Reddit is a great place to seek advice about computer setups. Redditor CompilingTheFuture did well recently when puzzling over replacing the triple-monitor display running off his M1 Mac mini.
The problem? One of the main issues was that three screens were so wide that peering into the corners required a lot of “neck twisting.” Sounds painful.
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.
Monitor choices
After much back and forth with fellow Redditors, CompilingTheFuture ended up with an MSI Optix MAG341CQ Ultrawide Curved Gaming Monitor at the setup’s center. It’s used mostly to view coding work and occasionally for gaming via strategy titles like Civilization and Stellaris (though there is also a desktop PC in the house for that).
Mounted in a vertical orientation next to it is a 27-inch Acer Nitro monitor. Setting it up horizontally next to the ultrawide screen seemed like it’d result in the same neck-contortion issue caused by the three side-by-side monitors.
So, despite its 1440 pixel width and high refresh rate, the Acer isn’t positioned ideally for gaming and will instead display work in browsers, email and collaboration tools like Slack.
“It’s more like for stuff I need to access while writing code,” CompilingTheFuture told Cult of Mac. He mentioned being a P.hD. student in computer science, but wished to remain anonymous.
The Mac mini
CompilingTheFuture has found a Mac mini with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB solid state hard drive is up to all tasks so far faced. It helps that a handy 512 external SSD takes up extra storage chores.
Some Redditors expressed concern over the mini’s RAM in comments, but CompilingTheFuture reassured them.
“The M1 chip is more than capable,” s/he wrote. “The M1 chip’s RAM is not like your standard RAM in an Intel or AMD PC/Laptop. It is in-package and more like [high bandwidth memory] than your traditional RAM. It is shared across all the processor and graphics cores, so you’ll be surprised by how much 8GB can do.”
Shop these items now:
MSI Optix MAG341CQ Ultrawide 34-inch Curved Gaming Monitor
Acer Nitro XV27SU 27-inch Monitor
Nulaxy A5 Table Stand for tablets
Logitech MX Master 3 Advanced Wireless Mouse
Keychron K6 Mechanical Keyboard
Glorious Gaming Wooden Mouse Wrist Rest
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to info+setups@cultofmac.com. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches or challenges.
