r/macsetups

When I bought my MB Air I picked up the apple track pad and keyboard with fingerprint sensor. After using it for a while I decided to try out the ProtoArc BT Keyboard for MAC. I really like this keyboard, works very well and is backlit. I used it for a couple weeks before switching back to the Apple keyboard. All I can say is wow! The switching away from the Apple keyboard I didn't notice much, other than the keys took a little more force on the ProtoArc, however when switching back, I knew right away what I was missing. This Apple keyboard is a keeper. If you are thinking of getting it, just do it. I can type on it so much faster, the keys are spread out a little more which makes a big difference as well as how easy they are to press. I will keep the ProtoArc for my NUC as I do like that keyboard still.

Two years ago, I picked up a 27-inch 5K iMac to use as my secondary computer, next to the 14-inch MacBook Pro I already had. Looking ahead to a future in which macOS Sequoia will be the final OS for many Intel Macs, I felt like it would be more useful to prepare my WFH setup for the eventual replacement of my laptop.

I came across a good deal on a 28-inch 4K monitor, and that's when I decided to replace my iMac. It's a bit of a shame, really, because I still love the all-in-one concept and the fantastic design, which even after 17 years (!) I consider timeless still. I really like the presence an iMac adds to a desk setup.

The HP U28 I picked up is a little bigger than the iMac with a slightly lower resolution, but that's not something that I find noticeable as it's still plenty crisp. USB-C also fixes my biggest annoyance with monitors (messy cables) as a single USB-C cable now takes care of video out and power in.

In the same spirit, I also replaced my 2TB Time Capsule with a Synology NAS. For now it's got 2x4TB HDDs in RAID1, which means there is "only" 4TB usable space, but that can easily be expanded once/if storage devices return back to reasonable prices. What's really neat is that these things don't just handle storage and Time Machine backups, but they can also be used to run private VPN servers and cloud storage. That's really cool stuff.

I’ve been using the LG 39GX950B alongside the Studio Display XDR. I figured that usually you either have a single ultrawide setup, or a dual regular monitor setup, and my setup is rather rare, so I wanted to share my review.

I came from a PG32UCDM, which is a god tier monitor already, but for gaming I definitely prefer the LG ultrawide. The 39-inch ultrawide aspect ratio is just much more immersive, and HDR gaming on Windows looks fantastic. It feels like a real upgrade.

For normal desktop use, though, the XDR is still in a different league for me. The brightness, text clarity, and overall crispness make it much nicer for browsing, coding, and general productivity. What surprised me most is that I actually find colors on the XDR to have more pop than on the LG, even though the LG is OLED.

When I’m working, I keep whatever I’m actively doing on the XDR and use the LG off to the side for YouTube, videos, or other background content. My Mac setup is pretty simple: Mac → Thunderbolt 5 → XDR → daisy chain to the LG. So both displays run from a single Thunderbolt connection to the Mac.
For PC gaming, I connect PC to the LG, and I still use the XDR with macOS for build guides, maps, Discord, or whatever else I want open alongside it on macOS.

One thing I’ve settled on is keeping HDR off on the LG when using macOS. With HDR enabled, the regular macOS UI just looks washed out to me and the desktop experience gets noticeably worse. In SDR, it looks much better.

Interestingly, I don’t have the same complaint on Windows. HDR gaming on the LG looks excellent there, so I basically treat it as an SDR secondary/productivity display on the Mac and an HDR gaming display on the PC.

the biggest table that can fit in my room.

I really like how the colorful keycaps pop out on the white and black keyboard :))

I have a hypothetical and looking for guidance. I see many super clean setups in here where that MacBook is folded up in a stand off to the side and using a large monitor but the only cord I see is what I’m assuming is going from laptop to monitor. What about power cord for laptop? What if I want to use an external hard drive? What’s the cleanest way to accomplish this without cluttering the desk? (Pic for attention, currently PC setup but looking to go Mac)

If anyone was wondering, the MacBook Air M4 supports daisy chaining with two 2026 Apple Studio Displays. Most of what I read before buying them suggested Thunderbolt 5 was required.

The top monitor (LG 4K) is connected to my PC and Mac mini M2 Pro. I use the same keyboard and mouse for both Macs using Apple’s Universal Control, or I switch inputs on my MX Keys and MX Master.

Specs:

MacBook Air M4 (24GB)
Mac mini M2 Pro (16GB)
Apple Studio Displays ×2 (VESA)
LG 4K (top display)
Logitech MX Keys S
Logitech MX Master 3S

M4 MacMini
43” TLC P7L 4k QLED (PC Mode)
27” LG 4k Ergo
Edifier M90 + Edifier T5S subwoofer
Satechi Slim x1 Keyboard
Apple Magic Trackpad

Made my first post about 4 months ago and got some great feedback! Despite having the Dell ultrawide, I needed some additional screen real estate for work related tasks. Ended up adding this Samsung M8 vertically. I’ve also started exploring the world of home-labbing so I’ve got ZimaOS running on my first laptop (mid 2012 MacBook Pro).

-hand built red oak herringbone desk with ikea alex cabinet and pine legs
-dowinx chair in brown
-lg ultrafine 31.5” main
-lg ultrafine 27” vertical
-aula f75 keyboard in white and brown color
-asus smartO mouse in oatmilk color
-ugreen usbc hub for macbook pro
-ugreen usb switch
-ugreen hdmi switch
-“southwestern tribal pattern” desk pad

Vertical monitor is ran off of my 14” macbook pro M4 pro 24gb

Main monitor switches between my 2013 macpro 6,1 with the 8 core chip and 64gb and xbox series x.

Ikea Alex cabinet houses my egpu that i’m currently working on and has a set of dual noctua 120mm fans over a deshrouded rx6800xt feeding through the inlet you can see by my leg space and out of the open back.

Any questions or links needed, please dont hesitate to ask. Also this is my first ever setup and desk build so any constructive criticism or ideas are welcomed.

One’s for work (13") and one’s personal (11"), is it too cumbersome having both on the desk?

My Intel 2020 MacBook Pro is still pretty reliable for my needs. The DisplayPort absolutely does wonders for usage. HDMI 1 is used for my Xbox Series X.

my desk, also hi :D