r/setups

Finally a homeowner. this was an AI render (Pic 1) and I am attempting to create my ultimate WFH/gaming station. However, as per Pic 2, you sense that I am far away from creating cozy-mood. Since much of my budget has just been blown on the house, what are the best value upgrades I should do immediately? Most importantly, what are the overrated setup trends or traps to avoid at all cost?

Wayne, a designer and photographer, built his desk entirely by hand — ocean board planks, hand-stained brown for a weathered vintage depth, then anchored by a black walnut riser and a Macintosh-era inspired dock that deepens the retro signal. The rest of the surface pulls deliberately in the other direction: carbon fiber mat, sparse keyboard, minimal objects. His take is straightforward: a setup reflects taste, not a template — so he engineered the tension between vintage and precision rather than picking one.

Gear list:
- Desk: Custom DIY (ocean board, brown stain finish)
- Monitor: Redmi A27U Type-C
- Monitor arm: Huixiang K-series
- Monitor light: BenQ Screenbar Pro
- Keyboard: Cherry K5V2
- Mouse: ATK R1 SE
- Chair: Xiaoji X5
- Desk riser: TOD black walnut
- Laptop stand: Twelve South
- Hub: wokiys M5 (Macintosh-inspired)
- Storage: Orico Minimate
- Audio: Huazai Haijingfang
- Desk mat: Songne carbon fiber texture
- Ambient: Govee Life
- Camera: Sony A7M2

Hexcal cable management runs underneath — the one invisible layer that keeps the handbuilt surface exactly as intended.

*Setup Festival 2026 · r/SetupFestival*

I started streaming in 2019.

Built a brand from the ground up. Started a family. Went back to college at 33. Closed out one chapter creatively and started others through music, digital marketing, Cyberpsychology, and content creation.

Over time, my setup stopped being just a desk with tech on it and became a reflection of who I was becoming.

If you have not built your dream setup yet, remember that everyone starts somewhere. Your space evolves alongside your vision.

This is the evolution of my setups from 2019–2026.

I already wanted to make the environment much more cozy and productive with wires, cables, controls, everything within easy reach to use, but not on display to avoid visual clutter.

I recently ran out of money to make some changes I had planned, but on the other hand, it's actually good because I can think about the changes better together with you guys :D

First of all, I should mention that my apartment is rented, so it's difficult for me to get permission to drill into the wall. Some wall alterations could look great if they involve sticking/adhesive decals.

My suggestions for change:

- Replace the television with a slightly smaller 144Hz monitor (the television can be quite tiring for the eyes, and its refresh rate is 60fps, which is inferior to the laptop screen for gaming)

- You can also buy an articulated arm stand for your laptop so you can position it suspended next to the monitor

- Replace the entirely black table with a lighter-colored tabletop and add drawers for side support, creating a table

- Create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere with reading light or a yellow-toned lamp placed beside the desk

- Perhaps a larger mousepad that also covers the keyboard?

There are many ideas, but I would like to hear other opinions and ideas...

If you'd like to create an AI-based predictive model of how your setup changes would look, these photos are completely free to use for that purpose. I'd be happy to see all the photos

:)))

Just today i got this laptop, i used to have a mini pc, i decided to do a quick arrangement, what do yall think?

Would yall add something or change something?

Featured Setup by Design Syndrome. We recently collaborated with him to create a line of keycaps and deskpads. He doesn't have reddit but he wanted us to show off his setup.

Asus tuf f16 laptop
Acer vg240y-something monitor
Nuphy air 75 v1 keyboard
Vxe r1 se mouse

Im studying industrial design, currently on summer break, this is a cool setup that me and my dad can use

Edit: i had the laptop setup like that so i could use the big monitor too look at art books and references

I’m getting a nice pc im gonna make it black and white but I can’t change the Desks , any recommendation for decor and stuff

This is my setup, there are things I like about it and stuff I don't. Heres the rundown:
Main Computer: Macbook Pro M3 MAX 14inch 36gb RAM and 1tb SSD
Large Monitor: Samsung S34CG50
Secondary Monitor: Dell P2722HE
Stream Deck +
Mouse: Logitech M575

My Mac is running most of the setup, the two laptops on the shelfs are running a Discord bot. The keyboard is one I found off of amazon for around $5-$10. I just ordered a new one. Feel free to ask any questions you might have on this setup!

zjay is a Guangzhou-based photographer and custom keyboard builder — a self-described homebody whose desk reflects exactly that: built to stay in, not to perform on a spec sheet. The warm-dark palette, autumn forest wallpaper, and industrial yellow keycaps read as a coherent aesthetic without needing explanation.

Gear:
- Desk: Hexcal height-adjustable frame with custom solid wood black top
- Keyboard: Matrix My2K 80 Industrial Yellow
- Mouse: Lofree
The Hexcal frame is the structural backbone here — the custom solid wood top does the rest.
*Setup Festival 2026 · r/SetupFestival*

I mostly work here but I game from time to time.

Audio:

AirPods Pro Max 2
AirPods Pro 3
Rode Podmic XLR
Behringer Xenyx 302 USB

Gaming:

Modded Wooting 60he
Finalmouse ULX Phantom Cheetah (small)
eXplore glass pad (cheap from Amazon, works great)
Sceptre Curved 240hz 1080p monitor (right monitor)
Sceptre 165hz 1080p monitor (left monitor)

Video:

Sony A6100 (main camera)
Elgato Facecam (handcam/extra camera)

Workflow:

MacBook Air M1 (2020) 13-inch
PC Spec: i5-13600k, 4060 Ti, 32GB DDR4. (Wonderful for competitive)

Notes: the finalmouse is not my endgame, nor are my monitors. I can say the ULX is an amazing mouse for me. However, my endgame would be the RVMSE.
The monitors I currently have are on the low end, 1080p wjth bad panels. Hoping to increase that to 1440p OLED soon. Otherwise, I love this setup. As an 18 year old high school student, it is everything I’d ever need.