r/setups

• M4 MacBook Pro on a single cord Thunderbolt 4 dock located behind the vertical monitor for work, photography, and general computing
• 9900X / 32GB / 5080 PC for gaming and some AI
• 32" 4K main monitor and 27" 1440p vertical

Hi there, a little update to my desktop setup!

I spend a lot of time working in front of this setup every day. I use two Apple Studio Displays and a pretty large 200 × 90 cm desk, so having good, even lighting across the whole workspace is quite important to me.

I was skeptical about monitor light bars at first, but after trying one ScreenBar Halo, I liked it enough to buy a second one for my other monitor.

…but then came the ScreenBar Max

My previous setup already worked really well, so I wasn't really looking to replace it. What I was curious about was whether a single ScreenBar Max could actually replace both of the Halos without making any compromises.

After using it for a few days, the short answer is: yes, it can. And there are a few things I really like:

• One light bar instead of two. It makes my dual-monitor setup look much cleaner while still providing very even illumination across my entire desk.
• The rear bias light is excellent and lights up the wall behind both monitors very evenly.
• The presence sensor is a game changer. My older ScreenBar Halos didn't have it... and I love it.
• The wireless dial on the Halos was nice, but I honestly don't miss it. Having the controls directly on the bar works just fine for me.
• Auto-brightness works really well.
• The tall design of the light bar is actually very functional. Its body shields the light source, preventing the light from shining directly into my eyes.

A couple of things to consider:

• The Max has a more professional/workstation look than the Halos. I like it in my setup, but it might look a bit too substantial on a smaller or more casual desk.
• Considering the price, I would have liked a tool-free height adjustment instead of having to loosen and tighten screws. It's something you'll probably only do once, but it would have been a nice touch.

To sum up, my two Halos worked really well and I was perfectly happy with them, but if I were buying everything again today, I'd go straight for the ScreenBar Max. One bar does the job of two, the setup looks cleaner, the presence sensor is genuinely useful, and it costs less than buying two Halo 2s.

Setup details

• Mac: Mac Studio M1 Ultra — 48-core GPU, 64 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD
• Displays: 2x Apple Studio Display (previous generation), both connected directly to the Mac Studio
• Desk: custom DIY desk, 200 × 90 cm / roughly 79" × 35". I bought the wooden top unfinished, then sanded and varnished it myself
• Lighting: BenQ ScreenBar Max — replacing the 2x ScreenBar Halo units I was previously using
• Monitor riser: from Etsy, with custom/replacement legs
• Thunderbolt hub: CalDigit Thunderbolt 5 Element 5 Hub, mounted underneath the riser
• Speakers: ELAC Debut B5.3
• Subwoofer: SVS SB-1000 Pro
• Audio interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th gen
• Amplifier: Fosi V3
• DAC: TOPPING D50 III
• Streamer: WiiM Ultra
• Microphone: the t.bone SC 600
• External storage: SanDisk 4TB Extreme SSD + SanDisk Professional PRO-G40 2TB SSD
• Charger: Belkin 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe
• Optical drive: Apple SuperDrive — occasionally used to rip CDs that aren't available on Spotify
• Racing wheel: Logitech G923, connected to the PS5, basically only for GT7
• Mandatory desk accessory: the plushie my wife gave me 😄

Disclosure: BenQ provided the ScreenBar Max for this review. All opinions are my own.

Hi everyone. I'd like to ask how you could improve my setup. I like it, but it's clearly missing something.

I will be happy to hear any your opinions!

Ignore the cable mess, I’ll deal with it after exam season 🥀

Just finished building my dream gaming setup. Thoughts?

Recently got a new pc and upgraded my desk, opinions?

What should I add?

How can I place a gaming PC with a wide monitor (21:9) and a work Mac setup consisting of a MacBook and a monitor (4:3) on this table (180x90) at the same time? Is it possible to do this in some elegant, well‑thought‑out way, or do I need to switch to a single universal monitor plus a KVM? And also, is there anyone who has done this with an Apple Studio Display XDR monitor?

Getting a monitor arm soon and wanted to know which orientation looked better (ai generated images)

The shelf in the second image is removable hence the first image

Any ideas other than better photography skills and a new keyboard?

Used mostly for gaming and occasional wfh for my wife.

Wait for am6 or am7?

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Pc specs:

Case: NZXT H3 FLOW

FANS : 3X BEQUIET SILENT WINGS 3

MOTHERBOARD: MSI B550M MORTAR

CPU: RYZEN 7 5700X

COOLER: NOCTUA NH-U12A

RAM: 16GB 3600 GSKILL TRIDENT Z NEO

GPU: XFX SWIFT 9070 XT

PSU: CORSAIR RM850X

MONITOR: ASUS VG278QR

Bonus ⭐️

HEADPHONES: STEELSERIES ARCTIS 7

SPEAKERS: KANTO UKI WITH SU2 STAND

DESK: TTRACING TIVON SMART STANDING DESK

DESK PAD: CORSAIR MM350

KEYBOARD: LOGITECH MK470

MOUSE: LOGITECH MX ANYWHERE 3S

Tv is a Samsung from 2016 I don’t know the model anymore lol