Where to keep PC towers?

[Blackhawk]

Where to keep the towers?

So here's the thing. I've got an "L" desk, and there are three PCs at it. My gaming PC, my youngest's PC, and the 'end of the line' PC where all the oldest spare parts go, usually used to look at guides/maps/play music while gaming.

Until a while back, I had my tower to the left of my desk, which worked great until a new keyboard tray (a Christmas present) took away my drink space on the right. The problem is that the entire top of the tower is one giant fan vent and it would be sitting right alongside my desk. Eventually a spill will happen, and if even the tiniest trickle goes left one foot, it will be like pouring it directly into the PC. Bad! Very unfair!

Right now I have all three towers under the desk in the middle (both arms of the "L" are equal length, and my son and I both sit on an arm.) The problem is the heat. Right now the extra warmth on our legs with three towers chugging away is nice, but come summer it is going to be a problem. Not only will it bake us, it will likely cause heat problems with the machines themselves. I need to have at least one of the PCs out from under there, and the only one practical to move is mine.

There is no room on top of the desk. Here is a picture. You can see the space to the left where the tower used to be, and you can see how close the drinks are to the Edge of Doom. There is not enough space under the keyboard tray to keep the drinks. Click to embiggen:



Does anyone have any thoughts?

[Daehawk]

Ceiling? Wall?...can you not turn it on its side and put the monitor on top of it like a desktop case?

[gilraen]

You can see the space to the left where the tower used to be, and you can see how close the drinks are to the Edge of Doom. There is not enough space under the keyboard tray to keep the drinks.

Uhhmm...I don't know if I would call that close to the edge. My tower sits to the left of my desk, and it's also the kind where almost the entire top is one big fan. My drinks usually sit to the left of my keyboard - about where your notepad and glasses are. Haven't spilled anything into my PC yet

[Unagi]

Could you move your PC to the Right Arm, and then have it off on the right side of the desk, near your mouse- not near your drinks ?


Or, go back to your PC off the left, but build something to be over it (like a roof), so that a drink would not hit the box, instead it would poor off to the side?

[Blackhawk]

Could you move your PC to the Right Arm, and then have it off on the right side of the desk, near your mouse- not near your drinks ?


Or, go back to your PC off the left, but build something to be over it (like a roof), so that a drink would not hit the box, instead it would poor off to the side?

If I switched Caiden's PC and mine, I'd also have to move the second monitor and keyboard tray, which would just reverse the problem.

I'd thought about building some sort of roof out of the lip on the left, but my carpentry skills are sub-zero, and my tool chest is a tin can that contains one wrench, two hammers (one a geologist's hammer), and about 15 identical screwdrivers.

[Daehawk]

[Biyobi]

You can go super cheap and easy with a sheet of cardboard. Tack a piece under the lip of the desk on the side and let it slope diagonally over the top of the PC case (like a steep roof). It covers the top of the PC and still allows the top vent to blow air out. Let the boys decorate it with whatever they like and it won't look as ghetto as it sounds.

[Cylus Maxii]

I'd move the end-of-line PC monitor/keyboard tray into the corner (to your right some). you'll have to re-arrange your collectibles to another spot. But that will free up the traditional drink spot and allow you to put your gaming PC in its traditional spot to your left.

[Smoove_B]

Have you considered one of those hard-hats with drink holders and straws? That would free up a lot of space.

I'd agree that you're likely right about the heat as I'd imagine a ball of plasma would form in the summer right under your desk. I think Cylus is likely onto something here - rearrangement of collectibles to free of some floor real estate.

[Blackhawk]

Nah, the positioning of the tray is by design. I want to be able to use the second PC while I'm gaming without getting up and moving the chair around. We use it all the time as a sort of 'second screen'.

I think the shelf plan is probably my best bet, but by the time I spring for wood, brackets, bolts, and whatever else (and find someone to help me cut things and drill things) it is going to cost a fortune. Maybe the cardboard would work as an interim solution. In fact, maybe some black foamcore, as the kids are well past the decorating cardboard stage.

