26 votes

Desk setup / Battlestation Thread.

I am a pretty big fan of the PCMR Battle station posts where everyone shares their computers and desk setups. I have never seen one here so I figured I would start one!

Here is my desk, three 32" monitors (two facing the desk, one facing my living room on the back ). I primarily use my lower monitor and have background stuff on the upper (spotify, torrent client, youtube, podcasts, winamp, twitch, discord, etc etc). I have a bunch of old Xbox360 controllers and enjoy playing PC games on the couch on my rear monitor (as well as streaming obviously). The rear monitor also has a firestick and my only source of sound (other than my headset) is an Amazon Echo (which also controls my living room lights). The PC is a prebuilt from iBUYPOWER, it was my first time buying a prebuilt (I was hesitant to do so) and the only reason I did was because I was wanting to build a new rig right as crypto mining was driving up the cost of everything and I was able to get a great deal on this one. So far it has performed great. I still have two RAM slots open so I think that is the next thing I am gonna do.

I built my last computer in 2008 so I was way overdue for a new one and my S.O. has informed me I went a little overboard =)

9200 i7-8700K 6-Core 3.7 GHz | Liquid Cooled | Z370 Motherboard| GeForce GTX 1070 | 16GB DDR4| 1TB HDD | 240GB SSD |

Lets see what you guys have!

EDIT: sorry for the low picture quality, my cell phone is garbage.

EDIT2: forgot to include a screenshot

It's the same background on all three, but the taskbar is basic on the two secondary (and icons are only on the main). And if anyone was confused about the random monitor hanging off of the back of my desk this kinda shows it better.

53 comments

  1. [4]
    spit-evil-olive-tips
    Link
    Desktop screenshot Laptop screenshot Desk Laptop Server "rack" Adjustable height desk with a bamboo top. Laptop is a Lenovo X1 Carbon, desktop is built from a Silverstone HTPC case, Haswell Core...

    Desktop screenshot

    Laptop screenshot

    Desk

    Laptop

    Server "rack"

    Adjustable height desk with a bamboo top. Laptop is a Lenovo X1 Carbon, desktop is built from a Silverstone HTPC case, Haswell Core i5, 16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe SSD, 750 Ti graphics card that I barely use anymore because I got tired of dual-booting to SteamOS.

    For sound, the desktop feeds into a Schiit Magni, which drives a pair of 250 ohm Beyerdynamic DT990 headphones, or goes out to a Lepai 2020 amp and Micca Club 3 speakers.

    The server rack is a random wooden bookshelf, on the bottom there's an Antec gaming case full of a bunch of WD Reds serving as NAS, running in ZFS stripe+mirror (RAID10), one level up is an unmanaged gigabit switch and a NUC running Proxmox for hosting VMs. On top is a cat bed / heating pad that the Feline Processing Unit is stubbornly refusing to use at the moment.

    10 votes
    1. [2]
      EscReality
      Link Parent
      Is your desktop screenshot in Colorado (or the Rockies)? Because that literally looks like it could be where I live (or nearby). I am very envious of your audio set up. I worked as an IATSE sound...

      Is your desktop screenshot in Colorado (or the Rockies)? Because that literally looks like it could be where I live (or nearby).

      I am very envious of your audio set up. I worked as an IATSE sound and electrical technician throughout college (working full scale music and theatre venues). Sound was the one thing I wanted to do, but ran out of money and opted to just buy an Echo. Are you just an audiophile or is it work related?

      4 votes
      1. spit-evil-olive-tips
        Link Parent
        North-central WA, somewhere around Oroville IIRC. That's looking west towards the Cascades, so similar terrain to Colorado. Just an audiophile, not professional about it. I've got a similar setup...

        North-central WA, somewhere around Oroville IIRC. That's looking west towards the Cascades, so similar terrain to Colorado.

        Just an audiophile, not professional about it. I've got a similar setup at work, minus the speakers for obvious reasons. Fiio E10K feeding 250ohm DT770s.

        3 votes
    2. notbillgates
      Link Parent
      ThinkPad? I See You're a Man of Culture As Well.

      ThinkPad? I See You're a Man of Culture As Well.

      2 votes
  2. [3]
    unknown user
    Link
    IDK if this counts, but here's one from a humanities guy: Desktop Server wreck What you see on my "desktop", left to right: A rather old, bulky laptop, my agenda, an a5 sized clipboard, books I'm...

