StarTech.com 16 Port Rackmount KVM Console w/ 6ft Cables - Integrated KVM Switch w/ 17" LCD Monitor - Fully Featured 1U LCD KVM Drawer- OSD KVM - Durable 50,000 MTBF - USB + VGA Support

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

Honestly, this is one of those “get it installed and forget it” KVM drawer units — but at **£1,156 ex-VAT** it’s only good value if you genuinely need a **rack-ready LCD console in a single 1U drawer** for multiple servers and you don’t want messy cabling or a separate monitor/keyboard setup. StarTech generally builds these so they survive daily abuse in offices/SMBs that don’t want to babysit downtime tools. The integrated OSD control and console drawer format are exactly what you want in a server room where the KVM is used often but shouldn’t become another maintenance headache.

That said, I wouldn’t buy it if you’re just solving a one-off “need to access a server” problem or you don’t actually have a frequent need to switch across all 16 ports. In that case, the cost is hard to justify versus simpler KVM options or even a deployable remote management approach — especially because you’re paying for a dedicated physical console. Who should buy: MSPs, IT teams in rack-heavy environments, and businesses standardising on in-rack management for multiple machines where **local console access** matters (patching, BIOS/firmware work, recovery). Who shouldn’t: small teams with few systems, labs on tight budgets, or anyone who primarily relies on iDRAC/iLO/IPMI and only needs KVM as a backup.