[Cylus Maxii]

OK - so here is my second idea: extend your desktop to the left using a board and some brackets and put your PC underneath. Then you get more desk space and protect the PC from spills. You could even get creative and get some sort of tray that is the right depth and width (they have modular bamboo stuff used inside kitchen drawers.) Just so long as you have a few inches of clearance above your case the ventilation should be fine.

Edit - doh, I see that you've already thought of that. I'd not worry about extending it on the same level, I'd just mount it right under the lip and put the brackets underneath. All you will need is the screwdriver.

Also, FWIW - I have done something similar using IKEA Ivar shelving with my case underneath and my printer on top.

[Blackhawk]

Edit - doh, I see that you've already thought of that. I'd not worry about extending it on the same level, I'd just mount it right under the lip and put the brackets underneath. All you will need is the screwdriver.

I can't afford any fancy materials, so I'll likely just have to get a single pressed wood shelf and cut it off to length. That means I'll need a saw. Also, will the shelf brackets screw into the pressed wood desk sides, or will I need drill holes to prevent crumbling?

[Cylus Maxii]

Figure out the depth and width and go look for scrap at the home depot. HD might charge you a small amount, but they can also cut it for you. If you can borrow a saw, you could also bust up a shipping pallet. And I've also seen shipping crates made of plywood that we just dumped.

Screws - you might need pilot holes if you get real thick sturdy screws. You could also just get brackets that mount with double-sided tape.

[Zarathud]

I would set up two PC towers on each end of the desk. The table on the right can find a new home. There's plenty of room on the left. You basically want a crate box with a solid top for spillage and storage.

The most expensive part would be nicer "appearance" grade of 1 inch pine for the tops. Cut 2x2s for 2x4s or the legs, and use the same boards to frame up a base off the ground for the Towers. Add a handful of wood screws and some varnish/sealant.

A 4 foot long 1x16 would be about $24, followed by 2 12 foot framing lumber ($4.50 each) -- that's 4 legs and the frame to connect. If you forego a shelf for the towers, you can use the same amount of lumber to build two units. You can get a small 1/2 quart can of varnish for $4. You don't really need to putty over the screw holes -- but if you do, make sure you get stainable wood filler! (In my last project, I used white non-stainable putty along the seam of a desk shelf.) Sand paper and a paint brush should be just a few dollars more. It should be doable at slightly over $40, or less if someone has extra lumber and the miscellaneous.

[Zarathud]

Brackets are cheaper, but a couple of 2x4s remove the risk of someone leaning on it and the whole thing falling apart. If you could find a top board in the home depot scrap, cutting up a couple of purchased 2x4s (or cheaper 2x2s) would be frankly easier than trying to drill in brackets.

Finding scrapped Ikea furniture would also be a good way to remove the biggest expense -- a solid but sufficiently sized top board. Freecycle and similar internet exchanges are great ways to find stuff to repurpose.

[Punisher]

Am I missing something? It looks like there is plenty of space under the desk right under the blue lighted keyboard...

[Isgrimnur]

They're called 'legs'.

[Unagi]

How do you have Kill Bill Volume 2 sitting there without Kill Bill Volume 1 right next to it?

[Punisher]

They're called 'legs'.

Those were not mentioned anywhere so fail in OP for not providing all relevant info...

But seriously, it looks like there is room for both under there.

[Blackhawk]

The initial issue was that under there (where they already are) in't working, as it is creating a heat trap that will be a big problem come Indiana summer.

I would set up two PC towers on each end of the desk. The table on the right can find a new home. There's plenty of room on the left. You basically want a crate box with a solid top for spillage and storage.

That's actually how I had things before. The table on the right was in the middle, where the towers are in the image, and the two towers (Isengard and Barad Dur) were on the sides. The table can't find a new home. It is currently the only storage space in the entire room and I actually need it to be at hand.

I really don't want to try and build anything more complex that screwing in a bracket and attaching a shelf. I've tried bigger projects in the past, and every one ended in disaster. I can't pound a nail straight, and I can't put in a screw without the head sticking out at an angle. Everything I've ever tried to build has looked like something from Mad Max. Really, I somehow got negative skill points in Carpentry.

