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Thread ID: 115299 2011-01-12 02:21:00 Suggest ways of doing the following please DeSade (984) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1169037 2011-01-12 02:21:00 I game a lot but I also want other things available while I game.
Running the games in window mode is just not gonna happen so thats off the table.

I am thinking a good setup would be a KVM for the keyboard mouse and monitors and there comes the first problem.
I don't want to set up a whole new desktop for this process but I also do not know if a laptop will fill the bill.
The questions I have are


Do KVM switches support dual monitors?
Can you switch between the systems with a hotkey?
Could I use a laptop as the system?
Is it possible to keep a laptop running with the screen closed?
Can a laptop connect to dual DVI monitors?
Are there any issues with leaving a laptop mains powered and powered on for long periods?


What I would prefer is a lappy hooked into the KVM running as the 2nd system with the screen closed so I can hide it away easier.

I would like to hit the switch (or preferably a hotkey) and it flicks my keyboard, mouse and both monitors to the laptop.
DeSade (984)
1169038 2011-01-12 02:35:00 www.kvm-switches-online.com

Looks OK (all would be similar, whatever brand).
Laptop might get hot - about the only thing I can think of.
Why not just ALT TAB out of the game - it's what I do.
pctek (84)
1169039 2011-01-12 02:43:00 Not all games can be alt-tabbed.
I want a more permanant and universal solution.
DeSade (984)
1169040 2011-01-12 04:09:00 Well the KVM idea seems viable. pctek (84)
1169041 2011-01-12 04:44:00 Any answers for the other laptop questions? DeSade (984)
1169042 2011-01-12 04:54:00 Yes, you can have the laptop running with the screen closed.

Some KVMs do support key a combination to change between different machines.

I don't think there is a good way of really doing this. It will work with the KVM setup but again won't be perfect. Having 2 systems running all the time is a PITA and the cost to set up is also there. And you'll have 10m of KVM cables too :)

Have a play around with ultramon (www.realtimesoft.com), it might have some feature to enable this.
WarNox (8772)
1169043 2011-01-12 05:26:00 I have tried fixing the issue with software without success.
When your playing a game in full screen it locks in the mouse that is the main problem.

If I could release the mouse I could flick between my screens with no issue.
As long as that release included something to stop the full screen app (game) minimizing whenever anything else was clicked.
DeSade (984)
1169044 2011-01-12 10:22:00 Some games have 3rd party apps that'll lock the mouse to the screen. I play DotA (Warcraft III) and I use DotA Launcher. It uses the Scroll Lock to either lock or unlock the mouse to the window.

I also play LOTRO, windowed, but no need for locking in that game :)

What games are you playing?
Chilling_Silence (9)
1169045 2011-01-12 10:28:00 All games lock the mouse, you cannot scroll off the screen with the mouse when the game is running in full screen mode.

Ideally I want to be able to just move between full screen games and anything else without any hassle such as alt tabbing which closes/minimizes the game and that's not what I am looking for.
DeSade (984)
1169046 2011-01-12 11:30:00 force it to run in windowed mode?
If it's a steam game, use steam community?
8ftmetalhaed (14526)
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