Lian-Li's Adjustable Motorized Standing Desk Is Also a High-End PC Chassis (hothardware.com)

MojoKid quotes a report from HotHardware: It looks as though Lian-Li took the term desktop computer a bit too literally with its new DK-04 system, which is literally a desk that doubles as an enclosure for your PC components. The DK-04 has a clean, industrial design and even has an electrically actuated height adjustment system that than can raise the desktop from a height of 30.7 inches to 46 inches at the touch of a button. The desk itself is made out of aluminum, while the desk surface is made of tempered glass so that you can get work done on top of it and admire your PC components at the same time. Speaking of which, the DK-04 supports up to 10 HDD/SDD bays and both micro-ATX and ATX motherboards. And if you're thinking about throwing in some monster graphics cards into the mix, the DK-04 will support cards up to 320mm in length. Cool air is pulled in via four front-mounted 120mm fans and hot air is exhausted via another four 120mm fans that are mounted at the back of the desk. Liquid cooling is also supported.

Comments

no comments and already slashdotted

[ganjadude]

ive been thinking about building something similar for my next build in concept anyway i doubt to the quality it claims

Noise Level?

[crunchy_one]

With so many big fans, I'm wondering how loud this thing is. Could be it be like working over an old Hoover?

Re:Noise Level?

[C3lt]

Larger fans generally means a quieter system as they can spin at a lower speed to shift the same volume of air.

Re:Noise Level?

[Anonymous Coward]

It could actually be quieter. Larger fans can spin at a lower speed to move the same amount of air. No need to run all the fans full blast at all times.

Re:Noise Level?

[U2xhc2hkb3QgU3Vja3M]

I HAVE THIS DESK AND IT'S REALLY NOT THAT LOUD!

This non-essential text is brought to you by the "Don't use so many caps, it's like YELLING" filter.

Re:Noise Level?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm more concerned that the fans look like they would be right against the wall. Why not on the sides?

Re:Noise Level?

[DrYak]

WHAT? I DIDN'T HEAR YOU... CAN YOU REPEAT?

(same filtering stuff ruinning the purpose of the joke...)

Re:Noise Level?

[thegarbz]

With so many big fans, I'm wondering how loud this thing is.

Probably dead silent. Big fans can move very slowly and produce the same airflow as a loud fast spinning small fan. Less speed, less buffeting, = less noise, and that's before you get into fancy new fan designs. I've given up on fans smaller than 120mm for the chassis in every PC and even some stereo gear in the house.

Frankly if you can hear your computer these days you're doing something wrong. Or just showing off like those people with the black label Delta fans in the AMD Athlon error who would pick those fans so that everyone knew they had an Athlon 800 overclocked to 1200.

Re:Noise Level?

[OpenSourced]

Anyway, IMO, they have squandered an opportunity of using the whole table as a giant heatsink, and make the whole thing silent. I'm sure the fans will be relatively silent, but I'm also sure that the vibration will be noticeable.

Re:Noise Level?

[K. S. Kyosuke]

Well, you can't blame the desk for the construction work taking place across the street.

Re:Noise Level?

[Michael Woodhams]

Case-as-a-heatsink does exist, but you need a clever system of heat pipes to get the heat from where it is generated (CPU, GPU) to the case. If the motherboard is not an integral part of the package, you need to be even more clever to have adjustablity in the heat pipes to accommodate different CPU, GPU locations. It makes for difficult installs, hard to maintain, and such cases cost at least about $500 over standard case costs. Generally such cases only get used in hostile environments (where the air will damage the computer) or super-noise-sensitive environments, such as a recording studio.

Also, I agree with other commenters - many large fans is good, not bad, for quiet. You can get the needed airflow by running them very slowly.

(This knowledge comes from being a long-time reader of http://www.silentpcreview.com/ . I've never met such a case in real life.)

the desk surface is made of tempered glass

[Anonymous Coward]

so that you can get work done on top of it and admire your PC dust at the same time

Re:the desk surface is made of tempered glass

[Anonymous Coward]

At least in that case people might keep their motherboards clean. Most people only realize they have a dust problem when the CPU overheats.

Re:the desk surface is made of tempered glass

[DigiShaman]

In a typical home, dust in a computer is unavailable. By nature of air cooling a PC, the large volume of air that passed over the components will deposit dust over them after awhile. Dust being anything from actual dirt to dead skin cells FYI. Now, you can pre-filter the air via various methods on the chassis intake, but often it requires addition force which may or may not lead to additional noise.

