Depending on your type of desk set up, generic monitor stands can take up a fair chunk of desk space and in some cases, can be very restrictive in terms of monitor placement. Enter the Arctic Z1 Pro Gen 3 which is a designed for a single monitor and supports monitors with VESA mounting up to 49″ in size. Let’s take a look and see what’s new with Arctic’s latest and updated Z1 Pro and if it’s a winner winner chicken dinner…or it’s, well not!
Arctic Z1 Pro Gen 3 Specifications & Features
Specifications:
LCD Size – Up to 43″/49″ Ultrawide
Capacity – 15 kg (33 lbs)
Tilt – +/- 15°
Swivel – 180°
VESA – 75/100
USB-Hub – 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub
Rotation – 360°
Features:
Reclaim Space on Your Desk
Whether you use it as your workstation or your battle station, the ARCTIC Z1 Pro monitor arm is the tool you need to keep your desk clutter free, allowing you to increase productivity and level up your gaming.
Optimised Ergonomics
If you spend a lot of time in front of the screen, you’ll quickly come to appreciate the ergonomic advantages of the Z1 Pro, especially the ability to customize your viewing angle. Finding the optimal setting for your screens improves your posture. Whether you want to adjust the height, angle or screen orientation, the Z1 Pro enhances the ergonomic capabilities of your desk and office chair, offering you comfort and adaptability.
Also Suitable for Ultrawide Monitors
The ARCTIC Z1 Pro monitor arm supports the latest ultrawide monitors (up to 49 inches) with ease. Classic 16:9 monitors are also compatible (up to 43 inches). The Z1 Pro supports a total load of 15 kg/33 lbs.
Optimal Alignment
The mounting head of the ARCTIC Z1 Pro makes installation and subsequent alignment changes uncomplicated and easy to manage. It doesn’t matter if you want to slightly tilt your monitor or turn it 180 degrees – the only tools you need are your hands.
USB Hub
The stylish 3.0 USB hub brings four ports directly where you need them most – on your desk.
Cable Management
Sick of cable clutter? With the Z1 Pro’s included cable management, unruly cables are a thing of the past.
Simple and Fast Setup
With just a few simple steps and the included tools, the Z1 Pro is ready to use at your table in no time.
Arctic Z1 Pro Gen 3 Closer Look
The Arctic Z1 Pro Gen 3 desk mount monitor arm comes in a reasonably sized box and has plenty of information about what to expect, and the specifications such as monitor size support and weight restriction.
Featured inside the box is all the parts and components needed to install the single mount monitor arm to your desk and monitor. These include the mounting arms, the pole, the four port USB 3.0 hub, a metal plate, three hex keys, foam spaces, M4/M5 spacers, a grommet, four cable hooks, a cable clip and two sets of M4/M5 screws (4 sets in total).
The included USB 3.0 hub has four ports as well as a micro USB power input.
With the way the Z1 Pro Gen 3 is laid out, it’s designed to be clamped to the edge of a desk with the USB hub itself acting as one of the main points for the mount to be installed. The Z1 Pro Gen 3 supports 75/100 VESA mounting with up to 49″ widescreen (43″ not widescreen) to be installed. Four sets of screws are provided as well as spacers for those that need them.
Installing the Arctic Z1 Pro Gen 3 wasn’t hard as I followed the instructions meticulously. The included installation guide is very useful and is very easy to follow. The hardest part of the installation was deciding where on the desk to install it for the best placement; I intend to use it for a test bench for my ‘job’ and having the ability to swivel and tilt, as well as having plenty of space underneath makes this ideal for me.
As you can see with my AOC 23″ monitor installed onto the Z1 Pro Gen 3 desk mount, I have plenty of space where the desktop mount would have been. The cable management clips on the Z1 Pro Gen 3 also work wonders and allow me to keep cables somewhat tidy, but I’m quite a messy pup with cables. Apologies for the dirt/handprints on the screen, I use this monitor for my ‘job’ and I really don’t care how clean it is, or in this case, isn’t!
The Arctic Z1 Pro Gen 3 Review: The Verdict
The Arctic Z1 Pro Gen 3 desk mount monitor arm retails for £50 currently at Scan Computers in the UK and as far as value goes, it’s not exactly cheap. That isn’t a huge problem though, as the quality of the Z1 Pro Gen 3 far outweighs that of the cheaper solutions you may find on Amazon or eBay, and when using a large 49″ widescreen monitor which this mount supports, it’s an investment in quality. The last thing you want is your cheapo monitor arm to fall and send your expensive screen crashing down which will almost certainly cause damage.
What’s hot:
- Solid build quality
- Fantastic instructions included; very easy to assemble
- Where I didn’t have space, I now have space!
What’s not:
- Not the cheapest single monitor mount, but you get what you pay for!
One of the best things about the Z1 Pro Gen 3 is the build quality; this is where the expensive cost comes into play and in all honesty, it’s worth the £50 price tag. Being able to swivel up to 180° and tilt up to 15° makes this single monitor desk mount so versatile in terms of positioning. The included USB 3.0 hub at the base of the stand is also very useful and offers up to four ports to be connected as well as a separately wired micro USB connector which is also handy to have.
Another talking point is how smooth the motions are in the swivel, tilt and rotation elements. This does require a good tight connection between the bolts, but this is a no-brainer; would you leave the nuts on a wheel loose and then drive at 70mph? Exactly! That being said, the Z1 Pro Gen 3 can handle a single monitor weighing 15kg and despite using a heavy monitor, there is no sag in the brackets which further adds to this desk-clamped single monitor stand’s overall quality.
For £50 at Scan Computers, the Z1 Pro Gen 3 is a worthy investment even if you plan to upgrade your monitor in the future; especially good is that this mount supports up to 49″ widescreen monitors means that this purchase should stand the test of time. The solid build quality also means it’ll last and there is no sag even though this isn’t dual-armed. As a result of the build quality, the simple yet effective cable management and inclusive USB hub, the Arctic Z1 Pro Gen 3 deserves our gold award and if this monitor mount can be found cheaper, it’s a steal.
Thanks to Arctic for sending a sample of the Z1 Pro Gen 3 in for review.
