Share Your Desk Setup

16th January 2011

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

Years ago, a PP reader sent me an image of his desk setup and suggested I posted something about it. Well, guess what? I’ve finally got around to doing it!

Here’s how it will work….

You send me an image of your desk setup, any notes and your name (if you want it included) and I’ll post it. I’ll randomly select a photograph and give a $5 game (via Steam) to the person. There must be a minimum of 20 photos sent in though and PlanetPhillip.com must be visible on the screen.

Please don’t post images in the comments as they won’t appear, same for links. Send them directly to me: [email protected]

So, let’s get started.

PlanetPhillip

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers
So, here’s mine. Yes, I really do have my desk that tidy. Of course, I sometimes have other things on my desk, but generally nothing more than the laptop and diary. It’s important for me to have the desk clear, so that it reflects my state of mind.

A. I.

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers
This is the image that was sent years ago. You can even see the old design of the site.

Louie

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers
Apparently Louie can sit down and play but generally stands up.

Arturas

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers
“All those sticky notes on the monitor are physics fromulas which i used during tests , I don’t even remember why still they are there.”

Laviniu

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

Fearlezz

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

Galocza

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

Eric

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers
That guy with green hair is a pen. A dragon from China. Logitech S-220 speakers if I remember correctly. The circular thing is the volume control. The best cheap speakers around! Seashell (my lucky charm) TF2 fanart poster by Edotastic.deviantart.com Old Logitech webcam and crappy monitor (23″) The brown sphere is a Sheriff Woody Magic 8 Ball that I got right after watching Toy Story 3. You pull the string and Woody answers your Yes or no question humorously. Portal mousepad. Bamboo, because I felt my desk needed some life. I chose bamboo over other plants because they don’t need soil and are easy to take care of. Dilbert. Old iPod (got a cheap case that allows it to stand up) and JVC Marshmallow Earbuds. Bulletin board thingy and a small painting that says, “Stand a little taller. Make each day a little better than the one before.”

Lauri

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

Samuli

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers
Here is my little desk setup from small student apartment (you really can’t see it from the picture but my computer table takes around 1/4 of my room). Laptop isn’t there most of the time. It is used only when I need second monitor for example to show reference pictures when mapping.

James

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

Esswok

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

Zekiran

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers
Mine has a good coating of dust on some parts, while others are always changing and reasonably clean. Up on top there are some dragon plushies including the red one named Brad the Drunken Frat Dragon. USB turntable, all those books are dictionaries from different languages, wildlife and name books. Of course I have my dice, space for food, and that’s about it…

Alex

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers
Close up of the surround displays, video of this at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNHdtZAMdco

Josh

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

Duke

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

RustySpannerz

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

Zaglis

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

eXmortis

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

W Reade

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers
“I’ve gone for the all in one approach as my room’s a little small, pc, video, vcr, dvd all on one table. I think the EM field might be melting my brains :).”

Jasper

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers
“Gin & Tonic removed.”

Scraps

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

Major Banter

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers
Considering that I’m stuck sharing a house with my parents until September and thus University, my insane laptop and assorted study/recreational books (from Bronte to Strugatsky) is a little…disorganised. Hence the Old Spice, HDDs and OCR revision books all in one pile.

Joepan

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

geekofalltrades

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers
Note the water bottle slid up under the laptop – I keep that in the refrigerator until I’m about to play a game, then I slide that under there, because otherwise, the laptop overheats and winks off (it’s about five years old now, and no love is lost between it and me [NOTE FROM LAPTOP: HE’S A JERK]). The back two corners are propped up with those little freebie containers of dental floss you get at the dentist, making me probably the first person to ever actually find a use for them.

sethen

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

Hec

Desks of PlanetPhillip.com readers

50 Comments

  1. tes9001

    This looks interesting. I’ll definitely be sending in my photo!

    1. Great, I look forward to posting it.

  2. Fearlezz

    I will send in a picture of my desk later today! 🙂

  3. RustySpannerz

    I wish this had been around when I was using a 40″ TV. But I’ll enter later anyway.

  4. A I

    Interesting, that was my “old” system!! I had forgotten all about it! (kinda doggy) I’ll send a new update with specs! BTW, Jasper I’d like to see your new rig!! sounds nice 😉

  5. galocza

    ok, prepare for chaos in its full glory!
    (…and I cleaned my desk about 10 days ago…)

  6. Duke

    Lol, you wouldn’t want to see mine, it’s a tip….I can barely find the mouse…

    1. Now I really do. How bad could it be?

    2. galocza

      is it worse than mine?

  7. Okay, thanks to everybody who has sent emails and photos so far. I have posted one per person.

    Keep them coming!

  8. RustySpannerz

    Wait, when you say there must be a minimum of 20, is that collectively, or do we each need to take 20 photos?

      1. galocza

        no, I think you need to send only one photo. but Phillip expects 20 or more from all of us.

  9. k00pa

    I have to say that Fearlezz’s desk is so far the most impressive 😛

  10. galocza

    ok, now im embarrassed. I thought most gamers have empty pizza boxes and cans of energy drinks and all kinds of stuff all around (although I dont count myself much of a gamer anymore). my brothers desk is just as messy most of the time as mine.
    in my defense I really can find my stuff faster this way.
    (an interesting addition: in my workplace I have to have everything where it should be. theres no joking around there…)

    1. k00pa

      Actually, I cleaned up my desk before posting the picture 😛

  11. Cameron:D

    *tidies up mass of accumulated paper and other stuff*

  12. All the ones up so far are making my speakers look too big…
    Otherwise, it’s interesting to see what other people’s rigs look like.