With regards to cleaning the inside components directly, that's an "iffy" proposition. Using a feather duster could generate static and damage components depending on the humidity level; best not to risk it. In addition, physical dusting could snag an electrolytic capacitors and break it off the board or some such. Compressed shop air is much better, but be careful not to spin the fans or you might damage them. Typical cans of compressed air work, but it's PITA once the cans get cold. I've actually kept a warm pan of water to dip the can into for a "recharge" if I'm doing a thorough yearly cleaning.

In short, preventing dust and removing is a giant PITA within a home dwelling. Just the nature of air cooling.

Re:the desk surface is made of tempered glass

[alvinrod]

Why not just wear a glove on the hand that's holding the compressed air? You could probably get away with using an oven mitt or a pot holder in a pinch. Seems like a simpler solution than keeping a tub of warm water around.

Re:the desk surface is made of tempered glass

[Anonymous Coward]

Because he's not talking about his hand getting cold. He's talking about the fact that, as you spray the can, the pressure drops to the point where it won't spray any more. The pressure drop that causes the can to get uncomfortably cold, also causes the *contents* to get cold, and even revert to liquid form. It takes a while for the can to warm back up and regain pressure.

Re:the desk surface is made of tempered glass

[Anonymous Coward]

Fairly sure you meant "In a typical home, dust in a computer is unavoidable.", not "In a typical home, dust in a computer is unavailable." :-)

Re:the desk surface is made of tempered glass

[Coren22]

Personally, I use a shopvac. It works well, and I have never concerned myself with spinning the fans, and have never lost a fan. Spinning the fans with the Shopvac's suction seems to cause them to spin so fast that the caked on dust flies off of them, showering the rest of the case though.

Re:the desk surface is made of tempered glass

[DigiShaman]

I damaged a board that way. I used a shopvac, but the suction was so strong that it slammed the hose nozzle into a capacitor and broke one of the two legs free. It was large enough that I could resolder it, but for anything tiny, I would fear to be a next to impossible feat. YMMV

Which Came First?

[Anonymous Coward]

I am wondering if it is because of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytpK6nhsfqI

Hipsters

[110010001000]

One thing I have noticed is that hipsters love these standing desks. Probably because they can't sit down in their skinny jeans.

Re:Hipsters

[Anonymous Coward]

That's the best part about this desk. Lower it and sit on a chair, or raise it and stand. You can be hip and your back will love you.

Re: Hipsters

[slazzy]

Wish I had mod points, too funny. Seriously though, I think standing for a few hours out of a work day is probably good for your health. If nothing else it's harder to fall asleep standing up.

Re: Hipsters

[Thanshin]

it's harder to fall asleep standing up.

Being in my last work hour for the day, I can confidently say that what would be harder is the hit, after literally falling asleep standing up.

Re: Hipsters

[Anonymous Coward]

Not so much

Re:Hipsters

[Darinbob]

I had my hip replaced with a 3D printed plastic part, you insensitive clod!

Re: Hipsters

[Darinbob]

I would complain to my boss that it's too hard to sleep at the new desk.

You could bring it to a LAN party!

[PrescriptionWarning]

Assuming they have double doors and you wheel it in on a dolly

Lack of leg-room and ergonomics

[Misagon]

The problem with "PC Desk Cases" of this type with flat tops is that when sitting down there is very limited room for the knees.

The posture for sitting in front of a desk that is most often recommended for ergonomics experts has the desk surface quite low because the forearms are supposed to be horizontal when using the keyboard, so that your wrists could be straight.

It is also recommended that the top of the monitor screen is at the same height as your eyes. Most adjustable monitor stands would be in the highest position to reach that. A very large number of monitor stands are still too short and have to stand on something to reach that height.

I think that a better "PC Desk Case" design would instead be more like a classic desktop case on a regular desk. Or rather, a desk that incorporates a shelf for the monitor to stand on with the PC components in the base of that shelf. Unlike a PC on a desk, it could draw in air from the bottom which would give it better cooling.

Re:Lack of leg-room and ergonomics

[quietwalker]

I was surprised to find out that the most comfortable position for me at a desk for long periods of time is actually with the top of the desk more or less in line with the middle of my sternum. From shoulder to wrist, my arms are almost entirely horizontal.

No idea of the ergonomics of it, but I seem to be managing to avoid fatigue and feel comfortable, even if I usually have to resort to putting the chair to the lowest level.

Re:Lack of leg-room and ergonomics

[locopuyo]

Yep this desk actually has a very poor ergonomic design. The part where the keyboard and mouse should be as thin as possible so they can be as close to your knees as possible. If you have the keyboard and mouse in the idea ergonomic position most monitors do not sit high enough with their built in stands. The back of this desk is too thick for a monitor mount clamp.

