let's talk about desks

Lonewollf

Lonewollf

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Greetings and slututations everyone! I'm getting ready to do some springish cleaning and going to be reorganizing my house. The desk that I am currently using is an old office desk that doesn't have much room on it. I'm also forced to sit on the left hand side of the desk and have all peripherals off to the right. There is no place to connect any sort of mounts for my HOTAS or racing wheel. Below is a picture of what the desk looks like and what kind of room I am looking at (not my current setup, but is my current desk). I've been looking at alot of different "Gaming" style desks on amazon (IE: DESINO L shape desk from amazon ) and after reading some of the reviews of it, I'm not impressed with the quality of it. So here I am, reaching out, using a life line and phoning a friend. Does anybody have any suggestions for a new desk?
07 everyone


20150108_231903.jpg
 
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Jolly_Green_Giant

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I definitely wouldn't go anywhere near a 'gaming' desk, usually everything with 'gaming' attached to it is gonna be a lot of flash and low quality. Look for a desk that's at least 70" wide to give yourself some room, make sure it has a lip that can fit your peripheral mounts and make sure it has some weight to it. As for depth, youll have to measure it out, but i would suggest something 30" and up.

If i were to get a new desk, it would be something like this. I'd probably look for a higher quality one if i could just because I don't like them all being covered in laminate and wobbling around.

Offices to go Superior 71" Credenza Desk Shell, Artisan Gray (TDSL7136DSAGL) | Staples
Click to expand...
 
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Shadow Reaper

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My suggestion is to remove the desk entirely, and focus on building the sim pit around the most comfortable chair you can find. Any recliner with 2 cup holders to fit VIRPILs will do.

Othello Power Recliner w/Power Headrest | Raymour & Flanigan

The Othello power recliner lives up to it's name—strong, confident and efficient.
www.raymourflanigan.com www.raymourflanigan.com

The monitor can be bolted direct to the wall, suspended from the ceiling, or from an arch curving over the back of the chair. The keyboard and mouse can sit on any board or plank like structure that suspends between the two cup holders, and the stick mounts pass through. So in effect, your chair is taking up the vast majority of the space available and you have no real desk.

IMHO, desks are the next attache' case. No one uses attache's anymore. They were replaced by smartphones. So should be the common desk.

Massage chairs are an interesting choice but I think the added restraints and heating will actually work against most people. You want something you can move around in to some degree, add cushions, etc. You should never plan to be motionless and in the same posture for hours on end. No matter how comfortable, that is not healthy. Get a chair big enough you can wiggle around, add cushions, etc.

Ideally you can then put your computer in the closet, basement, attic, etc. It does not need to be accessible from your sim pit and in effect should be more secure than that. Now your space is quiet. The mic in your monitor should be enough to turn things on and off, but you can always add a remote headphone jack, if you like.
 
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Sirus7264

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make your own desk something simple you don't need all those drawers etc when you are gaming they just get in the way and cause clutter. Some simple plywood wood clue and a cheap router with bits and you are good to go. get primer, spray paint, and sandpaper and you are good to go.
 
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Bambooza

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Shadow Reaper said:
My suggestion is to remove the desk entirely, and focus on building the sim pit around the most comfortable chair you can find. Any recliner with 2 cup holders to fit VIRPILs will do.

Othello Power Recliner w/Power Headrest | Raymour & Flanigan

The Othello power recliner lives up to it's name—strong, confident and efficient.
www.raymourflanigan.com www.raymourflanigan.com

The monitor can be bolted direct to the wall, suspended from the ceiling, or from an arch curving over the back of the chair. The keyboard and mouse can sit on any board or plank like structure that suspends between the two cup holders, and the stick mounts pass through. So in effect, your chair is taking up the vast majority of the space available and you have no real desk.

IMHO, desks are the next attache' case. No one uses attache's anymore. They were replaced by smartphones. So should be the common desk.

Massage chairs are an interesting choice but I think the added restraints and heating will actually work against most people. You want something you can move around in to some degree, add cushions, etc. You should never plan to be motionless and in the same posture for hours on end. No matter how comfortable, that is not healthy. Get a chair big enough you can wiggle around, add cushions, etc.

Ideally you can then put your computer in the closet, basement, attic, etc. It does not need to be accessible from your sim pit and in effect should be more secure than that. Now your space is quiet. The mic in your monitor should be enough to turn things on and off, but you can always add a remote headphone jack, if you like.
Click to expand...

It is an interesting idea given VR glasses are getting better. All you would need would be some way to have a folding trays for keyboard/joystick. Even if the game doesn't support VR most of the glasses support a floating monitor like virtual desktop and big screen.
 
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Shadow Reaper

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Bambooza said:
It is an interesting idea given VR glasses are getting better. All you would need would be some way to have a folding trays for keyboard/joystick. Even if the game doesn't support VR most of the glasses support a floating monitor like virtual desktop and big screen.
Click to expand...
There was a decent thread half year back with a guy doing VR. My trouble is I need to see the keyboard, etc. and mouse still seems the best way to do FPS.
 
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NaffNaffBobFace

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Shadow Reaper said:
There was a decent thread half year back with a guy doing VR. My trouble is I need to see the keyboard, etc. and mouse still seems the best way to do FPS.
Click to expand...
This is my problem too, I got a web cam to use the Faceware head tracking and it works great but it really highlighted that every time I needed to press a button that wasn't in the asdf cluster I had to stare at the keyboard! My in game character kept staring at their crotch like they were obsessed with their own junk!
 
