• Ask the community now
  • Publish
Ad

News

FEATURE: THE BEST OF CES '09: Finale!

This is part four of our “Best of CES” feature, which brings you what we found most interesting at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Read more

The ultimate Vista gadget: A keyboard?

We can think of a million and one ways how to pamper your new Vista PC, but a keyboard would not have been on the top of our list. Microsoft's wireless Desktop 7000 is a visual stunner that goes along well with the Vista design theme. Here's a first look at what is easily one of the most attractive keyboard/mouse combinations on the market today. Read more

FEATURE: THE BEST OF CES '09: Part 1

CES is always a big show, always contains a lot of glitz and a lot of hype. CES is where many companies show off existing products, products that are already on the market. But we're not interested in stuff already on the market. Read more

Matrox intros remote graphics hardware

Matrox today announced what the company claims is the world's first "remote graphics unit:" The Extio F1400 connects to the keyboard, mouse, audio peripherals as well as up to four analog or digital monitors on the user's desk. Read more

Latest Reviews & Articles

Cryostasis: From Russia, With An Appetite For Fast Hardware

Cryostasis: From Russia, With An Appetite For Fast Hardware

We recently had the chance to play a bit of Cryostasis, the latest title supporting Nvidia's PhysX technology. In fact, we played the game on five different hardware configurations. Want to play this one? We'll tell you what you need in order to enjoy it. Read more

Hard Drives, Yesterday And Today: From 500 GB To 1.5 TB

Hard Drives, Yesterday And Today: From 500 GB To 1.5 TB

Hard drive capacities have increased in large increments over the last few years, while trends indicate reduced spindle speeds of 5,400 RPM instead of 7,200. We looked at three generations of Samsung hard drives to analyze the performance ramifications. Read more

Best Graphics Cards For The Money: June '09

Best Graphics Cards For The Money: June '09

This month, ATI's new Radeon HD 4770 is missing in action, since online stores are not only unable to keep it in stock, but also de-listing it completely. With violent movements in pricing, though, it'd have been taken off the recommended list anyway. Read more

Editor's Corner: Nvidia’s Ion Revisited, 7.1 Ch. LPCM Fixed

Editor's Corner: Nvidia’s Ion Revisited, 7.1 Ch. LPCM Fixed

Nvidia's Ion for the do-it-yourselfer launched last month in the form of Zotac's mini-ITX motherboard. Though sexy in principle, the platform had some teething pains right out of the gate. Chris Angelini revisits those issues and uses Ion as a real HTPC. Read more

All the Reviews & Articles
Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > Other Components > Looking for advice on quality desk for many monitors.

Looking for advice on quality desk for many monitors.

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!
Word :    Username :           
 

I know this is stretching the intention of this forum, but I can't find anything more closely related to post in.

I am in the market for a new desk for my office (I telecommute) and am finding myself limited to cheap crap from Staples and Office Max or extremely expensive stuff like offered by the WorkRite Sierra electric 22" to 48" adjustable 70x70x30 line (seems fantastic, but EXPENSIVE).

Traditionally, I have always just used a couple cheap $40 foldable banquet tables. It wasn't too difficult and was scalable for multiple machines and monitors (I have a dozen solaris, linux, osx and couple windows boxes with countless monitors). Need more? Just get an additional table. Problem solved.

However, I'm looking for a step up, now. I've just completed a new desktop build which now includes three 30" LCD monitors. Obviously, this doesn't work so well on a cheap banquet table. But I can't find much out there that would accomodate this setup.

On one end, you have cheap PC desks made from fiber board that you can pick up for $100-$300 at your local office store. They tend to be small or complex with countless cubby-holes and drawers and not very deep or wide. Or you have the traditional desk style, like you'd see in any random office in the 50s (rectangle shape with drawers on the left).

I think I really like the WorkRite desks from the Sierra line. They have a corner desk that is 30" deep and the left and right "whings" are each 70" (counting the center where they meet, of course). It's adjustable from 22" to 48" in height. Unfortunately, it's also about $2,400, without shipping. And then I would probably need to buy adjustable clamp arms to hold the monitors. Those seem to be around $250-$300 each. So multiply that by three. I'm happy to spend money on a desk setup, but I think $3,300 before shipping is a tad much -- unless they're really that damn great.

