TL;DR: I have a desk like the one pictured and I want to build a PC into the bottom left hand drawer and a power bar and fan set into the body. so that it’s my dream desk. What do I need to know before I do this?

So I have a very similar desk to the image provided (not my desk it’s currently covered in projects), it’s a mid century tanker desk with Formica top. I also have a modestly good PC that I use for gaming. Unfortunately my tower is pretty bulky and this desk definitely wasn’t built with the idea of that in mind.

I’m considering modifying the desk so that I can fit the internals of the PC into the bottom drawer on the left side. currently, everything will be able to fit and if I place the board at the middle I will be able to upgrade the graphics card (whenever they become affordable) without issue as that would be the biggest concern space wise.

The two biggest issues I foresee are cooling and cable. For cables, I’m thinking I’ll get extenders for the video, internet, USB’s, and run them through the body of the desk. one side will feed into the drawer to connect to the PC with a little slack to allow the drawer to slide, the other will be part of a tasteful 3d printed hub on the desk, either under the lip of the back or on the table top. That way I’d be able to plug in flash drives or the monitors without trouble.

Cooling is a trickier matter. The entire desk is enclosed but not air tight by any measure. I figure, I can drill out a vent pattern in the bottom front and top back of the left tower to allow a sort of chimney effect, the hot air coming out the back of the desk will draw fresh air in to the bottom. From there, I do a similar bottom front, top back array for fans on the drawer itself, so that it draws cool air into the enclosed space near the desk intake hole, and blows hot air up the back wall of the desk. I could then even wire fans into the desk itself to further move the air if it’s not staying cool enough as I already plan to be in there running wires and maybe installing a power supply so that I always have a free outlet to test things with.

All that said, This is a bit more involved than the case mods I’ve previously done on PCs, and while I am confidant that I can do all this without damaging anything, I would like some input from others before I jump on it. Is there anything I should consider? anything I’m overlooking? I have a deep love for these desks and I’ve always wanted to integrate a computer into my desk instead of just sitting it near by. Now I kind of have the resourced and tools I need for both. I just want to make sure I do it right.

  • theo
    1·
    22 hours ago

    Most of the pc cases I have had are metal-bodied; what difference would this desk then have with a metal case, or are they normally non-conductive?

    • anime_ted
      1·
      3 hours ago

      PC cases are designed to safely insulate the electronic components and have safety ground paths designed into them. Modern power supplies are enclosed and grounded too so that helps, and very importantly once installed in the case the components don’t move.

      The idea here, I believe, is to install the PC components in a steel drawer in a steel bomber desk. These were designed in the middle of the last century and were not intended to contain live electrical components. You just put your equipment on top of the desk, which generally had a hard rubber or laminate surface.

      The biggest potential hazard I can see with this is that the mains power cable probably has to be led in to the enclosure through a hole with potentially sharp edges (addressable using non-conductive grommets) and mounting the PC components in a drawer that can move means cables can be repeatedly pulled on, pinched, and chafed, which will eventually destroy the cable’s insulation. This can lead to a short, posing a risk of fire or electrical shock.