Lian Li’s new standing desk PC is attractive, with one massive drawback

I really like standing desks, each as basic utility gadgets and as an support for my dangerous again. I’ve been utilizing them for a very long time, mounting my hefty desktop PC to the underside to avoid wasting area and cable routing points. Lian Li has tempted me with its desk-PC case combos for some time, and by no means extra so than with its trendy new picket mannequin. There’s only one subject that’s stopping me from shopping for it.

The DK-07 WOOD (that’s the title) is a beefy sucker, 1480mm large (58.26 inches) with help for as much as 100 kilograms (220 kilos) on its floor. Inside you’ve obtained room for 2 separate E-ATX PC builds, each seen by the trendy glass high, and now upgraded with a riser mount to indicate off your GPU. There are tons of choices for cooling and drive mounts, detachable motherboard trays for simple constructing, storage cubbies on each side, and an built-in wi-fi charging pad. All nice. Even the value isn’t unreasonable for the whole lot you’re getting — $1,400 USD isn’t low cost, however I paid $1,000 for my Uplift desk and it didn’t have lots of that stuff.

However you see that good symmetrical look that the highest has? Yeah, that circle on the left aspect isn’t a second wi-fi charging pad. That’s the place the riser controls for the desk hang around. Oof.

In case you’ve by no means used a standing desk, you won’t see my subject. A standing desk works kind of the identical as an everyday desk, the one issues you’ve to bear in mind are just a little slack for cable routing and don’t stick an excessive amount of beneath, lest it get crushed. However probably the most common commonalities is that the rising and reducing controls go on the entrance. So you may attain them. And so the stuff you put in your desk don’t cowl them.

Taking a look at my desk proper now, that left-side floor management cluster on the Lian Li design goes proper the place my espresso mug does. I’d estimate that that spot is roofed by one thing about 90 % of the time — a assessment unit, a pill or laptop computer, a chunk of paper, or a e-book I’m referencing. It’s simply an terrible place to designate for one thing that can’t be coated. It’s so dangerous that it makes me query if the individuals designing this really use a standing desk. Even the promotional video reveals a bunch of books and films protecting up the controls!

Simply to drive my level residence right here: The desk contains USB ports and energy buttons for each inside PCs on the entrance of the desk’s floor. So you may attain them. That is sensible.

The one approach this is sensible is for those who maintain your desk completely pristine, able to take a pic and showcase to Reddit at a second’s discover. And if that’s you, properly, I’m impressed. And possibly just a little scared.