(Part 2) Top products from r/AskBattlestations

Sounds like you're about done already, but for a monitor I'd recommend either and ultrawide or 144hz.

First thing you should do if you think you'd prefer ultrawide is check if the games you play support the resolution (if they don't you'll get large vertical black boxes on either side). Below is the 144hz monitor I have and I absolutely love it, I played on my friend's 60hz monitor the other day and it felt like I was playing at like 15 fps; the difference from 60 to 144 is that big, and with a 1060 you should be able to get over 144 on a lot of games on med-high and 80-100 on high/max. If you're doing a lot of video/photo editing though an ultrawide might be best since most of them are IPS and will give you much more accurate color than a 144.

The little accessories like USB hubs would kind of depend on what your setup actually looks like and what you need. Headphone stands are pretty much universally useful though.

https://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-1920x1080-144Hz-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B00B2HH7G0

This is exactly the place to ask this. I can point you in the right direction on these things, but you'll need some prices, details, or something if you want more advice.

Yes mechanical keyboard. Its like the peripheral upgrade equivalent of an SSD, everything about it is better, and you'll never go back.

HERE is a /r/MechanicalKeyboards stickied reason why. There is no way I could explain it any better. Spend a little time in that subreddit. The stickied post up top of it will help you pick your board. Then check out /r/mechmarket since durability is one of the nicest advantages.

THIS post is all you need to get started on speaker set-ups. /r/zeos is just great and covers all price ranges. Anything less than that, it will just come down to looks and reading reviews. Unless you can cop some of the Klipsch Promedias on CraigsList or something. I got a set for $25 and it is the best deal of my life. Things sound fantastic and I can't even take em above 50% or touch the sub volume without waking the neighbors.

As for wireless headphones, no idea. I don't mind the wires for the audio quality provided.

Hmm, for $150 I would consider a couple of things.

Perhaps an articulating mount such as the ergotrong: http://www.amazon.com/LX-Desk-Mount-LCD-Arm/dp/B00358RIRC

It clears up desk space and gives your monitor a really cool look as if it is floating. You can easily switch between portrait and landscape and landscape as well. I know some people would immediately dismiss spending so much on a mount, but once you use one you'll see that they are worth their weight in gold.

Another option would be new speakers. Something like these M-audio speakers would be light years ahead of those stock dells: http://www.amazon.com/M-Audio-Studiophile-Powered-Monitor-Speakers/dp/B0051WAM64/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1341771746&sr=1-1&keywords=swan+m10

They would be visually much more impressive than the Dells while being much better for music a gaming as well.


I agree with urkiburki, cable management is a great place to start.

I just bought the Ergotron LX arm yesterday, it shipped today and says it'll arrive on Monday (yay Amazon Prime). I heard about it from Jeff Atwood in his post on Coding Horror, and I think highly of him and the things he's done, so that was a big influence on my decision.

I expect my U2711 will also arrive Monday; I haven't gotten the shipping notification yet, but I also ordered it last night. I can come back here and let you know how it goes if you haven't yet made your purchase before then (if I forget, remind me by replying to this or with a PM).

But at $125 (USD), this arm had BETTER hold my monitor well or else it's going straight back to Amazon. It's much more than I expected to spend for a monitor arm, and I did see the far cheaper arms out there, but I'm counting on it being the best. It has excellent reviews, so I expect so.

Edit: I am very happy with the Ergotron, it holds up my monitor without problems (it has an adjustable tension, so I just tightened it until the arm no longer sank on its own). I can very easily raise, lower, and move it around. It clamped to the edge of the desk. The materials are thick and have some weight to them so I'm confident it's not going to break or fall apart. Overall I'd recommend it, if it's in your budget!

These feel sort of low-budget, but are very flexible in terms of application. Installation is part of the fun here. Start with a Hitlights 300 RGB - $30 (this recently dropped in price from $40) or a 150 kit Get as many of these are you think he'll want, depending on the space available. A 16-foot run of 300 will light up a small room. The 150s are more for accent lighting.