So I'm desperately looking for solutions other people may have come upon. Of specific interest to me are the following:

+ Depth. I spend a lot of time at my desk and sometimes I like to lean into/on my desk while working. This is easier with a deep desk top. 30" is probably reasonable.

+ Overall desk space. The more, the better. And preferably a corner-desk style where you have a lot of desk real-estate reachable without having to roll your chair all over the place to get from one end to the other.

+ No complex crap. I don't care about drawers and would prefer not having them. I don't want shelves, although perhaps a higher level desk/shelf in the back of the desk intended for monitors might be acceptable.

+ Easily handles multiple large monitors. At least three 30" apple displays (using clamp arms is probably okay, if the desk will work well with them). And preferably should be big enough for an additional 19" or greater monitor and then an LCD television around 32".

+ Adjustable height. I am not a fan of those keyboard and mouse cutouts in desktops these days. Or the keyboard and mouse roll-out platforms. Or the extension trays that hold a keyboard and mouse. I like my keyboard and mouse to be on the main part of the desk. If the height isn't right, I'd rather have an adjustable desk and raise/lower the entire thing as needed.

+ Price. I know that I'll be better off paying a lot for a HIGH QUALITY desk that will last me many years than almost any other office or computer related investment. So I'm willing to spend a little. I'm not willing to drop $5k or $10 on a freaking fancy glass-covered trendy hipster desk, though. I would say my price range goes up to about $2,000, not including the LCD monitor extender clamp arms. For something particularly high quality and worth it, I could probably be negotiated upward a little bit in price.

I think I really love what the WorkRite Sierra (http://www.workriteergo.com/products/sierra.asp) seems to be, but it is clearly meant to be bought in bulk for corporate offices. I don't know if the price (about $2,400) is worth it. Sure, it's electric. It has a high adjustment range. It has lots of real-estate. It has lots of (spendy) add-ons, like tool-bars and trays and power connectors and such... but is it worth the price? Is there a lot of "corporations can absorb it" expense packed into that and a single person is getting screwed?

Are there better solutions? I spent at least 16 hours a day, seven days a week at my desk . . . So comfort and flexibility is important here.

Thank you all for any advice you might be able to offer. I am frustrated from countless visits to local stores and dozens of hours of searching online only to come across the same cheap crap over and over again at every knock-off retailer.

Sponsored Links
Register or log in to remove.
- 0 +

do you own the following:
Drill
Screwdriver
Saw (jigs Saw helpful)

Then you need:
Wood
Screws

then build your own desk, i did.

makes sure its very high, higher than a normal desk, so you get your knees under it properly.

then make it long and wide.
and there you go.

Reply to dobby
- 0 +

Unfortunately, not really an option in an apartment. :/

Reply to Cronjob
- 0 +

ok fair enough, what you need to do is to see the desk you after, and make sure its suitible.

Reply to dobby
- 0 +

Looks like you have your mind set on a specific design. Here's what I did a few years back :
I ordered mine at a local carpenter. It's custom made to fit my room.

Made from fiberboard with a black gray finish.
The work surface is about 3cm (1,25" ) thick made from two layers of fiberboards glued and screwed together. A rectangle 270cm (106" ) long by 120cm (48" ) deep and the center is 80cm (32" ) deep (so you get a bit of a bracket shape). It's about 80cm (32" ) tall. The leg is shaped like the letter E so you get 2 workspaces (1 for my computer and 1 for studying and other desk duties).

The front edge is rounded for comfort. I have a board 30cm (12" ) deep about 45cm (18" ) from the floor for leg support so I can sit with my legs streached (during long hours).
It has a basic plastic box shape (the kind you use to route cabling through the house walls) in the back for routing cables and two round cutouts for power cables to come up onto the desktop through.

It cost 300 EUR for material and workmanship about 6 years ago (that long already?). Fits my needs perfectly and it cost way less than those you're mentioning.

Reply to Andrius
- 0 +

Andrius, that's a good idea. I hadn't considered having one custom built. I guess any decent custom built desk could meet my requirements, as long as it's also later on when having to move -- and since you could clamp the monitor arms to anything... no specific requirements there.

I'll definitely add this option to my list of considerations!

Reply to Cronjob
Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > Other Components > Looking for advice on quality desk for many monitors.
Go to:

There are 1235 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Please mind

You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months.
If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread.

Add a reply Cancel
Sponsored links