    IDK if this counts, but here's one from a humanities guy:

    What you see on my "desktop", left to right: A rather old, bulky laptop, my agenda, an a5 sized clipboard, books I'm reading, book(s) I've read. Behind the pens and stuff: books to be read, dictionaries for a translation that I'm trying to do, and my "longreads": books I read bit by bit over a long time. The laptop runs Debian Stable w/ XFCE4. I use 3 out of 4 workspaces regularly: one is entirely for Emacs, the next is for Firefox, and the last one is for reading: it has Zotero, another Emacs frame and the PDF(s) I'm reading open. I was considering a lighter laptop and a wall mounter vertical display for posture, but then my country had a currency crisis and I'll have to wait. The agenda is inspired by Bullet Journal, but does not really conform to each bit. I find it better than a pre-printed agenda because it's very personalised and months can be intermingled with notes, lists, etc., which is very useful. The A5 clipboard is my main writing tool if I'm not typing into Emacs. It frees you from the linear nature of a notebook, so I don't need to have one notebook per subject/thing etc., I just write on what's basically a stack of paper and later put what I just wrote on other stacks of paper. That blueish green thing is a plastic envelope, useful for carrying paper around in a bag without messing it up.

    Ther "server wreck" is an RPi3 that I've put into a makeshift plastic chocolate box in order to protect it from dust. It's mission is to be the wireless connector to my printer/scanner, and scrape some websites for turning them into RSS feeds. Never had a problem in months, runs smoothly. IDK if I really need it though, but it's fun to have.

    Hope that's not too boring for you guys here :)

    9 votes
    1. [2]
      EscReality
      Link Parent
      That is exactly what the three books sitting on my desk are. Glad I am not the only one that does this. Have you had much experience with Raspberry Pi? Its something I have always been interested...

      "longreads": books I read bit by bit over a long time.

      That is exactly what the three books sitting on my desk are. Glad I am not the only one that does this.

      Have you had much experience with Raspberry Pi? Its something I have always been interested in, but never actually taken the time to buy one and check that world out.

      3 votes
      1. unknown user
        Link Parent
        Is that The Dubliners, the Bible and the Nature of the Second Sex? Or have I written the names of my longreads (the Bible, Odysseia, Art Through the Ages) then inadvertently edited them out? Fun...

        That is exactly what the three books sitting on my desk are.

        Is that The Dubliners, the Bible and the Nature of the Second Sex? Or have I written the names of my longreads (the Bible, Odysseia, Art Through the Ages) then inadvertently edited them out? Fun coincidence anyways! Especially the Bible is a fun read, it has so many stories and interesting bits, and reading it so many interesting details and references from other texts become clear. I think anybody seriously interested in Western literature should read at least the Homeric texts and the Bible.

        WRT RPi, well, I can't say I've had too much experience specific to it. I've mostly used it as just another debian box I ssh into (I'm yet to hook it up to a monitor actually). It has been useful to me as a front-end for the printer (though I got the printer later than the RPi itself). Other than that, and hosting my RSS scrapers, I haven't really played with it. But I'm not actively programming since quite some time, if I did that, it would've been an interesting test bed for various stuff. I actually wanted to try building a multicomputer cluster with a bunch of them, but I have other things to focus on unrelated to computing, so that was one interesting plan that could've taught me how to administer a big computer center. I don't have an interest in robotics, if you do, many people use an RPi as a brain for robotics projects.

        2 votes
  3. [2]
    Nitta
    Link
    I like how your battlestation is "real", not a super cliche one with triangular lights and a small plant on the desk. And it's cool that the fishtank is tall. Are those fish black neon tetra?

    I like how your battlestation is "real", not a super cliche one with triangular lights and a small plant on the desk. And it's cool that the fishtank is tall. Are those fish black neon tetra?

    7 votes
    1. EscReality
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Yea, I have always gamed on a shitty laptop or older desktop so when I decided to build a "battlestation" I wanted to go all out. Clearly I need more RGB glowy stuff though... I have a couple...

      Yea, I have always gamed on a shitty laptop or older desktop so when I decided to build a "battlestation" I wanted to go all out. Clearly I need more RGB glowy stuff though...

      I have a couple Mollies and some mini shark things that I do not remember the name of the name of (and a sucker and a few neon snails). I just ordered a few more plants for it, one of the reasons I have a tall tank is so I can have more live plants and have the tank be as sustainable as possible. This is the best fish picture I can get with my phone.