  13. Zekiran

    Mine’s sent 😀 I don’t have speakers, you’ll see my headphones when he gets mine up. When my desktop isn’t running well, or if I’ve ever got the chance to have the space open, I *love* having two monitors (or a monitor hooked into the laptop I have) so I kind of miss that aspect (but I don’t miss not having Source available, that’s for sure, darn lappy).

  14. 3 more added.

    It’s fun checking out where we all spend a lot of our time.

  15. Just added Alex’s setup and it looks pretty sweet.

  16. well James I’ll give you a run on speaker overkill, but I only have 80 watts to power mine; looks like maybe you could have a little more power behind yours. ( How do you have your amp configured to process threw your PC?) (once I had an amp soldered directly to my motherboard) wow! Back in 1999 Opposing Force ~ little ?? house of whores??; I had all those same speakers with more power. ~ Jump out the 11th floor window into the pool and shoot the Helicopter with the RPG. ( the neighbors could feel it!)

    1. Actually, it’s only 60 watts. That’s still more than enough though; I don’t want the other people in my dorm complaining. I just have a 3.5mm to RCA adapter going from the headphone jack on my PC to the DVD input on the receiver. The receiver has Dolby Pro Logic for stereo>surround decoding.

  17. Major Banter

    Once I get my SLR back, I’ll take a few shots.

    1. It’s not a photography comp! Even a phone camera would probably do.

  18. Rikersbeard

    I’ll take a pic of my desk tomorrow. It may even be clean!

  19. Six more images added.

    I have to admit to being surprised at how dirty some keyboards are.

    1. Rikersbeard

      According to some programmes I’ve seen on TV a computer keyboard is one of the dirtiest things to find in a modern home. Mine has had two mugs of tea and one of hot chocolate dumped on it and been trodden on, but it stills goes on.

      PS. I have cleaned it!

    2. Well, I do have a bit of a lame excuse for mine, the office is right next to the bathroom and the girls do like their talcum powder…man, it gets everywhere, still I have no excuse for not cleaning it more often…just lazy..

    3. Zekiran

      Oh I know mine is *filthy*. But I have 8 cats. Even just sitting next to me I’ll wind up petting them and going right back to typing. Last time I cleaned a keyboard it wound up breaking, so I just dust it when I can and filter out the clumps of cat fur that wind up under the keys on a regular basis… o.o

    4. galocza

      HAHHH!
      thats about the only clean thing on my desk. ive just cleaned it up (inside and outside). you can eat off them (if you promise to clean it up again after).

  20. I like the look of that surround display Alex… 🙂

  21. A I

    This has been great! I for one enjoy seeing other rigs and setups, even the messy ones! haha! 😉 But we still need a pic of Jaspers new rig/rigs!!! Thanks Phillip for this opportunity!

    1. I’ve just it sent to Phillip, A.I.

      Been a bit busy. Someone got to keep the taxman in funds 😀

      Me & Scraps don’t have complete new rigs though, just the computers.
      All the old peripherals are fine and didn’t need replacing.

      I took a panel off one of the new ones and took a snap. Posted on the Forum.
      General PC/Gaming Help
      Thread: Help with PC Spec’
      Page 4

      The new kits have stunning performance.

  22. wreade

    I was going to clean my keyboard and stuff before taking a photo but thought nah, i’ll be honest this is what it looks like most of the time. My black mesa mug also needs a cleaning :lol.
    Heres an interesting fact, my mug took a lot longer to get dirty when I used to use sugar, it must have been acting as an abrasive keeping the tea from sticking so much.

  23. 6 more desks added.

    Some strange set ups there.

  24. I am exposed. ^see above^.

    No mouse mat; I hate them with a passion.

    I’m astonished at some of the cramped conditions a few have to endure.
    I don’t know how you do it.
    Elbow room and lots of it for me.

    1. Zekiran

      I so wish my desk were wider. I used to have an office where I had literally 19 feet of desk/table space at my disposal, and I loved it. As it is, you can’t even see how much MORE stuff there is around my desk, I’m literally walled in by bookshelves separating my desk from my bed. :/ It sucks. But then, that’s the only spot in the house where I can still swipe free wireless, the connection is terrible even a few feet from that spot, so… 🙁 I’m in my corner. The hottest and coldest spot in the house, depending on the weather.

  25. A I

    Jasper, finally get to see your “mystery” machines!! nice setup ya both got! My setup at the top was my “old” rig, the one I have now is vastly improved, except my vid board, still run my Nvidia 9600gt but am due for an update!! Thanks to all who have provided pics! All very interesting! 😉

  26. Lol, I forgot to explain my ghetto curtains… there’s a window behind the desk that faces east and has no shade trees outside, so the sun spills in every morning at six am and wakes me up. Rather than install an actual curtain rod, I just thumbtacked a few towels up over the window. Ever resourceful, am I.

  27. Throw away

    So when is the winner gonna be picked? 😀

    1. In another few days or so.

  28. I’ve just updated Sethen image.

  29. The Winner will be announced tomorrow sometime.

  30. Zekiran

    Hm, something I just noticed: most of us seem to have wired gaming mice.

    When my lovely Logitech 8 button mouse stopped working, I had to buy a cheapo Microsoft mouse to replace it… thank goodness it works again because NNNNNGGGG must. Have. Buttons. Had to re-learn dragging a wire around, when I bought it, but the learning curve was short and sweet and the results have been fantastic. Wireless keyboard and mouse are a little too slow for some games. Just wanted to give a nod at all the other old-school gamermice.

  31. And the winners are Louie and Josh

    Congratulations guys.

    Expect an email any minute now.

  32. Hec

    Can I send the pic still?, I don’t know but I’m gonna do it anyway

  33. Just added Hec’s desktop.

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