A clear and clutter-free desk could make a world of distinction to your productiveness since having too many issues on prime of your desk may be distracting and trigger you to lose give attention to the duty at hand.
Even with among the finest standing desks arrange in my workplace, I discover that I can by no means have sufficient desk area. Whether or not I’m utilizing my desk to check out sensible house gadgets or for taking photographs, I’m all the time in search of new methods to maximise my workspace.
Whereas I’ve used a monitor stand and even downsized my keyboard prior to now to release some valuable desk area, I knew I may do much more with the fitting accent. Thankfully, certainly one of my former colleagues at Tom’s Information pointed me to at least one that I didn’t even know existed.
Over the previous few years, the perfect mini PCs have gotten much more highly effective with out compromising their a lot smaller type issue. Though the mini PC I’ve on my desk already takes up rather a lot much less area than a full-size PC, by mounting it to the again of my monitor, I may have much less cables working up the again of my desk with much more free area. In order that’s precisely what I did.
A complete new use for these VESA mounting holes
(Picture credit score: Future)
In the event you’ve ever mounted among the finest TVs to the wall or added a monitor arm to your desk setup, then you definitely’re seemingly accustomed to VESA. These patterns of holes in the back of each TVs and displays make it straightforward to make use of a TV mount or a monitor stand or arm as a substitute of their included stands.
What it’s possible you’ll not learn about VESA although is which you can additionally use these holes to mount different gadgets to your show together with a mini PC — that’s you probably have the fitting adapter. Though I’ve all the time beloved the thought of mounting a mini PC to the again of a monitor with the intention to save area, I didn’t notice there have been adapters that allow you to do exactly that whereas nonetheless utilizing a monitor stand or arm.
(Picture credit score: Tom’s Information)
The VESA mount adapter extender bracket I bought ( $13, Amazon ) is designed for Intel’s NUC line nevertheless it’s additionally appropriate with different mini PCs. Whereas one finish of the adapter goes between your monitor and your monitor stand, you may mount a VESA-compatible mini PC to the opposite aspect and have it tucked neatly behind your show.
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I picked up a Minisforum UM350 ( $289, Amazon ) mini PC on sale final yr and despite the fact that I didn’t suppose I’d have a lot use for it on the time, it got here with a VESA mounting bracket. It took simply two screws to safe the bracket to the underside of the PC.
(Picture credit score: Tom’s Information)
From right here, I needed to take away the bracket from the underside of the mini PC in order that I may connect it to the adapter. Afterwards, the mini PC simply slid proper into place. In the event you plan on doing one thing comparable, you need to hold the orientation that your mini PC shall be in as soon as mounted to the again of your monitor in thoughts throughout the set up course of.
I selected to have my mini PC’s energy button and entrance ports going through up in order that the rear ports could be nearer to the monitor’s ports. This meant that I may use shorter cables whereas utilizing the built-in cable administration in my monitor stand ( $30, Amazon ) to maintain all the pieces tidy.
Saving these additional bolts positive got here in useful
With my mini PC mounted to my VESA mount adapter extender bracket, it was time to connect it to the again of my monitor and reinstall my monitor stand. I hoped to reuse the bolts I already had however there was a catch.
(Picture credit score: Tom’s Information)
The bolts I used to connect my mini PC to the extender bracket caught out a bit too far and pushed up towards the again of the monitor. Whereas I may tighten the bolts on the far proper aspect utilizing the prevailing bolts from my monitor stand, they simply weren’t lengthy sufficient on the left aspect. Thankfully, as I all the time do, I stored all the bolts that got here with my monitor stand and I used to be capable of finding some longer ones for the 2 holes on the left.
Though I may have used shorter bolts to connect the mini PC to the extender bracket, the way in which that I ended up doing it labored out because it offered a bit extra space for airflow beneath the underside of my pc.
(Picture credit score: Tom’s Information)
With my mini PC mounted firmly to the left aspect of the again of my monitor, it was time to wire all the pieces up. The longer cables I used beforehand would go away me with lots of additional cable to handle which is why I discovered some shorter HDMI cables within the repurposed shoe rack I’ve hanging on the again of the closet door in my workplace.
A fair cleaner setup now with extra desk area
(Picture credit score: Tom’s Information)
Earlier this yr once I bought my Samsung M7 Good Monitor , I believed I did a fairly good job making a minimal desk setup with a mini PC on one aspect and my Nintendo Change in its DIY dock on the opposite. It has served me very well over the previous few months whereas working from house in addition to when enjoying The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom .
Despite the fact that my desk already regarded rather a lot cleaner than many others, I knew deep down that I may do higher.Once I heard that VESA mount adapter extender brackets may enable me to do one thing I’ve all the time needed to strive, I knew it was time to redo my setup.
(Picture credit score: Tom’s Information)
The top outcome makes it seem like there isn’t even a pc on the desk in any respect. I swapped my wired mechanical keyboard for a wi-fi one — the NuPhy Air 75 in case you had been questioning – and I additionally discovered a method to eliminate my already smaller, re-shelled Nintendo Change dock. With the Genki Covert Dock Mini ( $50, Amazon ) plugged into an influence strip in my desk’s cable administration tray , I solely have a single USB-C cable that runs up from the underside of the desk to make use of my Change in docked mode.
Though I’ll seemingly find yourself redoing my desk setup but once more down the road, I’m actually proud of how this one turned out. I haven’t had any issues with the mini PC mounted to the again of my monitor and with a toddler working round my workplace, there’s one much less button for him to attempt to press. If in case you have a mini PC that’s VESA appropriate, it’s possible you’ll need to take into account doing one thing comparable, particularly when you worth desk area as a lot as I do.