      I often zone out watching the fish when I am gaming, they make amazing pregame lobby distractions. =)

      EDIT: the name of the sharks are "roseline sharks (Sahyadria denisonii)", which I just found out (via googlefu) that they are actually an endangered species sooooo it's kinda weird my local fish store carries them.

      3 votes
  4. [4]
    Jedi
    Link
    Bit late, but here's mine. Computer: Pixelbook (256) Monitor: LG25UM57 Headphones: Phillips SHP9500s Headphone Stand: Blue Yeti Simple set-up, just finished replacing my Windows desktop with it,...

    Bit late, but here's mine.

    Computer: Pixelbook (256)
    Monitor: LG25UM57
    Headphones: Phillips SHP9500s
    Headphone Stand: Blue Yeti

    Simple set-up, just finished replacing my Windows desktop with it, and it's going great. Now whenever I got to go somewhere, I just unplug my Pixelbook from my monitor, and everything comes with me. Even got myself to clean up my desk a bit.

    7 votes
    1. [3]
      EscReality
      Link Parent
      So, is the Pixelbook just running an updated version of Chrome OS? or is it something entirely different?

      So, is the Pixelbook just running an updated version of Chrome OS? or is it something entirely different?

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        Jedi
        Link Parent
        Runs the same Chrome OS as other Chromebooks (with the addition of the Google Assistant), but Chrome OS has been getting a lot more functional lately. This year we got Crostini, which allows Linux...

        Runs the same Chrome OS as other Chromebooks (with the addition of the Google Assistant), but Chrome OS has been getting a lot more functional lately.

        This year we got Crostini, which allows Linux applications to be run natively (and allows me to finally free myself of Windows), last year we got Android apps, and (probably early next year) we'll soon be getting "Alt OS" which will allow us to dual-boot into other operating systems.

        There are are also unconfirmed rumors of Adobe software being built for Chrome OS, that (if true) we should be hearing more about in the coming months. Very exciting stuff.

        4 votes
        1. EscReality
          Link Parent
          Wow, I had a first gen chromebook back when you could pick a functional one up for like $100. It was a great little computer for internet browsing and the low price tag gave me the confidence to...

          Wow, I had a first gen chromebook back when you could pick a functional one up for like $100. It was a great little computer for internet browsing and the low price tag gave me the confidence to take it everywhere with me with very little caution. But, for anything other than browsing the thing was useless.

          Sounds like they have come a long way since then, good to hear.

          2 votes
  5. [9]
    cfabbro
    (edited )
    Link
    I love seeing other people's battlestations too! :) My current setup: https://i.imgur.com/1Zbw3rp.jpg My new Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build topic (with lots of pics) from a few months ago:...

    I love seeing other people's battlestations too! :)

    My current setup:
    https://i.imgur.com/1Zbw3rp.jpg

    My new Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build topic (with lots of pics) from a few months ago:
    https://tildes.net/~comp/3k4/my_new_mini_itx_gaming_pc_build

    I generally use the left monitor for web-browsing and reference material while working, the top monitor for media playing (youtube, spotify, etc), the right monitor for communications (discord, steam, slack, etc) and the ultra-wide center monitor for actual work (and gaming). I am also a huge PC gamer as well (945 games on Steam), hence the 360 controller in my pic too. I also have a 47" TV hooked up as a 5th monitor to the left of that pic so I can PC game on my couch and an HTC Vive headset mounted to the wall just to the left of that pic as well.

    6 votes
    1. [5]
      EscReality
      Link Parent
      I went back and forward between lots of smaller monitors and a couple of huge ones for a long time. I think your setup is pretty similar to what I would have ended up with if I had gone with a...

      I went back and forward between lots of smaller monitors and a couple of huge ones for a long time. I think your setup is pretty similar to what I would have ended up with if I had gone with a panoramic setup. Ultimately I didn't think I would utilize a third enough, so I went big (plus I got a sweet deal from Amazon Prime for buying multiples).

      Hmmmm, maybe I do need more monitors.

      My 360 has been in storage in the back of my closet for a few years now. I was really excited when I realised I could utilized all the old controllers I had just lying around. Now if only I could transfer some of the 80+ 360 game licenses over to PC that are also in that box.

      945 games on Steam

      o_O

      I broke 200 this Summer and I was really proud of that, my steam account is like a decade old too.

      Holy cow, I got nothing on your numbers.