For each additional run, he'll want an amplifier if he needs them all controlled by one controller. You also need a power adapter for each amplifier, but this is included in each of the $25-30 kits. You can cut and splice them, but it's much easier and neater if you have the pre-made connectors - short strip-to-strip short strip-to-terminator or long terminator-to-terminator. I did my first round of installations without the connectors and it was pretty messy, so I strongly recommend getting them to ease things along.

Last, does he listen to pounding electronic music? If yes, a music controller.

Are you firm at $60? I would wait just a few weeks when you can afford something just a bit more.

 

My minimum requirement for Good sound would be: This Behringer DAC - $30 + This Lepy Amp - $33 + These Micca Speakers - $58 for a total around $120. And everything will be upgradable as you want, if you wanted to add a Schiit Stack with a good pair of headphones later. My headphone recommendation for under $50 is the Sennheiser HD 518's when they occassionally go on sale for less than $50, I paid $46 for mine new.

 

• Edit: To save money, you can use a 3.5mm to RCA and ditch the Behringer DAC to save $30 if you want. But a separate DAC will tend to get better quality being isolated outside your computer vs. Onboard sound. This would put your total about $30 more than your budget, and be a LOT better than dedicated "computer speaker systems".

OP, be careful with the suggestions given by /u/JeremiS55. If you are running HDMI from the PS4 you will need a powered switch - unpowered switches tend to have trouble with the PS4's HDMI output. Here is an example.

I have a similar setup at home, here is what I do:

• PS4, PS3, and PC on HDMI switch.
  
• PC audio on a dedicated set of speakers
  
• HD monitor on the output of the switch
  
• Second (SD) screen on PC's DVI out that is always used for the PC
  
• PS3/PS4 audio through HDMI to monitor's built-in speakers
  
  This lets me hear audio from the console while also listening to music or watching movies on my PC. The audio output won't "switch" with the HDMI switch - not a cohesive, single-output solution - but it's pretty easy to turn off the PC speakers if they're not wanted.
  
  Edit: I use this switch which I bought at Best Buy after having issues with my unpowered switch. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it over other options for your needs but it suits mine just fine.

This is not an exact L, but fits in a corner like a charm.
http://www.amazon.com/Walker-Edison-Soreno-3-Piece-Corner/dp/B001FB5LE8

If you live outside USA it's going to cost a little though :)
For me it was around 320€ total, where as a little bit bigger IKEA Galant was around 270€ I believe? Maybe it's just my country but very expensive. IMO this Walker Edison corner desk looks awesome.

Yep. If the computer is on, those LEDs are on, and they're bright as shit. I could wire in a switch I suppose, or just cut power to the LEDs.

You nailed it, my next build will have LED strips with a discrete controller so I can turn them off without powering off the PC. I still like the flashy stuff, and I'd love to have lighting that reacts to my music (both in the case and behind the monitor), I just don't want it on all the time. Something like this would be perfect:

http://www.amazon.com/HitLights-Activated-Multicolor-Controller-Changing/dp/B007RGRJ36

This build is my idea of lighting done right:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTt1dBpbC_g&list=PLbEDQ03r3af8LCi6ikcC6qZ3nduByjasU&index=3

I'm a huge fan of my Klipsch Promedia 2.1 speakers

http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-ProMedia-Certified-Computer-Speaker/dp/B000062VUO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420532455&sr=8-1&keywords=klipsch+promedia+2.1

Then again, I bought them for $95 last year. I'm sure you can find them for around that price if you look around.

EDIT: $119.99 @ Best Buy

Bought this a couple weeks ago - looks great with my setup. Listed as unavailable right now for some reason.

Monitor Stand for Desktop, Black - Aeon 60123 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B6QAT66/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_.hx7yb7BD40C6

I have also used this Monoprice variant in the past. Works just as well as the one above, friend just needed one and I switched to match my desk/build.

Monoprice Multi Media Desktop Stand 22" x 9.5" (109434) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AJHCQD8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Rux7yb8DZ5E2P

I have one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007BD0MPM

It claims it supports 3 x 27" monitors. I have 3 x 24" on it and I could believe it - there's still a lot of room to move them out despite me having them mounted in a line without too much inward tilt on the monitors.

