StarTech USB 3.0 to 4K DisplayPort External Multi Monitor Video Graphics Adapter - USB 3.0 Video Card - Ultra HD 4K (USB32DP4K)

After reading all the mixed reviews, I was a little hesitant to buy it but am so glad I did. I have a 8 year old Dell XPS8400 with an intel I7 processor, a very nice rig in its day but stuck with PCI-@ 2 video cards. I hated to buy a new computer as this one is still perfectly good and super fast with an added SSD. But I needed to drive both a 30" dell 3400 X 2400 monitor and a new 4K monitor. No way the old video card was up to it, limited to 1900x 1200 dpi on the 4K monitor. So this was the only real choice it seems. Downloaded the drivers, installed with no issues and plugged in the 4K monitor and instant success. It is a flawless picture and even does HD videos pretty darn well, better than expected. The mouse is a bit laggy so have to move it more deliberately but nothing terrible. I did a before and after processor load test and on a dedicated USB3.0 plug, it definitely pulls about 10-15% more load then before; spiking up to about 35% with full video. But hardly overloading it unless you may be running several CPU programs at once. For just internet use it is perfect. But if you use it on a I3 or similar lower power processor, I can see how it may bog down more. On a well running I5 or I7 computer with minimal multiprocessing, it works like a champ. I can guess that reviewer having stuttering and other issues may be overloading the processor, which would definitely cause lots of issues. The adapter gets warm to the touch, so keeping it in a well ventilated area will certainly extend the life. Overall I am quite pleased with it and a good compromise until I have to upgrade my whole system.

OLD review: Pretty much unusable with a 2012 Mac Mini running OS X 10.8.5 and Seiki 40 inch 4k display. It manages to display at 4k, but often flickers or drops out for seconds at a time.REVISED review (2015.2.25):Still may be early to tell, but I've revised my rating to five stars since it looks stable after utilizing a different hdmi cable. I originally used the cable which came with the Seiki, but after switching to another cable I had on hand which is 4k rated with chokes at both ends, it works!Pros: it just worked. No OS X patch necessary, no SwitchX, etc.. Again, this is with OS X 10.8.5, which came with the Mini and is the latest pre-Mavericks OS X release.Cons: Firefox is unusable [revised again, see below]; its pages do not refresh, I have to move the whole app window in order to refresh the page in view after scrolling or clicking a link. I'm not going to take off a full star for that, as Safari, Xcode and other apps appear to work fine. I may have to revise this review down if other apps don't work properly, but for now it's five stars.As far as I know, these cons only apply to OS X 10.8.5 with DisplayLink firmware version 2.3. The product release notes claim that earlier OS X versions (10.6 and .7) are not supported at all and that later OS X versions (Mavericks, Yosemite) have limitations (e.g., "[they do] not correctly support virtual frame buffers").REVISED review (2015.10.15):Still working, this time I'm using it with an old Windows 7 laptop, but I've again had troubles with screen blanking, even when using my "best" hdmi cable. I bought several, all were rated 4k, all had issues, until I bought a StarTech.com cable. StarTech.com HDPSMM1M Pro Series Metal High Speed HDMI Cable It's perfect! No red dots.Also, regarding the 2012 Mac Mini, I upgraded to Yosemite OS X 10.10 and the StarTech.com usb 3 4k adapter still works fine. It also works with that Mini running Windows 7 in bootcamp.This is not a fast adapter for 3D but I have no issues running Visio, Office, Matlab, etc..ALSO, regarding Firefox on OS X, it works! I had to configure Firefox to use software rendering, as pointed out by StarTech.com support. Yes, StarTech.com actually provides technical support.

Since I Work in the IT field, I have a slight bias for StarTech. I have used their tech for years in my work and for my end users. Their overall quality is very good to excellent. This converter is no different, I would recommend using the Display port converter over the HDMI as the video quality is better and or a Dual Screen variation over this one simply because if you only have one monitor it will work and if you ever require or want a second monitor your already set. However most new Monitors and TV's have the HDMI so I recommend you choose which works best for you at home. Per the current Covid-19 Crisis, I opted to order the one I could obtain right away. Easy install with a slightly older laptop upgraded to Win 10. downloaded the latest drivers and worked within minutes after install. I usually write reviews after testing a product for a month or so but as I am familiar with StarTech, I was obliged to write an early review. Great for working from home and aside from orientation of laptop/PC to monitor setup on how you like it to perform, it is easy to use.One Final note, USB-C is becoming standard among new computers so I have tested similar StarTech devices using a USB-C to USB 3.0 dongle. (including Apple computers) As this is a relatively new model, I believe it will be a good long term investment to use, with the caveat of ordering a dual screen model as mentioned above.

I took a risk on this and was delighted to find that, after downloading and installing the Ubuntu drivers from the manufacturer's website, I was able to get this to work on Linux Mint without any issues. My guess would be it will probably work for most Debian-based systems.

This was a lot more than I wanted to pay, but it was less expensive than buying a budget laptop (which I was considering when my 2017 MacBook Pro’s screen died). I needed 2 external monitors to improve productivity during my job search, and this MBP doesn’t support it. If I were doing creative work right now, the second screen would not be feasible for that as it isn’t accurate, but it’s perfectly fine for research, writing/editing, and browsing.