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        spit-evil-olive-tips
        Link Parent
        I've conducted exhaustive research into this for the machine I have at work...it turns out that the ideal number of monitors is "as many as you can fit on your desk, plus one".

        Hmmmm, maybe I do need more monitors.

        I've conducted exhaustive research into this for the machine I have at work...it turns out that the ideal number of monitors is "as many as you can fit on your desk, plus one".

        4 votes
        1. EscReality
          Link Parent
          But I already have a monitor hanging off the back of my desk, hm, I bet I could fit one more somewhere.

          But I already have a monitor hanging off the back of my desk, hm, I bet I could fit one more somewhere.

          2 votes
      2. [2]
        cfabbro
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        Every time I get another new monitor that is exactly what immediately goes through my brain. I am 100% in agreement with @spit-evil-olive-tips on the ideal number of monitors; You can never have...

        Hmmmm, maybe I do need more monitors.

        Every time I get another new monitor that is exactly what immediately goes through my brain. I am 100% in agreement with @spit-evil-olive-tips on the ideal number of monitors; You can never have too many. ;)

        my steam account is like a decade old too.

        Yeah mine is up there too. I got my "Years of Service" badge on Steam upgraded to 14 in July... "Member since 29 July, 2004." I still remember when Steam was a gross shade of green. :P

        2 votes
        1. EscReality
          Link Parent
          I liked the olive drab look, I get super nostalgic every time I come across screenshots of it.

          I liked the olive drab look, I get super nostalgic every time I come across screenshots of it.

          1 vote
    2. [3]
      Greed
      Link Parent
      I recognize that video but I can't remember what it's called. Care to share?

      I recognize that video but I can't remember what it's called. Care to share?

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        cfabbro
        Link Parent
        Aurora live at Indie88. :) I <3 Aurora and Indie88... she's one of my favorite artists and it's my favorite radio station here in Toronto.

        Aurora live at Indie88. :)
        I <3 Aurora and Indie88... she's one of my favorite artists and it's my favorite radio station here in Toronto.

  6. [4]
    tomf
    Link
    Fairly basic setup -- https://i.imgur.com/jvMZYQC.jpg The VESA mounted laptop tray was a godsend for my posture. The left monitor is connected to a little NUC that's mounted to the side of my...

    Fairly basic setup -- https://i.imgur.com/jvMZYQC.jpg

    The VESA mounted laptop tray was a godsend for my posture. The left monitor is connected to a little NUC that's mounted to the side of my desk. I control it with an HP Media Center remote or with a cursor via Synergy.

    The desk is a MALM occasional table that Ikea sold years ago. Its only 14" deep, so the mounts are necessary. On the rear side I'm using a lot of velcro wraps to manage the cables.

    6 votes
    1. roboticide
      Link Parent
      I love how clean, simple, and elegant this setup is. Its nowhere near enough for my personal needs, but damn do I wish my setup was that clean.

      I love how clean, simple, and elegant this setup is.

      Its nowhere near enough for my personal needs, but damn do I wish my setup was that clean.

      4 votes
    2. [2]
      EscReality
      Link Parent
      Damn, I really like the ambient lighting. Is is static or can you change it? I wonder if something like that would work with Alexa. Yea i really need to raise my lower monitor up a bit, my posture...

      Damn, I really like the ambient lighting. Is is static or can you change it? I wonder if something like that would work with Alexa.

      Yea i really need to raise my lower monitor up a bit, my posture is crap. I never would have thought of a VESA stand for a laptop, it looks really great.

      MALM occasional table

      I actually used to have one of those in the hallway of my old house. Aren't they only like a foot and a half wide?

      My desk is literally a small dining room table that I found at a thrift store, refinished and drilled out holes for the VESA tower. Basically everything tech in my whole house is on it so I kinda had to go big.

      3 votes
      1. tomf
        Link Parent
        the lighting is only that warm, yellow-y light. Its just strip lights I got off of fasttech for $15 or something. The MALM is about 72" wide -- pretty decent. I raised it up using some short legs...

        the lighting is only that warm, yellow-y light. Its just strip lights I got off of fasttech for $15 or something.

        The MALM is about 72" wide -- pretty decent. I raised it up using some short legs and some wood, since I'm taller.

        My old 'desk' was my kitchen table. I drilled a hole in the leaf and put in a plastic grommet. I have cable management underneath, so I can work by day and put everything away without having to unplug everything. Pretty handy for its time.

