StarTech SV431DPUA2 4-Port DisplayPort KVM Switch with 4K 60Hz and USB Hub

Overview

The StarTech SV431DPUA2 is a four-port, single-monitor KVM switch built for workstations and control-room environments where you need to drive one DisplayPort display from up to four systems without juggling cables or accepting any resolution compromise. It tops out at 3840x2160 at 60Hz — full 4K at full refresh — so productivity monitors, engineering displays, and video walls driven by a single screen all render at native resolution. If your team is consolidating desk space or managing multiple servers from one operator position, this is the hardware that removes the cable tangle without removing capability.

The steel housing keeps it rack-adjacent or desktop-stable, and both hotkey sequences and a front-panel push button give operators flexible switching without reaching for a mouse. At 2.3 lb and 8.7 x 5.2 x 1.8 inches, it sits flat on a desktop or tucks behind a monitor stand without dominating the workspace.

Key Features

• 4K DisplayPort at 60Hz (3840x2160): Passes the full 4K signal at 60Hz — not the 30Hz compromise you get from some budget switches. On a 4K monitor running charting software, engineering CAD, or security console layouts, 60Hz eliminates the frame-rate lag that makes cursor tracking feel sluggish. No downscaling, no interpolation.
• Four KVM Ports: Connect up to four separate computers — desktops, workstations, or servers — and share a single display, keyboard, and mouse across all four. In a control-room environment with dedicated processing nodes, this replaces four monitor/keyboard setups with one, reducing both hardware cost and operator cognitive load.
• Dual USB 2.0 Hub Ports at 480 Mbps: The integrated USB hub delivers two ports at full USB 2.0 speed (480 Mbps). Plug in a keyboard and mouse once — they follow the active source automatically. The 480 Mbps throughput handles HID devices without bottleneck; this is not a charging hub, but it is a clean peripheral consolidation point.
• Dual Analog Audio Ports: Two analog audio connections (one per channel pair) let you maintain headset or speaker audio tied to the active computer. Audio follows the KVM switch, so you don't need a separate audio selector when moving between workstations — useful in any environment where operators monitor audio feeds alongside video.
• Hotkey and Push-Button Port Selection: Operators can switch sources via front-panel button or keyboard hotkey sequences — both methods work without any software driver on the host. That matters in locked-down IT environments where installing switching software on production servers is not an option.
• Wide-Voltage AC Input (100–240V): The universal AC input handles any standard outlet from North America to Europe and Asia. The included power supply outputs 12V DC at 1.5A, drawing a maximum of 18W at the wall — low enough that a standard UPS or PDU circuit handles it without power-budget math.
• Steel Housing: A steel enclosure rather than plastic means this unit survives the bumps of an active server room or NOC without cracking or flex-racking the ports. It also provides better EMI containment than ABS — relevant when running near RF-sensitive equipment.
• Operating Temperature 0°C to 40°C: Rated for standard indoor ambient conditions. This is a desktop/rack-adjacent unit, not a hardened industrial device — deploy it in climate-controlled server rooms, NOCs, or office environments.

Integration and Compatibility

The SV431DPUA2 connects to any host with a native DisplayPort output — discrete graphics cards, workstation-class integrated graphics, and server management cards that expose DisplayPort all work directly. Hosts requiring HDMI or DVI will need an active adapter before the KVM port; passive adapters are unreliable at 4K60. The USB ports enumerate as standard HID on all modern operating systems, so no driver installation is needed for keyboard and mouse. The switch operates transparently to the host OS — each connected computer sees a persistent USB HID device regardless of which source is currently active, which prevents login-screen HID timeouts on idle machines. For multi-operator deployments or larger source counts, evaluate multi-port KVM options in the StarTech line before specifying this unit — the SV431DPUA2 is optimized for single-operator, single-display, four-source topologies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the SV431DPUA2 support 4K resolution at 60Hz?

A: Yes. The SV431DPUA2 supports a maximum digital resolution of 3840x2160 at 60Hz over DisplayPort — not the 30Hz ceiling common on lower-spec switches.

Q: How many computers can I connect to the SV431DPUA2?

A: Four. The SV431DPUA2 has four KVM ports, each accepting one computer via DisplayPort plus USB. All four share one monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

Q: Does switching between sources require software installed on the host computers?

A: No. Port selection works via front-panel push button or keyboard hotkey sequences with no host-side driver or software required. The USB peripherals enumerate as standard HID devices on all modern operating systems.

Q: What is the warranty on the SV431DPUA2?

A: The SV431DPUA2 carries a 3-year manufacturer warranty.

Q: Can the SV431DPUA2 connect to computers with HDMI or DVI outputs?

A: Not natively. The switch uses DisplayPort connections on all four KVM ports. Computers with HDMI or DVI outputs require an active adapter — passive adapters are unreliable at 4K60 resolutions.

Q: Does the SV431DPUA2 support audio switching?

A: Yes. The unit includes two analog audio ports so headset or speaker audio follows the active KVM source, eliminating the need for a separate audio selector.

Marty Allison

The spec I always lead with on the SV431DPUA2 is the 3840x2160 at 60Hz ceiling — because that is where a lot of four-port switches quietly disappoint. Some units advertise 4K but deliver it at 30Hz, which is tolerable for static dashboards but genuinely uncomfortable for anyone actively moving a cursor or scrolling code across a large panel. At 60Hz you get the fluid motion that makes a shared monitor feel like a dedicated one, which matters when the operator is switching between a security console, a server management interface, an engineering application, and a communication platform across those four ports.

Technical Highlights:

• 4K 60Hz DisplayPort: 3840x2160 at 60Hz is passed without downscaling — critical for 4K monitors running multi-pane console layouts where resolution loss shows immediately.
• Dual USB 2.0 Hub at 480 Mbps: Keyboard and mouse enumerate persistently on each connected host — the inactive hosts do not lose HID device registration, which prevents authentication lockouts on idle machines in secured environments.
• 18W max power draw: Running off a 12V DC / 1.5A supply with a 100–240V universal input, this unit fits cleanly on any UPS-backed PDU circuit without dedicated power planning.

Deployment Considerations:

• All four KVM ports are native DisplayPort — budget for active HDMI-to-DP or DVI-to-DP adapters if any of your connected hosts lack a discrete DisplayPort output; passive adapters will not reliably pass 4K60.
• Operating temperature is rated to 40°C maximum — this is a desktop/NOC unit, not suited for unconditioned equipment closets that spike above that in summer months.

The SV431DPUA2 is the right fit for a single-operator NOC or security operations center console where four discrete processing nodes — each running a different application stack — need to share one high-resolution display without any signal quality compromise. It is not the right tool if you need multi-monitor output, more than four sources, or USB 3.0 peripheral throughput.