The dream of every Mac user is to have an Apple Studio Display on the desktop. The Apple display has Exquisite design, perfect color calibration And yes, a pretty steep price tag. The base configuration is €1,779, and while there are high-quality monitors for much lower prices, one Reddit user set out to create not one Apple Studio Display, but two.
In search of the perfect Mac setup
For many Mac users, having the perfect setup is a dream come true. We spend hours and hours in front of the Mac, and getting a configuration that not only works great, but also looks flawless On the desktop, it is often quite a challenge. The Apple Studio Display is the standard we all aspire to. But of course, price is a considerable obstacle. That’s why many are looking for more affordable alternatives that, at the same time, do not compromise on performance or aesthetics.
Two monitors, a logic board and an arm to hold them
We began to analyze the entire assembly that this Reddit user in search of a A slightly cheaper alternative to the Apple Studio Display. First, he set out to find two 27″ panels that were as similar as possible to the Apple monitor. He found a pack of two LG screens, model LM270QQ2-SPA3. These are loose panels, without frames, to offer an experience as similar as possible to an iMac or Apple Studio Display.
Being a pair of loose and unassembled screensit is necessary to put aside a logic board that picks up the signal sent by the MacBook. In this case, he chose a plate designed for a 27″ iMac. Regarding the power supply for the monitors, he chose a standard one.
To mount the monitors, he used an arm strong enough to support the two in parallel and thus only have one downpipe with the cables. Although the monitors do not have frames, it was easy to adapt them to a metal bar and then add the universal VESA mount. Once this was done, he only had to connect his MacBook Pro M3 to a USB-C adapter and that was it. The Mac even works with macOS Sequoia and his setup looks very elegant.
The total cost of the two screens has been about $700although the price of the displays has gone up a bit these days, costing around $600 for a two-pack. Still, for less than half the cost of an Apple Studio Display you can get a great setup like this. You’ll have to have good hands to get it done, though.
In case you don’t feel that you have enough technique, there are two options: choose an already assembled alternative as a monitor, relying on well-known brands such as LG or Benq, or, on the other hand, getting the Apple Studio Display. A unique screen with practically no competition.