Devils advocate

[fluffernutter]

I hope the components completely detach from the desk. If you cannot get into all sides it would be inconvenient to say the least. Also, I wonder how many people who can afford this are working on a PC for great lengths of time.

Re:Devils advocate

[Thanshin]

I wonder how many people who can afford this are working on a PC for great lengths of time.

I would expect most people who work on a PC for great lengths of time, to be able to afford $1.5K.

Re:Devils advocate

[fluffernutter]

Yeah but they're not going to want an inaccessible case. I'm a small time dev and I'm always throwing in memory and drives. I can see it if the vogue today is to just buy a maxed out system from the start. I tend to buy a good base and upgrade. Could work for well payed devs I guess.

Re:Devils advocate

[fluffernutter]

The people who make money in this economy are the people who still meet face to face with people.

Re:Devils advocate

[Lumpy]

My audio DAW workstation that is basically a glorified PC with 16 cores and 64gig of ram and SAS drives along with it's audio hardware is $25,000 on it's own. and the desk it is on cost me $4500

And yes I spend a lot of time at it. $1500 desk/case is chump change.

Re:Devils advocate

[fluffernutter]

So you are saying in your $25,000 system you would never need to get inside it?

Re:Devils advocate

[tlhIngan]

I would expect most people who work on a PC for great lengths of time, to be able to afford $1.5K.

Which isn't all that bad - a decent desk can easily be several hundred bucks, and if it's a motorized sit/stand desk, easily $1K. Yes, you can buy super dirt cheap ones for $400 easily, but you can opt for better quality ones as well.

All in all, it may be expensive for the /.'er who uses a $10 garage sale card table as their desk, but office furniture, especially decent ones, can cost a fair bit of money. And not too long ago a sit/stand desk was $1.5K.

Re:Devils advocate

[Lumpy]

Not in the past 2 years... nope.. you see I buy it maxed out so I dont have to waste time tinkering. I prefer working over messing with it saving a nickle here and a dime there by spreading out upgrades.

Next year It's time for the 3 year old SSD drives to get chucked out and new ones installed. So there will be a single day downtime when the box is opened for about 10 minutes and then everything freshly reinstalled.

Re:Devils advocate

[Anonymous Coward]

I would expect them to know where not, to put a comma.

Re:Devils advocate

[fluffernutter]

Ok so I guess there is a market for it. Pretty bad for the environment to 'chuck out' working SSDs!

Re:Devils advocate

[Coren22]

If they are 3 years old, they are likely in the 120-240 GB range. Not much use after that amount of time, and easily replaced with all 1TB or larger drives.

Re:Devils advocate

[fluffernutter]

You can still join them together and make a single large storage space. This is what I was kind of getting at originally.. I cobble things together constantly because I don't believe in throwing out electronics that work. Of course drives that are very old will be around the 20Gb range and a motherboard just doesn't have enough ports for it to be worthwhile and you're wasting electricity at that point, but 120-240Gb drives are still useful to someone. If you're willing to trash things I can see a desk like this working better for them because they just load it up once per year and trash everything that comes out.

With all the increased attention on electric cars and how well they will help the environment, I always wonder how many of these people are harming the environment by doing other things anyway.... such as trashing electronics that are still usable.

Re:Devils advocate

[Coren22]

If you are concerned about the greenness of throwing out working hardware, consider the power usage of what you are looking at. 3 x 240 = 720 GB, but at three times the power usage of a 1 TB SSD, and likely not any better performance. Also, likely, they are already in an array, but are getting too constraining which is why the replacement in the first place.

I do agree though in handing the stuff down, if someone can use these drives as boot drives elsewhere, they are still useful, if the data isn't classified (where they shred the drives).

Literally blow your skirt up?

[mykepredko]

Interesting product but with the fans (which may be very noisy, as pointed out by other people) could there be enough airflow to cause uncomfortable situations with individuals that are wearing skirts and dresses?

Re:Literally blow your skirt up?

[alvinrod]

I suppose if you have people walking around behind your desk it's a potential problem, but as most people usually have desks up against a wall or some kind of divider, it's not likely to be a problem. But even if, for the sake of argument, we're in some kind of open floor plan hell, those fans probably don't have enough power to recreate a Marilyn Monroe photograph. You'd probably need a really heavy load just to get them to ruffle clothing at all, and at that point the noise from them would be driving the other poor souls in open floor plan office hell bonkers and no one would want to go anywhere near you.