        For the lights, go with the Philips HUE. You can control them with IFTTT and Alexa (I believe) -- definitely the Google stuff.

        3 votes
  7. [2]
    Gabe_DeGrossi
    Link
    Here's my desk and my keyboard. I recently switched to macOS, so here's my new desktop. Any apps I should install? I've got Magnet and Vanilla already. I'm looking to upgrade to a 27" 4k monitor...

    Here's my desk and my keyboard.
    I recently switched to macOS, so here's my new desktop. Any apps I should install? I've got Magnet and Vanilla already.

    I'm looking to upgrade to a 27" 4k monitor at some point, but I'm pretty happy with my current 25" 1440p Dell.

    6 votes
    1. Leon
      Link Parent
      I recently acquired a Macbok and the brew repo has been a god send.

      I recently acquired a Macbok and the brew repo has been a god send.

      1 vote
  8. [3]
    Yudhayvavhay
    Link
    Here's my 'desktop', it's fairly boring and not much to look at. https://vgy.me/rTgwMp.png I'm currently using a (god awful) FX 8350@4.6GHz, GTX 1060, some budget 970 motherboard that barely holds...

    Here's my 'desktop', it's fairly boring and not much to look at. https://vgy.me/rTgwMp.png

    I'm currently using a (god awful) FX 8350@4.6GHz, GTX 1060, some budget 970 motherboard that barely holds the 4.6GHz clock, and some very good 16GB DDR3 (2666MHz CL12 box spec) which I can't take advantage of because of the FX and it's terrible IMC.

    I'm looking into buying a R5 2600, MSI X370 Gaming Plus (it's the cheapest X370 board in my country, cheaper than even B450 boards) and 16GB DDR4.

    There's also the option of buying a Huanan X79/E5-1650 v2 combo but AliExpress takes long to arrive and I've heard mixed things about the Huanan board, I also don't want to lock myself into a dead platform.

    6 votes
    1. [2]
      cos
      Link Parent
      What desktop environment is that? And how did you configure it to look like that?

      What desktop environment is that? And how did you configure it to look like that?

      1 vote
      1. TooFewColours
        Link Parent
        Looks like out of the box Solus/Budgie with transparency toggled on the task bar. Looks great—my favourite DE for sure.

        Looks like out of the box Solus/Budgie with transparency toggled on the task bar. Looks great—my favourite DE for sure.

        2 votes
  9. [2]
    roboticide
    Link
    Overview of my home setup. Not a pure battlestation, but also a hobby area with lots of storage for 3D printing and other stuff. Two MALM desks and a MALM drawer that have been hacked together...

    Overview of my home setup. Not a pure battlestation, but also a hobby area with lots of storage for 3D printing and other stuff. Two MALM desks and a MALM drawer that have been hacked together quite a bit to include integrated LED lighting and other goodies.

    Actual computer station. My uncle had a 40" TV he was getting rid of about 5 years ago, and even after it broke I knew I could never go back. It's my main gaming screen for both my PC and an XBox One/PS4, which are stowed away in the lower right. The two 22" monitors on the right are primarily for Netflix or movies, reddit and chats, reference material, and stuff like that.

    It's a bit of a mess and not very "clean," but its my little corner of nerd-vana.

    My work desk isn't much better. Actually its worse. Definitely worse.

    5 votes
    1. EscReality
      Link Parent
      This is basically how I got hooked on 32" monitors. I have gotten a lot of flack from friends for having such big monitors, but on my last computer set up a friend was giving away an old 32" TV so...

      I knew I could never go back.

      This is basically how I got hooked on 32" monitors. I have gotten a lot of flack from friends for having such big monitors, but on my last computer set up a friend was giving away an old 32" TV so I just used it as the monitor. I will never be able to have anything smaller now, there really is no going back once you get used to having so much space.

      2 votes
  10. [2]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. EscReality
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      You sir, have great taste in keyboards =) Long term goal for me would be to move my two 32" up top on my stack and have a 4k curved ultra wide on bottom. I am waiting till their quality and price...

      You sir, have great taste in keyboards =)

      Long term goal for me would be to move my two 32" up top on my stack and have a 4k curved ultra wide on bottom. I am waiting till their quality and price improves.

      Also, what is the source of that background? I get very Tolkien vibes from it.

