had to go to Monitor #2, because the 3.5mm aux jacks on the U2722DE are "DisplayPort audio only". So the aux jack doesn't become active until the monitor it's on has something coming in via DisplayPort. Since Monitor #1 is only receiving a USB-C input from the laptop, that meant I had to go to Monitor #2.
The U2725QE should have basically the same ports as the U2724DE, which is the latest QHD 27" monitor available for purchase today. That monitor has:
- HDMI
- DP In
- DP Out
- TB4 Downstream (USB-C)
- TB4 Upstream (USB-C) (90W charging)
- USB-C upstream
- 4 USB-A
- USB-C downstream
I am pretty certain that now with the TB4 upstream and downstream ports, I can do it like the following:
- USB-C cable from Laptop Port to Monitor #1 TB4 upstream (charging port)
- USB-C cable from Monitor #1 TB4 downstream to Monitor #2 TB4 upstream
- All audio and USB function properly
I know for sure that based on the daisy chain diagrams in the U2724DE user guide, I will be able to hook it up like mentioned above to get video across everything. However, I'm not sure if the audio jack will work in either monitor with this setup or not. I am hopeful with the USB-C port now being called TB4, that maybe, just maybe, audio will now work at the 3.5mm jack without doing anything special. Otherwise, yes, I will need to run the extra DP cable to power up the audio jack.
With these new ports being called TB4, I am hopeful they will be a bit faster than my current monitor ports as well. The speed can be quite hit or miss. Nothing like USB 2.0 slow, but definitely a bit slower than I expect, and the second monitor seems slower than the 1st. Hopefully some things improve, but we will see. Still waiting on them to release.
