In the computer setup arms race over bigger and better external displays, one monitor reigns supreme (with a price tag to match) — Apple’s phenomenal Pro Display XDR. Today’s M3 Max MacBook Pro rig just added one to its two other displays, including the oddly square LG DualUp.
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.
Pro Display XDR setup includes loaded M3 MacBook Pro and LG DualUp monitor
Coder and Redditor nachoal (“Nacho”) showcased the powerful and display-heavy setup in a post entitled, “My setup achieved its final form with the Pro Display XDR.”
“Just got the Pro Display XDR, now I can finally code, watch YouTube and check my logs at the same time,” they said. They run a loaded 16-inch M3 MacBook Pro in space black with “max specs,” which probably means the M3 Max chip plus 48GB unified memory and at least 1TB of SSD storage, at around $4,000.
Two displays sat in the mix already — a 28-inch LG DualUP display, nearly square, and a 34-inch Acer curved ultra-wide display (“gives me 100mhz but has a lot of weird bugs with older Mac models,” Nacho said). To those Nacho added one of the world’s best displays, Apple’s remarkable 32-inch 6K Pro Display XDR, which costs $5,000 and up.
And the hardware providing connectivity for all of that and more is an OWC Thunderbolt 4 dock with 11 ports.
Pro Display XDR setup: But what if an upgrade comes out?
Nacho’s one hesitation on buying Apple’s amazing display? The possibility that Cupertino might update it soon, and then they’d want the newer, better one. We’ve all been there, right (with less expensive gear, anyway).
“I couldn’t wait for the rumored upgrade, I really hope they still take their time otherwise i’ll be forced to sell this one and get the upgraded new one,” they said.
Post commenters bashed Apple a bit for sticking to 60Hz refresh rates on its external displays.
“60hz screens makes me feel everything [is] slow,” one person said.
“Agree for really interactive stuff, the other 2 screens have 120hz, but for coding which by its nature is really slow I really don’t mind the compromise,” Nacho replied.
Interesting split keyboard
And for another interesting find in Nacho’s Pro Display XDR setup, check out the split keyboard. It’s a rarely seen ZSA Voyager.
“What do you think about the split keyboard versus the magic keyboard?” asked a commenter.
“It’s great for my wrists because of the time I spend coding and working with it,” Nacho replied. “But it definitely has a steep learning curve so you need to be patient and this model requires a lot of new stuff and small customizations to make it work like you want so I recommend you start with a bigger one like the ZSA Moon Lander.”
Like the desktop wallpaper shown in the photograph? “It’s a paid wallpaper pack from ‘oliur’ … just search ultralinx wallpapers and you’ll find it,” Nacho said.
Shop these items now:
Displays:
Computer and dock:
Input devices:
Audio:
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, challenges and plans for new additions.
The 32-inch Retina 6K display comes with standard or Nano Texture glass.