      2 votes
  11. [4]
    geek
    Link
    https://imgur.com/a/E0JN8 There is mine, but that's a little old, I have a 16:9 monitor on top now and an old 16:9 (old laptop) monitor on the left side now. Everything else is the same. My wifes...

    https://imgur.com/a/E0JN8

    There is mine, but that's a little old, I have a 16:9 monitor on top now and an old 16:9 (old laptop) monitor on the left side now. Everything else is the same.

    My wifes computer is next to mine, to the right.

    4 votes
    1. [3]
      cfabbro
      Link Parent
      Nice fsociety mask. I haven't watched the new season yet. In your opinion is it as good as the previous ones? I felt S2 jumped the shark a little bit so I have been holding off on S3 because of that.

      Nice fsociety mask. I haven't watched the new season yet. In your opinion is it as good as the previous ones? I felt S2 jumped the shark a little bit so I have been holding off on S3 because of that.

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        cos
        Link Parent
        Season 3 is definitely better than Season 2. It introduces several new characters, two of which are now my favorites in the series! I highly recommend giving it a watch.

        Season 3 is definitely better than Season 2. It introduces several new characters, two of which are now my favorites in the series! I highly recommend giving it a watch.

        2 votes
        1. cfabbro
          Link Parent
          Excellent, that's awesome to hear! Thanks. I will check it out after I finish watching the new season of Westworld. :)

          Excellent, that's awesome to hear! Thanks. I will check it out after I finish watching the new season of Westworld. :)

          2 votes
  12. [6]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. [2]
      Crespyl
      Link Parent
      Re the DBUS question: I'm not entirely sure, but it looks like all that's in there is just references to find the DBUS address for the session. It's probably being set up by your session manager...

      Re the DBUS question:

      I'm not entirely sure, but it looks like all that's in there is just references to find the DBUS address for the session. It's probably being set up by your session manager (SDDM or whatever), so you may be able to configure it there or start dbus-launch on login yourself (via xinitrc or something) with the appropriate configuration/env vars.

      3 votes
      1. [2]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. Crespyl
          Link Parent
          Looking at the contents of .dbus on my system, there's a file for each display containing something like: # This file allows processes on the machine with id <id> using # display :0 to find the...

          Looking at the contents of .dbus on my system, there's a file for each display containing something like:

          # This file allows processes on the machine with id <id> using
          # display :0 to find the D-Bus session bus with the below address.
          # If the DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS environment variable is set, it will
          # be used rather than this file.
          # See "man dbus-launch" for more details.
          DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:abstract=/tmp/dbus-nSNRy5TkpU,guid=...
          DBUS_SESSION_BUS_PID=...
          DBUS_SESSION_BUS_WINDOWID=...
          

          My assumption is that, since you're not using a session manager, some process or library is looking for a session bus, not finding it, and automatically creating one before dropping those files into .dbus for the next program to find.

          If you manually create a session in .xinitrc or similar (via dbus-launch), setting the DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS environment variable, then programs should be able to find the bus that way and won't need .dbus at all.

          I don't have more time to investigate right now, but I'd suggest looking at the man pages for dbus-launch, and dbus-run-session. Basically, it should be possible to manually set up the DBUS session bus and make it available to programs in your session via those environment variables, and cut out whatever is currently doing that set up for you automatically (and using the .dbus directory).

          3 votes
    2. EscReality
      Link Parent
      Man, I love that ThinkPads have changed very little in 20 years. Hmm, maybe I need a new laptop.

      Man, I love that ThinkPads have changed very little in 20 years. Hmm, maybe I need a new laptop.

      2 votes
    3. [2]
      cos
      Link Parent
      I'm a huge fan of your dedication to minimalism! What distribution are you running?

      2bwm

      xst

      plain zsh

      I'm a huge fan of your dedication to minimalism! What distribution are you running?

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. cos
          Link Parent
          Oh wow, I'm impressed! You sound like you need to try installing and running an LFS system without ever leaving the TTY. I think you'll love it! ;)

          Oh wow, I'm impressed! You sound like you need to try installing and running an LFS system without ever leaving the TTY. I think you'll love it! ;)

          2 votes
  13. NoobFace
    Link
    Raised Desk Lowered Desk Side View Desk is a 44"(w) x 24"(d) standing desk from Uplift. It has casters to easily move the whole thing out of the guest room while guests are there. Happy to do a...

