Post Your Workstations 2017

EngrChris

Gawd
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Dec 28, 2008
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855
Happy New Year with 2017!

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The plan for 2017 is to build a new desk. Then a new chair.

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Here's mine:

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The size of the desk is hard to gauge in the picture - the right monitor is 30". It's a big desk.

But where's the computer, you say?

Well, mounted under the desk is a USB hub. Connected to that hub is a really long USB cable. Connected to each of the monitors is a really long HDMI and really long dual-link DVI cable respectively. Connected to the speakers is a really long audio cable. They all run off to the right, and then up into the ceiling which leads to the attic. They come out here:

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That's in the guest bedroom closet. The top PC is the one on the right monitor, which I use for gaming and general purpose websurfing.

Below that is the PC that is used on the left monitor:

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This PC is a virtualization host, media archive (those are 3TB drives), and PLEX server. A VM running on it is where I do all of my work (I work from home).

Keeping everything in the far-away closet (two rooms away) means zero heat and noise in the room with me.
 
I've heard staring at the sun is bad for your eyes... I can only imagine sitting next to the sun is also bad for you.
 
Keeping everything in the far-away closet (two rooms away) means zero heat and noise in the room with me.

Very nice, and this is exactly what I am planning on doing!

Would you mind sharing a little about the process of making it work properly? Do you have any lag due to the long cables? Are you using active cables? Are you getting full resolution on the monitors?
 
Would you mind sharing a little about the process of making it work properly? Do you have any lag due to the long cables? Are you using active cables? Are you getting full resolution on the monitors?

No lag at all.

I am definitely using active cables.

Full resolution is available (1080p on the left monitor, 1600p on the right)

For HDMI, (the left monitor) I'm using this cable: https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10255&cs_id=1025507&p_id=9172&seq=1&format=2
For Dual-link DVI-D (right monitor) I'm using this cable: https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=102&cp_id=10209&cs_id=1020901&p_id=2185&seq=1&format=2

Mounted under the desk is an 8-port USB 2 hub, connected via this cable: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=6149
On the right of the desk, there is a single USB 3 port, which is the end of *two* of these cables daisy-chained: https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-SuperSpeed-Female-Extension/dp/B00DMFB5OK

I used to use really long extension cables for the audio as well, but I've recently swapped to a USB soundcard connected to the 2.0 hub, because I did get some interference on the analog audio extension. This is likely caused because the cables have to run up into my attic and very close to some equipment (like my A/C furnace) up there. My mic is in the webcam.

The only problems I've ever encountered were some weirdness with the USB 3 extension cables. They count as two hubs each, and USB defines the maximum number of hubs in a chain of 5. So with two of those cables, that's 4 hubs and if I plug a hub in on the end at my desk that makes 5. Well, if anything else gets plugged into the USB 3 ports on the PC, there is a mystery hub that appears on the PC end, making the hub on my desk #6 in the line instead of #5, and suddenly it stops working. Stupidly enough, unplugging whatever got plugged into the USB 3 on the PC does *not* undo the situation.

In the end, I ran a longer USB 2 cable, since it was inexpensive and didn't have the same daisy-chaining requirement. Now I just keep the USB 3 cable there to plug in thumbdrives and external drives that need the USB 3 speed, and use USB 2 for everything else.

The only other issue I ran into is my older motherboard didn't like accessing the BIOS with the keyboard and mouse plugged in through a hub, so whenever I had to use the BIOS I had to plug a monitor back into the system at the PC (drag one into the closet) and plug in a keyboard/mouse there direct to the system. My newer motherboard doesn't have that problem and works fine through the hubs.
 
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No lag at all.
[...]

Thanks a lot!

I've planned on placing my PC in the attic and this makes me a lot less worried. I was reading specs on USB and monitor cables, but couldn't find much info on whether using active cables would create any lag.

Will post pics once I get my home office set up!
 
Perhaps it's my own paranoia, but I would have obscured the info on the plaques and the security cams... but I also refuse to sit with my back to the door in a conference room. So take that how you will.

Eh, I don't really care. It's just my name.
 
I noticed the stickers on the printer...
I run a 18" Fi BTL in 7cuft@31hz w/ 100sq.in. of port, powered by a Rockford T30001bd, it wangs hard!

Sweet!! I used to have 3 15" Fi Qs in my wagon on a Sundown 3000D in a 12cf box tuned to 34. It got pretty nasty too. Now I have moved over to the other side and I'm currently doing a SQ install in my Scion TC.
 
Sweet!! I used to have 3 15" Fi Qs in my wagon on a Sundown 3000D in a 12cf box tuned to 34. It got pretty nasty too. Now I have moved over to the other side and I'm currently doing a SQ install in my Scion TC.
I actually have started to do the same haha. SPL was fun, but I'm older now and care more about SQ then hairtricks and flexing windows of buildings as I pass by :p
 
Here's a few more pics of the setup at different angles and lighting effects.

I created a frame for the acoustic foam and used a router to hide the LED strips behind it, looks much cleaner this way only having the ambient light.

Let me know what you guys think.
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http://imgur.com/gallery/4quKM

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ADD me if PTFO BF1 and want to win... SHiZNiLTi_OG
 
Here's a few more pics of the setup at different angles and lighting effects.

I created a frame for the acoustic foam and used a router to hide the LED strips behind it, looks much cleaner this way only having the ambient light.

Let me know what you guys think.
1000

http://imgur.com/gallery/4quKM

ADD me if PTFO BF1 and want to win... SHiZNiLTi_OG

I felt like I was getting motion sickness from looking at the pictures. But pretty cool otherwise :)
 
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Finished this end of 2016.

Monitor on the right is hooked up to a work laptop above. Monitor on the left is the gaming Dell 144Hz. PC is the Thermaltake P3, 6700K @ 4.7Ghz, Evga FE 1080. Surround sound gaming is done by the Nakamichi soundbar in the back and sub underneath the desk. The 2 pre-sonus speakers are for the Numark. I ran power behind the PC for now. I'm considering running all cables behind the PC when I can locate a right-angle DisplayPort cable.

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Here is my messy corner.
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And here is my work bench.
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Loving the security system / monitor. I want to do this myself I just do not want to drill into my landlords property. Waiting for a very good and cheap waterproof wireless solution. I find them occasionally but when I go and find reviews I always read horror stories. I'm guessing we need a few more years until this stuff is much better in terms of quality, ease of use and pricing.
 
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This is my current workstation updated recently, minus a small desk to the side with my laptop. Will be some more modifications coming soon though. Just for reference, it is a motorized sit/stand desk.
 
Which desk is it?

It is a Biomorph Maxo Series desk. Quite expensive. I am not sure how much I would recommend it. I love my desk, but if I have to move, it will be a problem taking it apart and putting back together. The motors work great though, you can set the levels you want for your sitting and standing position and it will remember them and automatically adjust to them when you click their setting. It holds a lot of weight. I got adjustable monitor mounts for it too that can hold up to 55" monitors on it. It also has some options for cable management with it too. I just am not using all of them at the moment since I just redid that system before that I took the pictures.
 
I just moved into my GFs apartment with her, so I haven't finished setting anything up yet. (Will need to be /completely/ different than my old apartment.)

Phanteks Enthoo Evolv Tempered Glass
6700k, Corsair H115i, SLI GTX970
Apple Cinema Display
Front 3 speakers from Logitech X-530 (don't have anywhere to put the rears, yet)

The router on top is an AC1900 running DDWRT as a Wireless Bridge, since I can't get CAT6 over to the main router from here.

I am planning to build a hutch for this later this week / next and make things a little better.

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