remote desktop kill performance???

I am using remote desktop so that I dont have to buy a KVM switch and was wondering, how much of the system resources are being used for this. Both machines are folding and I would like to know what kind of sacrifice I am making.

A sizable fraction. I use VNC on my computer, and on the remote computer (a 300MHz K6-2), it uses between 5% and 100% of the CPU power, depending on how much screen redrawing is going on.

found this quote on VNC's website under FAQ's:

WinVNC should have negligible impact [on processor load] when nobody is connected to it. It does practically nothing in this state

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I am using the remote desktop function that came with windows xp pro. I dont have another keyboard and am too cheap to buy a kvm switch. I dont think it is the same as VNC as windows also comes with a program similar. If there is an impact on performance, on which computer will it have the greatest affect? The one you are sitting at or the remote one?

If it's Windows native, it'll be more efficient than VNC. The impact will be greater on the remote computer, since that computer needs to compress the screen update information before sending it across the network, in addition to drawing things, while the display computer only needs to decompress the data and draw it.

Ive never used the built in windows but Ive used the VNC proggie. I was also very interested in that detail, so I hooked up a monitor and watched it when I VNC'd in. If your actively using it, it will suck up resources like no tomorrow. If its minimized, or not in use, 1 to 5% typical, but most of the time very minimal. If not actively being used, i.e. Not actively open, just the program/software running, none as for CPU power. It will suck up very little memory, think on the average it had around 3k memory used. Nothing to worry about.

I cant say for the windows built in stuff, never used it. But I would imagine it wouldnt be too much different overall. So as long as your not actively constantly veiwing the other system, should be minimal usage being used. (Id say an average of maybe 1%.)

thanks for the input guys. I have been leaving it on all the time. maybe I will get more work units done if I turn it off when not needed.