Standing desks provide no health benefits

[quietwalker]

Remember - the studies show that standing desks may actually incur more, and more serious health problems, much more quickly than sitting - in weeks instead of months or years. We DO know sitting for long periods of time is bad, but as per a previous slashdot story. there's no indication standing all day is any better.

I wrote about this before here too, but the summary is this: the idea that standing desks provide health benefits is based more on well-intentioned ignore-proof-or-lack-thereof feel-good rationalization than the anti-vaxxer movement.

Just make sure if you're getting a standing desk like this or others, that you're not just buying into hype. Remember how it went when everyone raved about how awesome Ruby was? ... yeah.

Re:Standing desks provide no health benefits

[LWATCDR]

That is why I like the idea of a standing desk and a drafting stool for a chair.
You can stand a while then sit for a while then stand... All without the complexity of a moving desk.

Re:Standing desks provide no health benefits

[EvilSS]

I wrote about this before here too, but the summary is this: the idea that standing desks provide health benefits is based more on well-intentioned ignore-proof-or-lack-thereof feel-good rationalization than the anti-vaxxer movement.

There is way too much of this when it comes to health and nutrition and it's infuriating. Science is supposed to be based on actual science. Not "well it's pretty obvious this is how it should be so let's just go with that", or jumping on one or two initial study results and not digging deeper until decades later, only to discover that nope, it's not that way, and the new way is worse. Woops, our bad!

Re:Standing desks provide no health benefits

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah no kidding Sherlock, of course it's not a great idea to be in the same position all day, either standing or sitting. That's why they're usually height-adjustable. Move around a bit for fuck sake!

Re:Standing desks provide no health benefits

[Anonymous Coward]

No no kidding Sherlock, of course it's not a great idea to be in the same position all day long. That's why they're usually height-adjustable. Move around a bit once in a while for fukc sake.

Re:Standing desks provide no health benefits

[Coren22]

Human health studies take time, they aren't just running a bunny study for a week.

Re:Standing desks provide no health benefits

[Coren22]

Standing constantly is bad, sitting constantly is bad, but switching between the two is much more healthy.

Front edge is too thick

[chuckugly]

There's a she said in that somewhere.

But yeah, the front edge on that thing is too thick - if they'd constrained the PC case part to strictly further back or made a knee hole or something it would be great but as it is it looks horribly non-ergonomic, which given that it's a standing desk seems incredibly ironic.

But I like the concept overall.

Re:Front edge is too thick

[Coren22]

Use a keyboard tray? Perhaps they even have one designed for it, though I don't see anything about it on Lian-Li's site.

Re:Front edge is too thick

[chuckugly]

Fair I guess but for a $1500 ergo desk it should really be at least slightly ergo IMO.

Awesome upgrade potential

[radarskiy]

Now every 3 years they can sell an entire new desk PLUS the labor to move it in.

Re:Awesome upgrade potential

[thegarbz]

I've been using the same computer case since 1999. What makes you think you need to sell a new desk for a PC upgrade?

What is old is new again

[Zeromous]

Brings me back to my old HP3000 "desks"

Re:Exhaust

[ooloorie]

PC fans frequently point against the wall, without causing fire. PC exhaust isn't normally hot, and walls, being made mostly of gypsum, aren't normally flammable.

horizontal case?

[ooloorie]

I'm not sure I see the advantage of this over just putting a horizontal case (maybe even a 1U or 2U enclosure with a 90 degree connector for the graphics card) on top of a regular desk.

Re:horizontal case?

[JustNiz]

I guess you can stand up if you want. Thats about all I can think of.
What I mostly see with this is more downsides than just a tower and a regular desk.

Only an idiot...

[Rhys]

could have designed that thing. $1500 for a too-thick, awkward access (you have to remove the desk surface to get to it, it looks like? HELL NO!) is crazy talk. Pick up a good standing desk for half the price (or well under half, Autonomous is probably fine, it isn't like they manufacture the functional parts (legs/motors) anyway) and spend more on the guts of the computer. Place on the desk surface (my choice) or get XL cables and place on the floor.

Re:Exhaust

[Lumpy]

All my stuff points at the wall and still not fire....

I will scold my computers that they are not doing what they are supposed to be doing... Damn lazy things not setting fire to the house.

Minimum height?

[hackertourist]

With the desk at least 79 cm (30.7") off the ground this desk is only suitable for giants.
The "average" desk height is 75 cm, and I find that uncomfortably high despite being 1m80 tall.

that's very cool

[YesIAmAScript]

But move the storage in front to the sides so I can have a drawer. That thing is WAY too thick to not have a drawer at least.

Also, if you could build a pop-up display and keyboard into it so I can go full-on Encom/Tron it would be even better.