At the moment with three dozen votes in we have the following tally:
Floor 38%
Desk right 38%
Desk left 8%
Floor+desk 8%
Cart 5%
The topic is only a few hours old and already I've seen a lot of very useful commentary and controversy. I think I now have enough information to make a few generalizations and draw a conclusion or two.
Most of the folks here are typically gear whores, and since not many desktop cases can fit, much less cool, three or more HDs, OC'd CPU, etc., those folks are more likely to have some sort of tower. The case choice at this level is driven by sheer necessity.
Likewise, many folks here are part of what I'll simply refer to as the
Lucite(tm) crowd. I think
3lfk1ng's post highlights this pretty well. He paid Big Money for that Kandalf case - it even has a cup holder, no $#!+. The call it an accessory box but I know better. Perfect size for Coca-Cola, a pack of papers 'n a lighter. The only thing missing is a willy pump. Or a hookah. So of course he wants it in clear sight where errant Nikes won't scratch the 'glass and guests can bask awe-struck in the glow. In retrospect this is a "no-brainer". I feel silly for not having realized it before.
Notice how most desk-bound towers are on the right side. That's either because most folks are right handed, or because the 'glass sidecover is on the left. The latter is clearly the most likely in this crowd.
I'm pretty sure that of the voting contributors, those who list their hardware in their signature have a case with a 'glass sidecover, on their desk, on the right side.
😀
Of course everyone's different. My desk is a work surface. I've never been to a
LAN party. (OK, maybe that HREF was unnecessarily mean, I'm sorry). I have about a dozen computers right now but none were built for the purpose of marvelling in their aesthetic beauty. If I want to marvel at beauty I have a delightful wife AND a huge collection of, um,
files from a.b.m.e (I wonder how many folks here would need to look up that reference). So my case choices where applicable are driven almost entirely by utility. But hey, that's just me. So most of the systems stay on the floor except for an old Sun desktop on a rolling file cabinet, a few laptops scattered about and a couple of G3 iMacs that I use to punish house guests with a limited attention span. A 2200VA UPS (cryin' for mercy) and 8-port KVM switch are behind the desk outta sight, 16-port Gig-E switch hangs under the desk outta sight. Cables all neatly bundled in inexpensive under-desk cable trays (
thanks Ikea). Neat, maintainable and, well, business-like.
A final word or hundred about floors, dust and static, and heat buildup...
Dust is everywhere. It just happens to settle on floors because they're the most prevalent flat surfaces and that's where gravity points. The solution is to use a dust mop or vacuum cleaner now and then. If you've locked your mother out of your room, borrow the stuff from her. But learn CPR first so you can rescue her from the inevitable coronary arrest. For those few of you who are married, warn your wife not to bump the cases too hard.
As for the remaining dust, use a case with washable filters.
And folks, don't forget PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE. Now and then you should unplug the power, open the cases and carefully vacuum a bit. Use compressed air to loosen up dust that a detailing nozzle can't reach. Even small amounts of dust can cause electrical gremlins that, in a computer, can translate to data processing errors that you might otherwise blame on bad memory, excessive overclocking, etc.
Here's another tip for towers on carpeted floors - go to the hardware store and buy four casters. Five or six if you're a twisted maniac with a pedestal case. Replace the plastic or rubber feet with the casters. Now the carpet fibers can't interfere with the small intake slots on the bottom of your case. And a nice set of casters is surely worth a few bling points, no?
Static too is everywhere, mostly on YOU. And while carpets make it worse, hard floors don't get rid of the problem altogether. Now, equipment on the floor is essentially grounded, which is a helpful thing. Actually all the equipment should already be pretty well grounded but the real risk is in the
ground paths. And those include absolutely everything connected to your computer. So if you're that worried about static you're going to have a hard time giving all the avenues suitable, safe dissipation paths. If you can go completely Bluetooth you have a chance.
The heat buildup
is a definite problem I'll admit. I'm actually considering running some relatively narrow clothes drier -type ductwork under the desks and routing it to the window nearby with a quiet exhaust fan there. For now, a very quiet oscillating fan opposite the side of the room where all the goodies are, actually solves the problem completely. But I'm tired of kicking it accidentally.
-Brad
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