It's not cheap and it weighs a shitton when fully loaded. I can't remember whether it comes with a wall mount in the box, so you'd need to verify that. It'd need to be a sturdy wall too.

I think you're pretty much out of luck trying to find one bracket that'll do 3 x 30", they're not only ridiculously heavy but also huge width-wise.

If your desk allows, I think cable runways are pretty good for hiding wires below the desk. Velcro cable ties are also nice.

http://www.amazon.com/Ergotron-Desk-Mount-Tall-45-295-026/dp/B00689HXI4/ref=pd_sim_sbs_op_1

There are these, which have a 12" post. For me personally none of those options were tall enough so I ended up getting two of the standard ergotron arms with 6" posts and simply replaced them with ~$20 in plumbing piping from home depot. Overall it ended up being cheaper and taller than anything else out there.

The ergotron short and tall post versions are rated for 24" monitors according the the tech specs, but on a weight basis with the max being 20lbs. I have a 27" IPS monitor which only weighs 14LBS and it works great on one of these arms. Although I'm told that some older and thicker ( > 2 inches ) LCD monitors have a different center of gravity and that can sometimes be too much for the spring. Most newer monitors seem to be closer to half an inch and getting lighter all the time.

http://www.amazon.com/Walker-Edison-Soreno-3-Piece-Corner/dp/B001FB5LE8
I have this desk, got it for $99 a few months ago, and it's awesome. I fit three 27" monitors on it.. as can be seen here
http://imgur.com/a/oLQXH#GsX2yzp

I use this mount

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FPTHAOA/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?qid=1458619057&sr=8-15&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=vivo+triple+monitor+stand

I have a 32" up top with one other 22" on the mount and two 19ers sitting on each side. I like it a lot and couldn't imagine not using a mount. It should support your TV as I would imagine you'll be able to tighten the joints if need be

I'd suggest getting the PC on the floor or an under desk holder. And I'd also suggest arms to get those monitors up off the desk. I also built my own keyboard tray, it saved me a lot of room on the desktop by moving my keyboard and mouse off of it. You really only need the keyboard tray rails like these http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Ball-bearing-Keyboard-Slide/dp/B000KQ5E82 a sturdy piece of wood for that.

I have the Ergotech triple stand. It works great. Only complaint is that it doesn't handle 3 24" in portrait well. They cannot get close enough for smooth eyefinity.

Try an Ergotron Arm

I have two of these to hold my monitors and they are pretty great. You can run the wires through the arm so they are "hidden" and its pretty damn adjustable. There are other arm-things out there but they are pricier than the Ergotron brand i think.

Good luck! I've been looking for the same, albeit for 27" screens, and have had a lot of difficulty.

http://www.amazon.com/Mount--Freestanding-Widescreen-Monitors-Horizontal/dp/B00FQU7CPU/ref=sr_1_4?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1426095142&sr=1-4&keywords=3+arm+monitor+mount

http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Monitor-Standing-Supports-002-0020/dp/B006JG9RQ2/ref=sr_1_5?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1426095142&sr=1-5&keywords=3+arm+monitor+mount

The last link I just found myself, and might give that a shot. Currently using a dual arm mount and the third screen on a book.

Edit: Looking again, I don't think that last mount will work for what I am aiming to achieve. This is for a primarily flight sim setup and the left and right monitors are at about a 40° angle to the center. I have yet to find a mount that I can achieve that with.

Edit two: Maybe if I put wood blocks between the vesa mount and the L & R monitors, I might be able to get the angle I want. Hm. Does anyone else have suggestions?

Ikea Capita Legs are popular: https://m.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/art/60263574/

Others on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NCKZRTL/ref=cm_sw_r_oth_api_G7KVBbXT06DCJ

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KQH8HMU/ref=cm_sw_r_oth_api_Z8KVBbDM4Y4N2

I just bought this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AJHCQD8/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

Pretty cheap, and actually good loooking!

