When used for gaming, laptops tend to over heat, and eventually they destroy their video cards. My Alienware m15x laptop, while it seems to have good cooling, has had 4 new video cards in the last 3 years. I have wanted to use a desktop for gaming, but prefer to do most of my playing from the comfort of my recliner. Here is the start of an idea to accomplish that. Missing from the renderings are the arm that holds the monitor from the case to the right of the recliner to the monitor in front of me. As you can see the computer case is very large. I’ve provided for a UPS in the cabinet since in my area all my computers require a UPS due to frequent power glitches that would cause an unprotected computer to reboot. Click on pictures for larger views.
- Side View
The arm will be mounted at the front left corner of the side cabinet. Notice that the cabinet projects forward of the side of the chair to allow the arm to reach to the side. The side reach must be about 22-24 inches. The base of the monitor will be slightly above the level of the side cabinet. The cabinet has a platform for the computer, which is raised above the floor by 3 inches to minimize dust intake. The cabinet design does not surround the computer case to allow for adequate cooling. The computer is built with a HAF-X, which is larger than would be ideal in this application. The computer is liquid cooled with fans that blow straight out the top. This makes placing the case inside a cabinet less desirable. Despite the size of the case and the number of fans, the computer is quiet, so I do not expect problems viewing TV this close to the computer. In fact it may be quieter then my current setup, since the laptop lap table has a fan which is quite loud. The HAF-X case may actually be quieter.
Here’s a view from the rear. The keyboard, mouse and gaming keypad will be held on a light wood table on the lap. Only the keyboard is shown in this rendering. The monitor I have chosen is a 20 inch Acer model with a VESA mount at the back, a DVI connection and a resolution of 1600×900. The Alienware m15x has a resolution of 1920×1200, but that resolution is not required for a great gaming experience. The larger screen will make seeing the interface details much easier. Sometimes I have to actually use a magnifier to see details on the laptop which has a 15 inch screen.
Notice the rear of the cabinet has openings at the top and bottom to allow adequate circulation for the UPS. Also the cabinet will have a shelf for the sub-woofer for the 3 channel sound system. I want the gaming sound separate from the TV, and 2 channels and a sub-woofer will be plenty of fidelity. More to come as I choose an arm and finalize the design.
Here is an arm I’m considering by Innovative at lcdarms.com.
Update:
Here’s a render with the arm in place:
– windy
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