DIY Triple Monitor Mount

I've always wanted to get a two monitor setup at home after using a setup at work.  I had planned on getting a couple of monitors but started to get this idea after looking at the wonderful job by these fellow DIY'ers:

eovnu87435ds over at overclockers.net.  View his awesome job at http://www.overclock.net/t/1195618/diy-triple-monitor-mount

seven9st surfer also at overclokers.net.  His evenly awesome work of art is at http://www.overclock.net/t/494272/project-triple-screen-mount

and finally drfish at techreport.com.  His structure is at techreport.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=70862

Seeing how expensive triple monitor mounts can be, and looking to save valuable desk space, I couldn't pass this up...even if I did stick with just a dual monitor setup.

Now they designed their mounts for fairly large widescreen monitors (21" and 24" size), whereas, my setup wasn't for monitors so big.  I was able to snag three 17" HP monitors from a United Way sale at my work, and it got me thinking of how to use them altogether.

The three monitors are:

HP L1706 - Left side monitor

HP 1730 - Center monitor

HP L1710 - Right side monitor

The 1706 and 1710 are only VGA input.  The 1730 can be either VGA or DVI.  I started getting the idea since my workhorse computer had installed a Radeon 3650 with DVI and 2x DisplayPort outputs.  As mentioned, I've wanted to use dual monitors ever since I started using them at work...it's just a great idea, and so much more productive.  Since I had won three, I figured, why not try and use all of them...which gave me the idea of building a triple monitor mount (not to mention that two of the monitors didn't have stands).  So I found those designs above, so now I figured I'd actually find out if my video card really supported more than two monitors at a time.  After much research and trialing, I discovered that it is only capable of driving two of the three outputs simultaneously.  The motherboard does have an on-board video VGA output, but it is neutralized when an external video card is installed in the PCIe x16 slot.  There is no BIOS setting to change this.

The motherboard does have a PCIe x4 full size slot, so I do have some options:

1) to pickup a Radeon 7700 (or above) series card that can natively drive 3+ monitors.  Asus has one with dual DVI, 1xHDMI and 1xDisplayPort outputs, which would replace the 3650 entirely,

2) use a USB to VGA (or DVI) adapter,

3) use a second basic video card in the x4 slot.

Of course option 1 would be the best option, but since I was looking at this as cheaply as possible, option 1 was also the most expensive.  And even though it would give an adequate performance boost, I had to realize that the machine itself was not a gaming machine...it's an everyday working machine that I use for everything.  I'm not a gamer, so I figured would I get the most out of that sort of card for the amount of money it would cost me?  Option 2 was valid, but would end up being more expensive than option 3 as well.  For the amount of money, would option 2 see that much more of a performance boost over option 3?  Most likely not.  So I figure I can take a performance hit, which would happen when using the slower PCIe slot.  According to what I have read, I may not even be able to watch HD video on the monitor that is connected to the card in the slower slot.  We will see just how bad it really is though.

While using 17" monitors isn't a constraint on weight like the above guys usage of 24" monitors, I wanted my design to be rugged enough so it would allow for a size increase in the future should I decide to go that route.  For that reason, I ended up using 3/4" steel pipe, Tee, and elbows.  Below is the parts list for my build:

NOTE: in Canadian funds.

The pipe ends were all threaded.  I wanted 2x 12" pipes for the angled arms, but Lowes didn't have any in stock at the time, so I had to settle with 10".  If I ever increase the monitor sizing, then I will have to increase the length of these pipes.

The flange is bolted to my desktop.  The bolts go through the round electrical cover on the bottom side of the desk and are tightened down good.  I figure using the plate will give the setup extra strength as opposed to relying on the bolt tightened directly to the wood surface of the desk.

The first 10" pipe was then threaded into the flange.  I didn't tighten this down, as I left enough for the mount to be able to swivel.

The Tee was threaded on next, followed by the second 10" pipe out the left (if looking at the setup), and the 3" pipe to the right.  This offset I figured I would want to the vertical mount would not interfere with the mounting of the center monitor. 

Next were the 45 degree elbows, then the 45 degree street elbows.  I followed eovnu87435ds guide on bending them so I could get the angles right.  Like he indicates, this will raise the outside arms a little, so this will have to be compensated for when mounting the monitors.   I couldn't tighten the elbows and piping enough on the one side that would allow me to maintain the angle I wanted, so I had to compensate with wrapping some plumbers tape around the threads.  Doing so made a snug enough fit so the angle wouldn't be compromised once the weight of the monitor is on the arm.

Now the piping was all threaded together, it was time to actually mount the monitors in place.  I decided that the 1730 would be mounted in the center, since it was the better monitor of the three, the 1706 would be mounted to the left, and the 1710 mounted to the right.  Below is the conceptual image:

I used a VESA template and put holes in the dual ganged blank plates.  I mounted the first plate to the 1730, and set it up on blocks to the piping.  I adjusted the height to my liking and made sure the monitor was level.  I took two pipe clamps and marked the plate to where I wanted the additional holes drilled.  Uninstalled the plate, drilled my holes, then bolted everything in place.  The first monitor was installed...and that when I realized...I had some issues.