    Raised Desk
    Lowered Desk
    Side View

    Desk is a 44"(w) x 24"(d) standing desk from Uplift. It has casters to easily move the whole thing out of the guest room while guests are there.

    Happy to do a list of other parts and stuff if anyone is interested.

    3 votes
  14. est
    Link
    I don't have a pic but here's my spec back in Aug: i5 8400 6core 2.8GHz G.SKILL AEGIS DDR4 2666MHz 8G x2 ASRock B360M-ITX/ac GALAX GTX 1060 mini 6G SilverStone ML08B-H Sandisk SSD Plus 240G Total...

    I don't have a pic but here's my spec back in Aug:

    • i5 8400 6core 2.8GHz
    • G.SKILL AEGIS DDR4 2666MHz 8G x2
    • ASRock B360M-ITX/ac
    • GALAX GTX 1060 mini 6G
    • SilverStone ML08B-H
    • Sandisk SSD Plus 240G

    Total cost around $900. It's the first PC build in my life and I totally love it.

    1 vote
  15. [3]
    l_one
    Link
    Main computer desk Lab desk w/ lab computer (opposite side of the room). Main desktop screenshot Main desktop specs: i9-11900K liquid cooled 64GB RAM 500GB SSD (Samsung 980 Pro NVMe) 18TB Seagate...

    Main computer desk

    Lab desk w/ lab computer (opposite side of the room).

    Main desktop screenshot

    Main desktop specs:
    i9-11900K liquid cooled
    64GB RAM
    500GB SSD (Samsung 980 Pro NVMe)
    18TB Seagate storage drive (and innumerable external drives plugged in as needed)
    NVIDIA RTX A2000 quad-DP
    Linux Mint 21.2 Cinnamon / Kernel 5.15.0-86-generic

    My main computer desk and my lab bench are the primary features of my home office. All the work I do at home I do there. Not quite fit into the picture of my computer desk are the printers: a standard Samsung laser printer and a Zebra GX430t thermal label printer for shipping for my eBay business.

    For a long time I stuck with 1 monitor, then at some point I tried 2 and it worked well for me, having additional display space. About a year ago or so I added a third and have since come to the conclusion that no matter how much display real estate I have I can find a use for it all.

    The lab computer is nothing impressive, just a HP Elitedesk small form factor computer. I didn't really need a lot of horsepower for the lab desktop, just something to display schematics or watch a repair video on YouTube. The video output from the microscope (when I mount my camera on it) I just plug directly into the display.

    1 vote
    1. [2]
      kallisti
      Link Parent
      You neglected to mention the really good cats in both pics. V pleasant surprise.

      You neglected to mention the really good cats in both pics. V pleasant surprise.

      1 vote
      1. l_one
        Link Parent
        They are great. The desk cat is Roxie and Mr. sleeps-on-my-toolbag is Floof. Floof is a genius, and an asshole, and incredibly, unfairly soft.

        They are great. The desk cat is Roxie and Mr. sleeps-on-my-toolbag is Floof.

        Floof is a genius, and an asshole, and incredibly, unfairly soft.

        1 vote
  16. [2]
    kallisti
    Link
    Main Desk Work M1 MBP on the left, Personal M2 MBP on the right. Desk is actually 2m long but it's a nightmare to get all of that in one shot. Cheap Electriq brand 4K 24" monitors that actually...

    Main Desk
    Work M1 MBP on the left, Personal M2 MBP on the right. Desk is actually 2m long but it's a nightmare to get all of that in one shot.

    • Cheap Electriq brand 4K 24" monitors that actually use a pretty great panel
    • Touch ID gutted out of a magic keyboard and affixed to my monitor
    • CalDigit TS4 thunderbolt dock
    • Tragic Macpad + repurposed Tatung keyboard from 80s
    • One of my old pairs of soundsticks
    • A decent mic so I can at least sound remotely half decent wfh

    Workshop desk

    • M1 iMac w/the matching tragic macpad and a retrofitted Panasonic keyboard (now bluetooth with ZMK) off an old phone system
    • Touch ID keyboard taped to the wall cause I didn't wanna destroy a purple one
    • Bunch of electronics doing junk

    Bonus round: home server
    This one is a NUC hackintosh media server with a bunch of hard drives crammed in an old Macintosh IIci case with reasonably matching peripherals. Running macOS for the memes. Great for actually watching SD TV on too, so I keep this one right next to main TV.

