On Wednesday we drooled shamelessly over an M2 Ultra Mac Pro driving a Pro Display XDR and two Studio Displays, a rig that prices out somewhere around $20,000. So on Friday it’s back to financial reality for us, none too soon. And in today’s MacBook Pro setup from a college student, part of that thrifty reality means deploying a ridiculously affordable SupTek Monitor Mount for the external display. The user recommends it. Why? It just works.
This setup’s affordable SupTek Monitor Mount treats your external display right
So who better to consult with on thrifty than a college kid? They’re often broke. College student and Redditor Alarming-Divide3659 (“Aldi”) showcased the flashy-yet-thrifty setup in a post entitled “New College student setup.” He uses a MacBook Pro to drive a 27-inch 4K display on an affordable SupTek Monitor Mount. After drooling the other day over a M2 Ultra Mac Pro setup with Pro Display XDR and two Studio Displays, it’s time to come back to financial reality. Sometimes you’ve got to go cheap — meaning inexpensive, not shoddy — and that’s what Aldi did with that recommended monitor mount.
“It’s not too sturdy, but for the price I can’t really complain,” Aldi said. “[And the] included cable management is nice.” Well, hell, we all need help with that.
SupTek Monitor Mount
The steel SupTek Monitor Mount garners mostly 4- and 5-star ratings on Amazon (84%). It comes in black, silver or white color variations. The cheapest of the three starts at a low, low $19.50. That’s the black one. The silver one is around $31. But it has a 21% off coupon box you can check, so you can get it for about $25. And the white one, apparently the most-popular option, goes for a princely sum of $38. But even that top price still isn’t much for a mount that Aldi says does the job just fine. Some single monitor mounts go for more like $150.
The only possible drawback would come if your external display exceeds to recommended weight limit, a somewhat sprightly 13.2 pounds. Many 27-inch external displays weigh about 9 – 10 pounds, though a few exceed 14 pounds. But it’s probably pretty tempting to take your chances with the SupTek if yours is only over by a pound or so.
Mount features:
- Fits screens up to 27 inches and 13.2 pounds with 75x75mm or 100x100mm backside mounting holes.
- Allows 360-degree rotation for landscape or portrait orientation.
- Tilt ±80 degrees up and down to avoid reflection.
- Swivel ±180 degrees left and right to share a view of your screen.
- Innovative design uses gas-spring technology.
- Passes 16,000-cycle test of durability.
- Two installation options: Heavy-duty C-clamp secures to the edge of a desk or table. The portion of the clamp in contact with the top surface of your desk is lined with thin padding to protect the desk surface from scratching. An optional grommet base is included as a second option.
- Easy adjustment: Increase or decrease torque force according to the specific monitor attached to the mount, according to its weight.
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If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected]. Most iPhone photos will do the trick. 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.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
