VESA Mounts Explained

VESA mounts are a great thing when it comes to PC gaming. As gaming monitors continue to grow in size and weight, the stands that come with them have become massive desk hogs.

These stands are particularly annoying for PC gamers, as there are many other things that need that precious desk space: mouse, keyboard, food, beverages, and the ever-present random paraphernalia. Additionally, now that a dual-monitor setup is generally accepted to be better, the problem is doubled.

However, if your monitor has a VESA mount, then you’re a quick monitor stand purchase away from reclaiming all that lost space. So, let’s talk about how VESA mounts: how they work, and how to make sure you get it right.

In short, when you hear people saying “VESA mount,” they are referring to the presence or lack thereof of four screw holes in the back of a monitor in a standardized pattern.

These holes indicate that you can mount the monitor in question onto a monitor arm securely and easily, without any modification. However, you will often have to remove the default stand in order to access these holes. Either by hitting a button and unlocking the stand, or by unscrewing it from those same holes.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a universal standard if there weren’t a number of sub-standards to sift through. However, when it comes to gaming monitors, it will almost always be “VESA 100x100,” which refers to four holes arranged in an equilateral square, 100mm long on each side.

Also not uncommon are VESA 75x75 and VESA 200x200. Both of these follow the same layout as VESA 100x100, aside from the obvious size difference. It’s also worth mentioning the rectangular VESA 100x200 spec, which spaces the holes in a rectangle that is 200mm wide and 100mm tall.

Going off topic for a moment, when you move away from typical monitor sizes and toward large TVs, upwards of 43 inches or so, the VESA standard opens up and can be far wider than the ones we mentioned earlier – up to 400x400 or more. This is unlikely to be of concern for PC gamers, but it’s worth knowing anyway.

There are two main advantages that come from using a VESA mount for your monitors. We already covered the first one, reclaiming desk space, but the second one is perhaps more important, practically speaking: Adjustability.

Although not guaranteed, if you’re going to use the VESA mount on your monitor, it’s probably in order to attach it to a monitor arm, like the CORSAIR Dual Arm Stand. This allows you to move both monitors with the full six degrees of freedom, which is a legitimate game-changer, especially where ergonomics are concerned. Those of you with a Platform:6 or Platform:4 should note that the included monitor mounts are compatible with VESA 75x75 and 100x100.

Additionally, VESA mounting is very helpful if you like to use unconventional monitor setups, such as having one or more of your monitors in a vertical orientation. This is particularly popular if you’re a programmer, developer, or Redditor. Normal users can benefit from a vertical monitor too, as it’s the perfect configuration for a never-ending stream of YouTube Shorts.