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Bambooza

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Shadow Reaper said:
There was a decent thread half year back with a guy doing VR. My trouble is I need to see the keyboard, etc. and mouse still seems the best way to do FPS.
Click to expand...
Ya i have been trying to figure out how to do both keyboard/mouse and joystick for SC. For the moment I have been ditching my joystick for just keyboard/mouse for everything. But now if i could have a nice comfy chair that had trays i could fold down that would hold the keyboard mouse pad as well as quick flip up joysticks that would rock.
 
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GPcustoms

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Some great ideas here as usual and everything always depends on space and personal preferences. :like: I used three monitors and a big office desk for an IR tracking set up but the desk was obnoxiously large. Then I tossed the desk in favor or a simulator and VR(still eats up space in the man cave). Space and ease of use always commands the decision as does work and home life(Im chronologically challenged and retired).:drunk:
I hope yours goes easier than some of our own trials and is adapted to meet your TEST needs(Booze and Auroras):o7:
 
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Vavrik

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Blind Owl said:
I bought a sit/stand frame from Primecables and built an oak top for it. Sanded, stained, and away we went. 64" x 48". View attachment 20905
Click to expand...
This is very similar to what I used for a long time. If you have a spare table, you can use that instead. If you're using plywood you can find desk legs on Amazon for just about any size desk. Just make sure it's sturdy. I also have a top that can raise up when I need to stand. You don't need it but it can help, especially if you're sitting for a long time.

Edit: This is the one that I bought a few years ago. It's still being sold.

Amazon.com : Quick Sit to Stand Desktop Gas Spring Riser (Max Height:19.3inch), 33 inch Height Adjustable Standing Desk Converter for Dual Computer Monitors & Laptop Workstation, Perfect Home Office by HUANUO : Office Products

Amazon.com : Quick Sit to Stand Desktop Gas Spring Riser (Max Height:19.3inch), 33 inch Height Adjustable Standing Desk Converter for Dual Computer Monitors & Laptop Workstation, Perfect Home Office by HUANUO : Office Products
www.amazon.com
 
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Chromeninja

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FZD

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This is just my opinion, but BOY DO I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT IT!
Get an electric desk. Even if you're not the kind of person who constantly switches between standing and sitting, being able to easily adjust your table to the perfect height for you improves your gaming experience immensely.
Sure, regular tables can be also adjusted a bit, but once you got your system setup on top of it you're not going to crank 4 legs separately to find that perfect spot. And if you change your chair, well, that perfect spot might move a bit. And sure, you can adjust chairs quite easily, but if you're adjusting the chair to compensate for the tables height then you might get suboptimal leg placement in relation to the floor. In my personal experience, best to adjust chair in relation to floor and then the table in relation to chair, because if you adjust chair in relation to table, you can't change the height of your floor.
Not to mention different activities might have different sweet spots.
And then you CAN stand up when you feel like it, even if you don't do that constantly.

Well, whatever you're doing, electric desk offers great flexibility.
 
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Cugino83

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Well if you like a spacius desk but cheam and with plenty of space to perifeal just.... don't buy a desk. Any desk, especially the "gaming" one that have noting more then some fancy color.
I've see lot's of solution and the most cheap and common is to use a desktop layed upon a couple of drawer from Ikea: dirt and simple, cheap as hell and with plenty of space and style option.
Just add some cable management solution to keep the cable in order and, if your monitor support that, a VESA stand to free even more space on the desk.

And if in the future you'll like to expand the station with an additional "L" top you just nee another desktop and something to place it upon... really it's that easy.
 
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Patrick Spaceman

Patrick Spaceman

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Here's before and after.

Before: Shitty laminated chipboard and equally shitty desk drawers. In front of it I used a folding picnic table for the keyboard and mouse. Tables were two different heights and they sucked, the picnic table is made of plastic. Good for a picnic table but tragic for a computer desk.

After: God Mode - on. Four Ikea drawers and a nice tabletop from a place that sells pub-furniture, the wood is beautiful and easy to clean. Not shown is the second flat screen monitor I placed next to the existing one in portrait mode.

Note the super thick layer of dust on the old desk, is from a ceiling collapse that destroyed out bedroom and sent a layer of dust and shit straight into the study, only feet away and fucked every thing in that room also. Had to buy a small cordless blower to clean all the computer gear.

20210417_122527.jpg
20210417_165643.jpg
 
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Shadow Reaper

Shadow Reaper

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I'm still thinking of going deskless. The more I learn about assigning stuff to button boxes, the less I think I'll ever need a full sized keyboard, and without that, I don't see the need for a desk.

This is the first gaming chair to make me think twice about using a recliner.

View: https://youtu.be/623mRRGrd3M


The link below to Monster shows great stuff.
 
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Patrick Spaceman

Patrick Spaceman

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Shadow Reaper said:
I'm still thinking of going deskless. The more I learn about assigning stuff to button boxes, the less I think I'll ever need a full sized keyboard, and without that, I don't see the need for a desk.

This is the first gaming chair to make me think twice about using a recliner.

View: https://youtu.be/623mRRGrd3M


The link below to Monster shows great stuff.
Click to expand...
I would, but I like wood. Also need desk space for non-gaming, which sucks...but there's wood..nice wood.
 
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