SilverStone ARM One ARM11SC Monitor Arm Review

SilverStone ARM11SC Single Monitor Arm Review - Conclusion

In use the SilverStone ARM11SC is everything we hoped for. We started off our testing by fitting a Dell 2407WFP, which is a fairly hefty 24in monitor by today’s standards, weighing in at 8.29kg. With this display fitted the ARM11SC was perfectly secure and offered effortless adjustability. The thick plastic collars used at each joint offer wonderfully smooth rotation, and there’s also the option to lock-off the bottom arm via a small allen bolt, leaving only the adjustability of the upper arm.


At the top of the upper arm is an allen key for adjusting the resistance of the arm to compensate for different panel weights. With this adjusted the arm was very secure regardless of what position we placed the arm in. We also tried the Viewsonic VP2770-LED, a 27in panel which weighs in at 8.5kg, and again after adjusting it sat securely.

Although the arm offers near endless options for adjustment, once cables are in place you are a little limited. By allowing a little extra wiggle room at each joint you can ensure that you have around 180 degrees of movement in any given joint but, for instance, fully extending the arm forward and tilting the screen fully back so it’s parallel with the desk – a manoeuvre shown in the company’s promotional video – is next to impossible if the cables are otherwise setup to have the monitor in a more conventional position.

What is effortless, though, is quickly switching between a horizontal and vertical monitor orientation, spinning round the whole monitor to face away from you, pulling and pushing the monitor towards you and adjusting height – the movements weird consider the most likely to be performed.

Perhaps more importantly, in comparison to the stand of the Viewsonic monitor, the space saving of the ARM11SC is quite profound. That stand has a footprint of 520mm x 360mm, the ARM11SC's stand is just 160mm x 130mm.


A couple of points to watch out for are that if your desk is narrow and backs onto a wall, you’ll be limited in how low you can adjust the arm as it fouls on itself when backed flat to a wall. Instead the monitor will need to be around 20cm forward of the wall to offer full adjustment.


The other main concern we have is that the base does dig into the surface of the table or desk. Although it has some padding the small footprint and relatively small clamp means there’s a lot of force being exerted on it. When we removed the arm after testing it had left two small dents right where the front corners of the base were. This probably says something about the quality of our test bench but if you're at all concerned we would recommend protecting the surface of your desk with a spare bit of MDF or wood, just in case (you could argue this defeats the object somewhat but it shouldn't need to be any bigger than the ARM11SC's stand).

Conclusion
All told, for £67.99 the SilverStone ARM11SC offers good value for such a well-made and attractive monitor arm. The rather awkward cable chases mean it misses out on an award but as a relatively value option it does more than enough to justify its price.