I think just moving the two back out to the sides and putting a 'roof' extension over the one on the left is the simplest and cheapest solution so far. Thanks for that.

[Zarathud]

The trick is to pre-drill the holes using a countersink drill bit. If you put the holes in first, the screw goes straight in. You can't pick a lock without thieves' tools!

[Blackhawk]

At which point not having a drill to put it in becomes an issue again.

[Paingod]

It's not crazy-expensive to get extension cables for video and USB, meaning the cases could be moved completely out of the desk area. Where to? I dunno!

I keep my case on my desk with the fans blowing back behind the monitor, but I have a large empty space there thanks to the desk design. The case then becomes a stand for toys and pictures. I'd never keep my cases on the floor simply because they act like little vacuums and suck up all the dust, dirt, and hair that gets shuffled around down there.

[Zarathud]

Friends, family, neighbors or a local community group may have the tools to lend. Otherwise, you can usually find used tools cheap at garage or estate sales. Certainly cheaper than the $10-20 rental fee.

[The Meal]

It'd cost money (about $20), but how about putting one of these on the left end of your table, and putting the PC under it?

[Blackhawk]

It'd cost money (about $20), but how about putting one of these on the left end of your table, and putting the PC under it?

I've actually got a couple and considered it, but it won't fit.

One thing to know about my house is that it has three people, is very small, old (built in the 19th century), and was designed with almost zero storage. There is exactly one regular closet in the entire house, plus one small area that has a couple of clothes bars. Every inch of wall-floor space is accounted for. I've been wanting another bookshelf for years, but there isn't a place anywhere in the house to put one. The result was that I ended up giving about half of my book collection away and going to ebooks just to keep the special books. Getting things to fit in here is a constant juggling act. Bringing something in means taking something out.

For now, I'm looking at having someone help me mount a couple of shelf brackets to the top of the left side of the desk so that the shelf will be under the lip. It will just require finding someone with a saw to cut a board and a drill to make the holes. The only problem is that I don't have access to many people. I know one person that might have what I need, and that is an acquaintance more than a friend. I might be able to get my hands on a saw and drill cheap, sure, but I honestly have nowhere to keep them, and they're something relatively large that I would only use once every few years. That makes them impractical to own.

[TheMix]

You mentioned foam core. And you have a hammer. What about just building a "wall" on the left edge? So instead of trying to build something that goes over the pc, build a wall that prevents a tipped over cup from falling that direction. Of course, you'll probably just dump it on your keyboard... But that should be easy enough (assuming that it isn't in the way). Just cut it high enough that the cup can't fall over it. Then nail it to the edge. You'd probably want some kind of sealant along the "seam". I would think that you could probably use a simple glue. I'd probably put a small piece along the back as well and connect them to add a little structural integrity. And you probably don't need to bring it all the way to the front, so it shouldn't get in the way. You could even cut a triangular piece to lay on top of the corner to add some strength.

If you don't have any, you will probably have to get some small nails. (Finishing nails? Or maybe those ones that come in the kits for hanging pictures?)

It won't be super strong, but all you want to do is prevent a cup from getting knocked onto the pc.

Oh, just had one more thought... while the "wall" piece probably doesn't need to come all the way to the front, you may want to have a short piece come all the way to create a lip to prevent liquid from flowing forward and then around the "wall".

[Cylus Maxii]

You could also just use the foam board to make a little roof to put on top of your PC -- just rafters with open ends for air flow.

[Kasey Chang]

Good thing I have a laptop... and I just use a stand.

I used to like full towers until I realize they weight a ton and usable space was kinda "meh".

[gbasden]

Good thing I have a laptop... and I just use a stand.

I used to like full towers until I realize they weight a ton and usable space was kinda "meh".

Hard to use a laptop for real gaming unless they are terribly expensive. I like my full tower with the ability to add multiple large video cards should I choose to.

[Blackhawk]

As much as I would dearly love a laptop (even a non-gaming laptop would would solve a lot of problems, like having a computer for pen & paper gaming and for reference while painting), I have to be able to upgrade one piece at a time. I generally upgrade one component per year, and work that into my monthly budget, saving until I get enough, then buying one piece and passing the old one down the kids' PCs.