Looking for a good computer desk

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breakspirit
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Looking for a good computer desk

Post by breakspirit » Thu Apr 19, 2007 11:18 am

I just finished modding my PC and I'm pretty proud of it. Unfortunately, my physical desk looks like crap. I'm wondering if any of you have any suggestions for nice desks to look at? I've been looking on amazon and they sell lots of junk for cheapo office people.

I'd like a desk on which the PC can sit to my right at eye level so that I can see inside the fancy new window I installed and also without those lame monitor stands because any new monitor can be adjusted to be taller, but few can become shorter, if you know what I mean.

I'm sure some of you must have cool looking desks that don't cost an arm and leg. Show it off and tell where you got it. Danke.

arlen
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Post by arlen » Thu Apr 19, 2007 1:35 pm

You'll probably get some much better suggestions, but my favorite computer desk of all time is a really cheap one from Ikea:

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s ... ctId=25905

All the stuff you need in a computer desk, and none of the crap you don't. The surface is big enough for 2 22" monitors side by side with room with room left over for speakers. I'm not sure if it's of interest, but you can get a little shelf-strap arrangement that lets you strap your tower to the side of the "leg" at any height you want.

canucks.bradley
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Post by canucks.bradley » Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:56 pm

the JERKER is a good computer table, however i have the MIKAEL from IKEA.
Its my favorite desk so far as it has a large surface area and its tall enough to fit a self made computer stand / my antec p180.

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s ... r=60105103

Sooty
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Post by Sooty » Thu Apr 19, 2007 3:37 pm

IKEA Vika Lauri
Image
Image
Not mine, someone from OcUK forums.

jaganath
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Post by jaganath » Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:37 pm

Wow, what a pad! It's like a Stuff reader's wet dream. :)

angelkiller
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Post by angelkiller » Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:39 pm

:shock: Sick!!! Freakin awesome!!!

breakspirit
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Post by breakspirit » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:26 pm

Ah I was afraid you guys would say Ikea. I do agree that they have some nice stuff, but I live in St.Louis and the nearest Ikea store is 3 hours away in Chicago and their freaking website charges 300 dollars to deliver a 60 dollar desk. I just can't justify driving a 6 hour round trip or getting myself ripped off for a desk =/ Any other ideas?

Chocolinx
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Post by Chocolinx » Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:44 pm

breakspirit wrote:Ah I was afraid you guys would say Ikea. I do agree that they have some nice stuff, but I live in St.Louis and the nearest Ikea store is 3 hours away in Chicago and their freaking website charges 300 dollars to deliver a 60 dollar desk. I just can't justify driving a 6 hour round trip or getting myself ripped off for a desk =/ Any other ideas?
That's quite the pickle you got there. I was just going to suggest IKEA Jerker. I got both type of Jerkers in my room and loving'em! lol so much desk space.

breakspirit
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Post by breakspirit » Thu Apr 19, 2007 8:57 pm

oh yeah, just rub it in

Trip
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Post by Trip » Fri Apr 20, 2007 7:48 am

I found a nice one from a furniture store. It cost $700 but is more sturdy and beautiful than the pulpwood veneer desks from Office Depot.

It's pretty simple: just a desk with a drawer for the keyboard, and a glass top to prevent rings from drinks. It's the right height for me.

The adjustable height Ikea table might be more practical and less expensive, but it doesn't look as nice.

breakspirit
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Post by breakspirit » Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:03 pm

any more in-action shots of desks? someone on craigslist is selling some ikea stuff, so now i just need to decide what looks best. kinda leaning toward the Mikael, although that jerker desk is nice too

spookmineer
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Post by spookmineer » Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:33 pm

It's an old pic but the desk is still the same:

Image

Made it myself because all the desks were (a) not pretty or (b) too expensive.

It has a drawer like shelf for keyboard and mouse and the desk has no legs (I attached it to rails that are screwed into the wall).

Why stop at modding a PC when you can make a desk as well :wink:

Derek Baker
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Post by Derek Baker » Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:52 pm

breakspirit wrote:Ah I was afraid you guys would say Ikea. I do agree that they have some nice stuff, but I live in St.Louis and the nearest Ikea store is 3 hours away in Chicago and their freaking website charges 300 dollars to deliver a 60 dollar desk.
Sucks, but at least you have the option. Here in the UK they can only manage to deliver to a fraction of the country - even though we'd fit into virtually any state in your union. Wouldn't mind a Jerker myself.

breakspirit
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Post by breakspirit » Sat Apr 21, 2007 4:38 pm

Derek Baker wrote: Sucks, but at least you have the option. Here in the UK they can only manage to deliver to a fraction of the country - even though we'd fit into virtually any state in your union. Wouldn't mind a Jerker myself.
Hah, that last sentence made me laugh

floffe
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Post by floffe » Sun Apr 22, 2007 12:24 am

Yeah, the fact that the Swedish male name it has means that in English is pretty amusing. Now, imagine a guy named Jerker moving to the US... :lol:

legendarith
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Post by legendarith » Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:13 pm

Which Ikea in Texas can I find a Vika Lauri? THAT'S SWEEWEEEeEWWWETT!

floffe
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Post by floffe » Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:23 pm

It's in stock in Frisco and Round Rock, but not Houston. You can check from the product page

tima
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Re: Looking for a good computer desk

Post by tima » Mon Apr 30, 2007 2:17 pm

breakspirit wrote:I just finished modding my PC and I'm pretty proud of it. Unfortunately, my physical desk looks like crap. I'm wondering if any of you have any suggestions for nice desks to look at? I've been looking on amazon and they sell lots of junk for cheapo office people.