Since I was using different models of monitors, I didn't think at the time that their casings were all different thickness and sizes.  I soon realized, when attempting to mount the 1710, and making sure that the top of the monitors were even when I noticed that the screens weren't in line...so I figured that would be more important, so I adjust the height of the 1710 to match the screen to the 1730.  When I went to mount it to the back, that's when I noticed that it would be too far set back.  It is actually almost an inch thinner than the 1730.  So to get the edge in line with the 1730 edge, I had to use a 3/4" thick block of wood to compensate.  This became the VESA mount, and the ganged plate would get screwed into this using wood screws.  This along with the ganged plate gave me my additional thickness.

Now since the monitors are so different, and I had to adjust the height to match screens, this threw off the mounting locations I had wanted to use.  So I ended up using the two upper holes of the ganged plate for the pipe clamps, and drilled two new holes in the bottom of the plate for the lower holes of the pipe clamps.

Finally screwed everything in place...had the second monitor mounted.

The 1706 was mounted in the same fashion.  The spacing required was only about 1/4", so the final mounting was different.  I ended up buying longer metric screws, and used the electrical cover and wood as the VESA mounts.

After I had mounted everything, at least I could try out two of the monitors using the Radeon 3650 I had already installed in the computer.  The two powered up without issue.  Over the Christmas break, I was able to pickup an HD6450, which replaced the EAH4350 Radeon that was in the HTPC.  That card, being better than the 3650 was installed in the PCIe x16 slot and the 3650 placed in the full size PCIe x4 slot.  Powered up the system, configured the displays and below are the results.

I ended up driving the HP 1730 and L1710 from the EAH4350 card, and the 1706 off the 3650 board.  I had originally plugged the 1706 into the DVI output of the 3650 via DVI to VGA, but then ended up connecting the VGA to one of the Display ports via DisplayPort/VGA Dongle.  It seemed to produce a better image...though open to personal interpretation.

Used the Flange mounting holes to drill through my computer desk table.  Then used this blank metal electrical box cover underneath to aid in securing the fixture without putting an overly amount of stress on the desk wood.

The flange was mounted to the desktop and using 4 1/4-20x2" bolts, 1/4" lock washers and 1/4-20 nuts to secure it firmly to the table.

The vertical pipe is 10" and thread snug into the flange.  I didn't overly tighten this joint as I figured it would give me some rotation of the mount...so I could turn the monitor setup either way to gain easier access at the back.

The center monitor VESA mount was a blank electrical metal cover.  The pipe clamps were screwed into 4 pre-drilled holes with 8-32x1/2" screws and hardware.  This clamped the mount to the 10" vertical pipe, which is shown threaded into the 3/4" T at the top of the vertical 10" pipe.  The 1730 monitor was then mounted to the cover plate using existing 4mm screws.  The holes for the monitor mount were pre-drilled into the cover plate using a VESA template downloaded off the internet at 100mm spacing.

Another picture of the center monitor mount from the top, looking downwards.

The right monitor, being the 1710 series required some thinking to mount.  It was alot thinner than the 1730, and required a 1/2" block of wood, along with the thickness of the metal wall bracket.  The block of wood was then drilled to the VESA standard and mounted to the monitor.  The metal cover plate was then clamped to the pipe through drilled hole for the bottom pipe clamp holes.  The monitor with the wood block was then positioned next the the 1730 so the screens were in line with each other.  The plate was then secured to the wood with 4 short wood screws I had lieing around.  The two upper wood screws also secure the upper portion of the pipe clamps in place, and the holes were drilled into the cover plate to accommodate.  The two wood screws in the lower portion of the plate used the pre-existing holes that were already milled in the plate.

Another view of the monitor mount from the top, looking down.

The left monitor (1706) was the more difficult one.  It didn't need to be shimmed as much as the 1710.  I ended up using 1 1/4" and 1/8" pieces of wood. I ended up getting some longer 4mm screws to mount the wood to the monitor.  Then positioned the monitor next to the 1730 to match the screens before screwing the pipe clamps into the cover plate and into the wood.  I scrounged around to find the shortest wood screws I could find, which wasn't an easy task.  Ended up getting it to work though. 

Top view image of the mount.

And finally a couple of shots of the final product.

Though I won't get a true panoramic view if playing games as I'm taking a performance hit by using the one video card in the PCIe x4 slot, it is working for what my intentions are.  The main monitor and one to the right will display my main work like CAD designs, and videos, and the monitor on the left will be for everything else that won't take alot of graphics power.

Though as seen in the picture above, all three monitors work very well to display full screen images like the Serene Screen Aquarium screensaver.  The left monitor can even playback HD video without issue as well, and by using two video cards, I have the option of adding a forth, overhead monitor into the system ;).

Overall I'm pretty happy with the results.

*UPDATE - Sometime in 2023*

The HP L1710 ended up fizzling out after years of use, and was replaced with an ACER AL1716.  Recently the HP L1706 has also fizzled, and I'm currently looking into a replacement for it.

*UPDATE#2 - April 2024*

Well, the HPL1706 has now gone on the blitz, and was removed.  I had to do some juggling now, and move the remaining HP 1730 from center spot to the left side.  I also had to increase the length of pipe on that side with an additional coupler, and 6" extension to get additional length on that arm.  I wanted to match the length of the 10" pipe used on the right arm, but couldn't get the original short 3" pipe off from the angled couplers .  This had to be done as now the center monitor is a old Toshiba 24SLV411U TV. *Pictures of the updated system to come*.  The extra addvantage of using the TV with HDMI, is now I can just run the audio through the same cable was was able to re-purpose the analog audio out to dedicated earphones.