My Home Office revealed
Tags: wfh, workstations, office
Published: 2020-03-23 04:05:24

> ### UPDATE 3 August 2020:  
> Because of the ever changing nature of my WFH setup, I've created a GitHub repo which hosts the __always up-to-date__ version of my setup: [https://github.com/n3wt0n/work-from-home-setup](https://github.com/n3wt0n/work-from-home-setup)

[UPDATED 7 May 2020]

This overdue post comes at the request from a few people on Twitter after I tweeted out a picture of my office/desk setup at time of this posting.

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/uie7f030i6zdeo3idthm.jpg)

This post will break down what I'm currently using in my home office, where I do all my work when not on an airplane.

# Main Computer

After years of going only with Laptops (see the _Laptops_ section below), I've recently decided to switch back to desktop PC. And so I did build my __own workstation__.

And wow it is fast!

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/bv873hq1uhlmwtnbmugo.jpg)

These are the specs:

- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X, 16 cores @ 3.5 Ghz
- RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws V, 64 Gb DDR4-3200, 16 x 4 Gb
- SSD: Corsair MP600, M.2, NVMe, 1 Tb, PCI-Express Gen.4
- GPU: Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 OC, 4 Gb GDDR5
- MOBO: ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Hero, X570
- PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G+, 80 Plus Gold 750W, Fully Modular
- COOLING: Corsair Hydro Series, H115i RGB PLATINUM, 280mm

[Check out the repo here with all the info and link](https://github.com/n3wt0n/work-from-home-setup)

I published a video on my [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/CoderDave) when building it.

You can take a look at it here:

{% youtube K2VaRoK7Zjw %}

# Monitors

As you can see, I'm using a dual-monitor setup.

My monitors of choice are __Benq VZ2350__ 23.5''.

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/zwu38ozn6p71sw5osw6k.jpg)

I think they are fantastic monitors at their price range. Not sure I would use it for gaming, but for office-work, coding and video editing they are great.

# Keyboard and Mouse

I've been using these pieces for more than a year now, and I feel pretty good about them.

As visible in the photos, I have the __Microsoft Skulpt Ergonomic__ kit. 
If you are not familiar with ergonomic keyboards it will take a while for you to get used to it's layout, even though it is not as extreme as other ones. However, after I got used to it, I started feeling less tired after long hours at the computer.

Same thing for the mouse, it is not the most precise or the most beautiful, but it does it's job nicely.

One thing to notice here is that the keyboard is a real battery eater. I have to remove the batteries every time I stop working on the computer for the day because if not the day after I need to put in new batteries... Not sure it's just mine or all of them are the same.

You can find it [here](https://amzn.to/2YGfrDC)

# Webcams

I have a multi-webcam setup.

My main webcam, which I use for most of my conf-calls and for some _quick'n'dirty_ video recording, is the __Logitech C920__, which is a 1080p cam.

It is a quite good webcam (you can find many reviews online) but unfortunately it has some autofocus problems in some conditions (again, a lot of reviews about this as well).

On my right monitor, I have a second webcam for some more side views. It is a __Microsoft LifeCam HD 3000__, and even tho its resolution is only 720p I have to say that the image quality is pretty nice.

Here are the links to those webcams:  
[Logitech C920](https://geni.us/QDma5Wf)  
[Microsoft LifeCam HD 3000](https://geni.us/CYgKLlt)

# Camera

Since I'm making a lot of YouTube videos (_check out my channel [CoderDave](https://www.youtube.com/CoderDave)_) I wanted to have the clearest image possible, without the need of selling some organs to pay for the camera.

I wanted the option of using an external mic with my camera (I use a Lav mic in some videos). I also wanted a camera that doesn't have a time limit on video recording (most DSLR and Mirrorless have some limitation) and that of course could record in 4k.

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/qa620diwregd618xk8ui.jpg)

I decided to get the __Sony A6400__ after watching hundreds of YouTube videos and reviews.I found a very good deal (Cameras and photo accessories are quite cheap here in Hong Kong), so I went with the body + kit lense option (with the 16mm-50mm lense).

I also got a __Sigma 16mm f/1.4__ since it's a highly recommended lens and it does incredible in low light. With the low aperture, I'm also able to get a pretty amazing depth of field, which also means my background is less distracting and viewers are more likely to focus on what I'm saying. This lense is just amazing, only downside is that it is fairly big and heavy (you can see it in the picture above).

You can find the [Sony a6400 here](https://geni.us/i3tTytL) and the [Sigma 16mm f1.4 here](https://geni.us/jEHXHkX)

And of course I use the [Elgato CamLink 4k](https://geni.us/w3G6) to connect the camera to the computer.

# Microphone

Nothing too _pro_ here, I have a __Maono A425 Plus__. It is a decent Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone.

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/jp3yl514swjshrweqjoe.jpg)

The nice thing is that it has all you need in the box: the desk stand with the table clamp, a portable stand, the shock mount, the pop filter and even a windscreen cap.

Highly recommended, if you don't need a studio quality mic.

You can find this [microphone here](https://geni.us/4c0Lon)

# Headphones

I use 2 headphones, the Microsoft Surface Headphones and a pair of Razer ones.

The __Microsoft Surface Headphones__ are my main ones when listening to music or for calls when I'm travelling.

The __Razer Kraken USB__ instead is my go-to pair of headphones for whenever I cannot (or don't want to) use the external speakers for calls, videos, etc.

You can find [these headphones here](https://geni.us/PBoyefE)

# Network: NAS, Switch, Wifi and Router

I have a __QNAP TS-228A__ NAS where I save all my videos (Raw and finished) together will all my backups (of course I also use ___OneDrive___ for files and others, but videos and backupsets are just too big).
It has 2 x 3TB disks in Raid-1.

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/ixhye4f5oe36ay0n4i0r.jpg)

On the Networking side, I have a __Linksys LGS108__ switch, with 8 x 1Gb ports.

My router is a __Nighthawk R8000P__, which is awesome and has also super fast WiFi.

# Laptops

I also use laptops to complement my main desktop workstation.

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/rsvvg1zgn8syl7pcsmrv.jpg)

My main laptop is a __Microsoft Surface Laptop 2__, with an Intel i7-650U Cpu, 16Gb of Ram and 512 Gb SSD.

I use this when I travel and deliver the engagement at client sites.

I keep all the relevant documents and files on _OneDrive_ so they are automatically shared across al my PCs, and I developed some scripts to synchronize other files and settings. Pretty sweet.

You can buy the [Surface Laptop 2 here](https://amzn.to/2WbHGbK) with the same config as mine.

My secondary laptop is a HP Envy 15, with an Intel i7-4700MQ, 16Gb of Ram and 512 Gb SSD. Even though this machine is way older than my Surface, its CPU is so powerful that it outperforms the Surface Laptop 2 in some CPU-intensive tasks!

I use this laptop to do maintenance on some old projects that require a ton of legacy dependencies that I don't want to install on my more recent machines.

# Miscellaneous

![Alt Text](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/4aizvvi5ywvil9awmy71.jpg)

I am a big fan of Doctor Who and Alien... so I simply had to have some props :)

Have I missed something?

Anything else you wanna know? Let me know in the comments :)

Happy WFH everyone.