I'd like a desk on which the PC can sit to my right at eye level so that I can see inside the fancy new window I installed and also without those lame monitor stands because any new monitor can be adjusted to be taller, but few can become shorter, if you know what I mean.

I'm sure some of you must have cool looking desks that don't cost an arm and leg. Show it off and tell where you got it. Danke.
I've always liked my AnthroCart:

http://www.anthro.com/

Get at least the 48" wide one. Be prepared to spend, though.

CoolGav
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Post by CoolGav » Tue May 01, 2007 7:53 am

How about building a desk to your exact requirements?

awwc
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Post by awwc » Tue May 01, 2007 9:07 am

If you're supremely lazy while playing supreme commander

http://www.officeorganix.com/Eropod500.htm

PrivatePixel
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Post by PrivatePixel » Tue May 01, 2007 11:26 am

canucks.bradley wrote:the JERKER is a good computer table, however i have the MIKAEL from IKEA.
The MIKAEL looks good; it's on my shopping list. Only problem is, I don't know if this model will still be available come spring 2008 (when the West Chester, OH store is expected to open and I hope to move in to a new house :? ) I'm just happy to have an IKEA in Ohio - finally. :wink:

Derek Baker
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Post by Derek Baker » Wed Apr 02, 2008 1:29 pm

Ikea do now deliver to where I live.

The Jerker had been replaced by the Fredrik:

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20115991
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/60111123

Is this as good?

Thanks.

NyteOwl
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Post by NyteOwl » Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:36 pm

Being old fashioned my main desk is a plain old steel office desk, available with 30x60" or 36x72" tops.

I do have a Gusdorf for one setup that is fairly decent for a particleboard based unit. The panels are fairly tick and quite dense unlike some of the cheap Walmart type stuff.

N7SC
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Post by N7SC » Wed Apr 02, 2008 6:30 pm

May I suggest one important criteria for a desk? Adjustable height. Sounds funny, but makes sense.

I've been researching top of the line ergonomic chairs, like the Aeron by Herman Miller (am actually sitting in one their dealer lent me to try right now), and found a wealth of studies about desk/chair/worksurface relationship. Herman Miller has a 22 page document, with over 200 citations to real peer-reviewed journals, that says, first you should adjust the chair to your body, then adjust the work surface height to you in the properly adjusted chair. Most desks, however, have a fixed worksurface height of 29". Of course Miller's desks and worksurfaces are almost all quite adjustable, but they are all mind-bogglingly expensive too.

Nonetheless, their advice seems quite sound from my experience, so what I am going to do, after deciding on a new chair, is to build a desk to suit. That is the least expensive way to get a fully customized desk. You can make the height just right for you, and set the monitor area down, below the level of the work surface, for example. And, it really takes very little money for the base material (MDF is strong, easily reinforced, and cheap and you use very little hardwood for the legs, etc.), little talent (just being careful and precise), and if you want it to look really good, veneering it over with a nice hardwood veneer (cherry, walnut, etc.) is easier and less costly than you think.

And, by the way, Miller's research also shows that even when people are adjusting their chairs without reference to a worksurface, most adjust their chairs 2" too high :wink:

scdr
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Post by scdr » Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:56 pm

So far favorite computer desk to look at is this one:

http://www.datamancer.net/projects/engine/engine.htm

But turning from the artistic to the utilitarian, what I use is an old steel office desk. It has a depressed area in the center - intended for a type-writer, but works very nicely as a keyboard shelf.
(Piece of countertop over the top provides monitor stand area.)
Turns out the drawers are just the right depth to hold CDs, and they are sturdy enough that you can fill them up with CDs and no problems (unlike some of the cheap drawers one sees today).

Derek Baker
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Post by Derek Baker » Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:27 pm

N7SC, the Fredrik is height adjustable - something that attracted me to it. The only slight worry is the load limit of 50kg. Although my gear weighs much less than that even with this old CRT, I'm a little sceptical about a desk that can't take my own weight.

Jeff Cutsinger
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Post by Jeff Cutsinger » Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:45 am

Why get a desk? Just get a couple of ergotron wall mount arms.

N7SC
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Post by N7SC » Thu Apr 03, 2008 6:44 am

Derek, I'd be a bit concerned about the low capacity of the Fredrik too, even though it is adjustable. The design looks like it might be prone to racking or tilting sideways too. The shelves and desk top can be strengthened by gluing/nailing edgeing to it. Will explain if you are at all interested. But if the weight limit is due to the vertical supports, then it will be harder to strengthen.

Jeff C. might be on the right track. With a little creativity that could lead to a really neat looking installation, one in which the computer blends in with a bookcase or something, and the monitor, if big enough, can be used as a movie screen for the whole room too. A non-desk desk kind of approach.

SCDR, have seen that guy's laptop case too. Would love to have the time, patience and money to do that good a job with the woodworking. And, just imagine the work involved in making the old Underwood typewriter function as a keyboard!

Matija
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Post by Matija » Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:14 am

I built my own desk.

A big huge giant beech-coloured panel (1800x850x49), four detachable brushed aluminum legs (diameter 60). It might not be as fancy as that Vika thing, but it's sturdy and huge. Four people could climb on top of it, and it wouldn't break.

I might take a pic when I make a shelf and move the amp from my desk to the wall, something I've been planning to do for months...

Derek Baker
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Post by Derek Baker » Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:36 am

N7SC, my monitor weighs just under 20kg and I can't believe the rest of the stuff on my desk adds another 5. I'd hope it'd be OK with only half its max load.

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