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Pbwj

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 12, 2018
61
19
Anyone using two Pro Display XDRs with desk-mounted arms?

I currently have them on the Apple stands, but they take up a lot of space. I’m looking to switch to monitor arms to free up desk real estate.

I’m considering the Ergotron HX series, but not sure if I should go with two single arms or the dual-arm setup. I have two predrilled grommet holes, so two singles might work well but I imagine alignment might be easier with a dual arm.

Would love to hear what others are using and any recommendations on which setup works better. Thanks!
 
I don't have the Pro Display XDR, but did switch to a mount a while back. Some things to consider...
  • Do you move and adjust your monitors frequently? Or do you get them situated the way you like and never move them again? If the latter, you probably don't need an expensive mount that articulates.
  • Articulating mounts can still take up space. Even if you use grommet holes, the arm may stick out behind your desk...meaning you can't put your desk right up against a wall. Or if you do put your desk close to the wall, then the monitor may end up being more forward than you'd like and not have much range of motion (and still not really gaining any desk space). This varies from mount to mount, so you'd have to do your research.
  • Cable management. When I switched to a mount, I realized I needed longer power and video cables in order to achieve the clean look I was after. I went from 6-ft to 8-ft power cables, and 6-ft to 10-ft video cables so that they were long enough to go across the arms, down the pole/grommet hole, under my desk, and up through the other grommet hole to my Mac. Something to be mindful of, especially since you're using Thunderbolt.
I don't move my monitors around, so I just went with a cheap dual-arm mount from VIVO to use on one of my grommet holes and have no complaints. My two monitors align perfectly and are stable.
 
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I don't have the Pro Display XDR, but did switch to a mount a while back. Some things to consider...
  • Do you move and adjust your monitors frequently? Or do you get them situated the way you like and never move them again? If the latter, you probably don't need an expensive mount that articulates.
  • Articulating mounts can still take up space. Even if you use grommet holes, the arm may stick out behind your desk...meaning you can't put your desk right up against a wall. Or if you do put your desk close to the wall, then the monitor may end up being more forward than you'd like and not have much range of motion (and still not really gaining any desk space). This varies from mount to mount, so you'd have to do your research.
  • Cable management. When I switched to a mount, I realized I needed longer power and video cables in order to achieve the clean look I was after. I went from 6-ft to 8-ft power cables, and 6-ft to 10-ft video cables so that they were long enough to go across the arms, down the pole/grommet hole, under my desk, and up through the other grommet hole to my Mac. Something to be mindful of, especially since you're using Thunderbolt.
I don't move my monitors around, so I just went with a cheap dual-arm mount from VIVO to use on one of my grommet holes and have no complaints. My two monitors align perfectly and are stable.
Thanks for the helpful input and tips!

I don't really move or adjust my monitors once they're set. My main goal is to free up space behind the displays since they currently block my studio monitors. I'd like to push them back as much as possible without running into clearance issues.

Good point on the arms sticking out behind the desk, I hadn't considered the cable length issue but that makes total sense. Appreciate the insight.
 
I always recommend going with multiple single-arm mounts as opposed to a dual-arm mount; it offers you a LOT more flexibility now and in the future. And don't be suckered into buying expensive VESA arms/mounts. A $99 one from Amazon will do the job just fine (as opposed to the $200+ ones I frequently see).

@BigBlur brings up a VERY important point with cable management. Using VESA mount arms requires much longer cables if you expect to not have the cables draped across your desk. You may need to purchase separate cables to accommodate. Obviously you don't have to buy them in advance, but once you get everything set up, you'll know what to do.
 
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