Is your desk big enough for three monitors? If so, just get a 1x12x(however long you want) board from Lowe's and a keyboard slider and do it yourself.

Also, are you sure you need a full sized keyboard? There are really only two reasons: ip addresses and calculations. You could talk probably get away with an 80% and maybe a separate keypad.

I completely agree with these methods. There is another thread in this subreddit that suggest those under-desk CPU holders. This was the suggested link.

I have one of these at home: http://www.amazon.com/Mount-It-Freestanding-Monitor-Widescreen-Monitors/dp/B00FQU7CPU

I have the 2 monitor version at the office.

Both work very well and I have had no issues. The Trip stand has been at home for well over 1.5 years without any problems. You even have the option with these stands to drill through the desk and bolt it down.

[The one I owned before getting a new TV with enough inputs](Kinivo 301BN Premium 3 Port High Speed HDMI Switch With IR Wireless Remote And AC Power Adapter - Supports 3D, 1080p https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049S6ZUS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_EUwMBbBHQ0BJQ)

Ive had this for a while now https://www.amazon.com/VG248QE-1920x1080-144Hz-Gaming-Monitor/dp/B00B2HH7G0

My second monitor is not 144hz and I dont notice a difference when just browing the web and what not. But Ive never played a game across them at the same time which I also would not recommend with just 2 monitors, 3 seems like it would be fine but only if they had the same refresh rate.

Oh those are just kitchen legs from amazon
https://www.amazon.ca/BQLZR-Stainless-Kitchen-Adjustable-Furniture/dp/B00KQH8HMU/ref=asc_df_B00KQH8HMU/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292948034357&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12992890320284480019&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000671&hvtargid=pla-349478070909&psc=1

Thank you for the reply. I am little weary to mount something to the wall so I picked up this one.

I have this one. I have it set up opposite from your goal (one input, two outputs), but it shouldn't matter given that it is bi-directional. It is not perfect, but it works well for the price (e.g., sometimes I will have to toggle back and forth once to get the picture to work, but it always ends up working after that).

There's also this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00M4D395O/ref=pd_aw_sim_229_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41Do71bAk6L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL130_SR130%2C130_&refRID=7S1CWYNHPCBFZK1JQDK4

I have this exact setup. With a PS4 though. My PC is plugged into my right monitor and then also plugged into this:

https://www.amazon.com/Fosmon-HD8024-Bi-Directional-Switcher-Passthrough/dp/B00LFX1UDM

Which is connected to both PS4 AND PC so when I hit the button it switches between the two inputs.

Either this
http://www.amazon.com/Redragon-Mammoth-Precision-Programmable-Cartridge-Switches/dp/B00GU4F4OM

Or this

http://www.amazon.com/Redragon-Perdition-Precision-Programmable-Cartridge-profiles/dp/B00GU8W5AE

So a clamp?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M4D395O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Redragon Perdition

Also the UtechSmart Venus)

hey, do you mean these?

CPU holder http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0010SY3L8/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1425930494&sr=8-2&keywords=cpu+holder&dpPl=1&dpID=41XUM%2B4ay-L&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

I'd either get small hooks to line along the back bottom edge or get a mesh net to put the cables in and attach that to the back bottom. Or just a small raceway.

https://www.amazon.com/Channel-Cable-Raceway-Black-Length/dp/B002DNM42O/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_229_bs_lp_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VNT65K22J2Q3TTYGFRBR

If your monitor has standard VESA monitor mount screw holes in the back you will have a whole universe of alternate stands to pick from.

What is a VESA mount?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Display_Mounting_Interface

Some suggestions:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005C29QN8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FPCQyb8A9EJED

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MIBN16O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_BQCQybE7RETW7

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052ATODM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_vRCQyb0EF3WCH

Did a little more searching and found this. My thinking is to put the 40" on top, leave the middle open, and the bottom would house my smaller monitor, at around 14 pounds. I'm no engineer, so would the extra 3-4 pounds really make that much of a difference even if the mounts are rated at 20+ lbs each?