Quad LCD Monitor Stands

[Inayat]

Hello.

I am building a three or four monitor system (I am currently running two Dell 2001FPs) and am seriously considering a quad monitor stand as there is no way four 20? LCDs will fit side by side on my desk. I am going to be using these to play poker and I suspect that if four monitors were placed side by side without such a stand, there would be too much distance between the two outermost monitors to the point that it would be easy to lose track of things.

I have done a little searching and have found that these monitor stands can be had for $253 shipped.

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=5805656/search=quadruple

Product page:

http://www.themoview.com/products/quad.html

Here is a competing model:

http://www.lcdmonitorarm.com/lcd_arm_5.htm

My question to the Anandtech community is does anyone have any experience with such a stand? Any thoughts on it? Do you think it?s a good idea?

Thanks!

 

[phisrow]

Depending on what sort of desk setup you have, you may want to go with a mixed setup; two monitors standing on the desk as per standard, the other two on independent floating arms (e.g. http://www.ergotron.com/3_products/flat_panel/300_arms/default.asp or http://www.lcdarms.com/lcd_monitor_arms...ESSID=69fa9dafa28456f7eaebc6f0f05f3fb5 or http://www.ergoindemand.com/lcd_monitor_arms.htm among others) Having the top two, or even all four, floating above the desk, ready to be fine adjusted to your most comfortable angle, seems cooler than just a basic stand. Of course, this would depend on your desk having the necessary mountpoints for the arms. Just something to consider.

 

[Inayat]

Good suggestion, thanks!

The problem I see here is that:

1. Many of these arms aren't tall enough to extend a 20" LCD over a regular LCD on its stand. At its lowest setting, the 2001fp is about 18? high. In order for this to work, the stand would have to reach not just 18?, but 25? as the mount goes in the center of the LCD and the actual 2001FP panel is 14? high. I don?t see any arms that can hold an LCD vertical 25 inches in the air. I can?t wall mount as I rent. Plus I?m a bit of a perfectionist and don?t like the permanency that wall mounts represent. Hence the appeal of a free standing LCD stand.

1. Some of these arms are quite pricey and even two of these arms is liable to be more expensive than the quad monitor stand.

I wonder if there is any free standing monitor stand for only two monitors with the height I require?

That would be a great solution to have two freestanding monitors with two more on a high stand or arm above that.

Off to look for a relatively cheap 25? arm or free standing stand . . .

 

[gnef]

I was looking in to this as well, and the expense seemed quite large. If you are up for building something, i was thinking of using thick metal piping, then use these: http://www.lashen.com/vendors/vmp/lcd_mounts.asp to create a vesa mount, and using screw collars that can tighten on the piping. you could use a single or double verrtical bar, then a single or double horizontal bar. as far as securing the vertical bars, you could either weld it to a plate, or secure it somehow... ( i was only thinking about this today, so my ideas are a bit rough) this will not look nearly as sleek as those setups you can buy, but it will be magnitudes cheaper. I just can't justify paying for a stand that costs more than the monitor...

-Gnef