    1 vote
    1. l_one
      Link Parent
      Awesome! I love the retro-mac setup of your media server. I also appreciate seeing other electronics nerds out there.

      Awesome! I love the retro-mac setup of your media server. I also appreciate seeing other electronics nerds out there.

  17. Pavouk106
    (edited )
    Link
    I'm no big enthusiast in this particular thing, I had i5 750 until 2022 when I upgraded (for free) to i5-3470 and got 16GB of RAM (previously 8). I have beautiful aluminium Lian-Li HTPC case that...

    I'm no big enthusiast in this particular thing, I had i5 750 until 2022 when I upgraded (for free) to i5-3470 and got 16GB of RAM (previously 8).

    I have beautiful aluminium Lian-Li HTPC case that I plan on keeping, so I'm limited by TDP of CPU somewhat (<100W is ok) and height of GPU, so I have GTX 1650. Thanks god, this actually saves me a lot of money because I can't put newer stuff in :-D

    I have 1080p 60Hz IPS LCD that I got for free (previously had TN panel I bought myself with i5 750 back in the day). I don't have speaers connected to my PC as it is in our living room and I don't want to bother family members. The PC is connected to our TV though - Panasonic 42" plasma from 2011. I have some chinese-made local eshop mechanical keyboard with backlight and Cherry Red switches, which is actually pretty good for the price (standard is like 80€, I got it in sale for 50). I have Logitech Anywhere MX3 mouse because I wanted BT capable mouse of believable quality and portale one because... I bought Steam Deck.

    So my gaming shifted to Steam Deck with only a few games on my desktop really (like RTS and some shooters). When Steam Deck Dock (what a name!) dropped in pice to 80€ recently, I went for it. I work from home and use my desktop as a "background noise" source, playing videos or music into he headphones and other stuff while working on employers notebook. Since my desktop needs much more power than Steam Deck, I wanted to use Steam Deck for this and that's where, at last, an image of my setup comes in.

    So the setup: PC is across the room connected to this corner via HDMI (into LCD) and USB3 extension cable, both of them are wired through the wall (what do you call the plastic in wall tubing in english? conduit?). The USB3 is then connectedinto the HUB that is double-sided taped on the side of the LCD. On the top behind the LCD is double-sided taped USB3 switch that switches the HUB between extension (thus PC) and Steam Deck (Steam Deck is also connected to LCD). So by one click of a button the whole HUB which has keyboard, mouse and USB soundcard connected gets switched from onemcine to another depending on what I want to use.

    There are some decorations as you can see - LEGO Saurn V rocket, stirling engine, Metal earth Millenium Falcon, hand painted plaster mold of R2D2 (not really visible) and that strange glass tube thermometer with floating glass "bubbles" that tell how many degrees it is. There is also small LEGO helicopter, LTT waterbottle (LTTstore.com) and I also hae one 20cm 5V Noctua fan that I slapped li-ion batteries and DIY PWM controller on and use it as portable fan in the summer. I also have TUF H3 (or whatever) headset there and some hefty powerbank for my Steam Deck.

    EDIT: I run Gentoo Linux on desktop and I use Arch, btw, on Steam Deck (aka Steam OS).

    1 vote
  18. onyxleopard
    Link
    Saw this got bumped and decided to contribute. This is my Thunderbolt 4 enabled setup with my laptop driving a 5120x1440 32:9 ultra wide display via a dock at full resolution and 48-120 Hz dynamic...

    Saw this got bumped and decided to contribute.

    This is my Thunderbolt 4 enabled setup with my laptop driving a 5120x1440 32:9 ultra wide display via a dock at full resolution and 48-120 Hz dynamic refresh rate:

    Highlights:

  19. Grimmcartel
    Link
    https://imgur.com/a/OZVIsn4 To the average Joe, pretty neat looking gaming rig. To someone more seasoned, that case and cooler are life support systems for my i7 920. 24 gigs of Tri channel ram,...

    https://imgur.com/a/OZVIsn4

    To the average Joe, pretty neat looking gaming rig.

    To someone more seasoned, that case and cooler are life support systems for my i7 920. 24 gigs of Tri channel ram, 256 SSD, 512 platter and a 1tb WD usb platter external. The graphics are handled by a 960 for now. I got the machine the motherboard was first installed in when I was working for Nerdcorps, so if you're a fan of Slugterra or the League of Super Evil, or even Monster High, this rig probably had a hand in what you saw. Now it heats my room while I play No Man's Sky