What is your work/home PC setup like?

psd99

psd99

psd99

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Hey, do we have a thread on here about WFH setups?

I am curious how everyone connects their work laptops and personal PCs to their monitors. Do you use a USB switch or another method?

I’m trying to find the ideal balance for using my home PC alongside my work setup. I have three monitors—one 27-inch and two 22-inch—so I’d love to know the best way to configure them.

Would be great to hear what works for you! Pics would be super helpful too.
 
psd99 said:
Hey, do we have a thread on here about WFH setups?

I am curious how everyone connects their work laptops and personal PCs to their monitors. Do you use a USB switch or another method?

I’m trying to find the ideal balance for using my home PC alongside my work setup. I have three monitors—one 27-inch and two 22-inch—so I’d love to know the best way to configure them.

Would be great to hear what works for you! Pics would be super helpful too.
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I think a kvm would be the best way to go. It's just a simple way of switching between pcs
 
I just use my home desktop for work as everything is online, the work laptop only gets pulled out for one excel spreadsheet at the end of each project.
 
I currently have a main 32" 4k monitor (lenovo p30 or something) that I got via work and a secondry 24" 1080p monitor to the side used in vertical orientation.

The work laptop plugs into the main monitor via usb c for both charging and video etc, and my main pc plugs in via display port and usb, I then have speakers, webcam, and a kvm plugged into the monitor, so in theory when I switch video and usb inputs on the monitor I switch all of my peripherals and video between the tywo setups. Doesn't work 100% so am currently just using the kvm between the two setups so have to use that as well so swap between but overall not terrible.

A slightly annoying 'downside' is I can't justify getting a nicer monitor for gaming (maybe OLED, higher refresh rate, try ultrawide?) to replace the 4k 32".

Overall very happy with the setup though.
 
psd99 said:
that sounds good

might be a bit circumstantial but what size monitors are sufficient for a WFH setup?
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Completely depends on what you're doing I think.
Before this job I used a U2711 as my main monitor, and have in the past just used a 24" plus the laptop where I had a seperate work and home setup, whereas now I've combined them I don't use the laptop screen at all.

My wife uses a 24" vertical, her work laptop screen and my old U2711 now but wishes she had a bit more space, partially due to the limitations of the setup only allowing 1080p on the u2711 via hdmi!
 
Currently using my PC setup as per usual, but using RDP to connect to my laptop which remains off to the side plugged in to a charger :)
 
Can't use my home PC for work, so I have a dock which is connected to my monitors unused HDMI ports.

Just plug the docks USB-C into my laptop which sits closed on its side out of the way.

Have a spare mouse & KB which comes out of a drawer - there's probably a more elegant solution here, but it does the job for me :).
 
My work supply a laptop for me to use and then I have my desktop PC.

I have 1 x HDMI cable going from my monitor to my laptop and then I have a DP cable going to my gaming PC. Monitor detects which 1 is on.

I have a USB switch that I connect my mouse and keyboard too and then this connects to the desktop PC and laptop. It has a button on to toggle between the 2.

Has worked well for me for years and I only have 1 x monitor as well.
 
^ that sounds like a good setup
Meaning you only use one keyboard and mouse between two pc’s

However, the RDP session was also a good idea ie use the work laptop to RDP to your home machine etc
 
My setup is very odd!
I have two monitors arrangements. One for work and one for gaming. Each is on a desk and the desks form an L shape, with me in the middle, so I can rotate between the two.
Oddly, they are all plugged in to a single PC.
Each monitor arrangement has a power switch on the desk so I can physically turn which monitor arrangement I want on and off. Each also has it's own keyboard and mouse, plugged in to the primary monitor on each desk.
Because the monitors power the keyboards and mice, having power switches on the monitors means that the power switch controls not just which monitors are one but also which keyboard and mouse.
So, to go from a work setup to a gaming one all I have to do is turn one switch off, another on, and rotate my chair!!!
Surprisingly Windows 11 handles this very well, provided the monitors are DP.
I am considering two completely separate PC's and might do that at some point.
 
psd99 said:
However, the RDP session was also a good idea ie use the work laptop to RDP to your home machine etc
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It's not a bad idea but its an extra cost of having another machine on all day.

As my desktop PC is off when I am working it seems pointless turning it on just to be able to RDP in to my work laptop when I can just use my work laptop like I would do my desktop.

Laptop lid stays closed and just sits under the desk on top of the draws. Only time I open it up is to turn it on
 
ED209 said:
It's not a bad idea but its an extra cost of having another machine on all day.

As my desktop PC is off when I am working it seems pointless turning it on just to be able to RDP in to my work laptop when I can just use my work laptop like I would do my desktop.

Laptop lid stays closed and just sits under the desk on top of the draws. Only time I open it up is to turn it on
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so u use your work laptop to browse the tinernet? :P I thought that was an employee crime when you WFH
 
psd99 said:
so u use your work laptop to browse the tinernet? :P I thought that was an employee crime when you WFH
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I do, its all monitored but I do not take the micky.

All I normally go on during work is the OCUK forums and BBC to listen to the radio.

most of the time too busy working to be doing much on the internet anyway lol
 
12th gen intel laptop with 16gig of ram used for work, connect to docking station at office for 2 extra screens and keyboard and mouse.
Don't use it at home since home is for play and not work
 
My current setup is
1x 27 inch monitor and
2 x 23 inch monitors either side

Do u all think that a 2 x 27 inch is a better setup overall? One monitor for work and one for home pc?
 
I have a USB C port on my monitor, so the work laptop gets hooked up to that. Keyboard and mouse are both wireless, so I use 2.4ghz for the desktop and Bluetooth for the laptop.

I added a Smallrig clamp to the back of monitor, so it'll take a webcam.
 
I used to use my PC to RDP to my work laptop so I could share the monitor etc but it seemed a huge waste of money and energy to have the PC sat idling all day so instead I added a USB-C dock which connects to the laptop and has a seperate input into my monitor.

Both my personal machine and the dock are connected into a USB switcher, so a simple button press moves all connected devices (keyboard/mouse/DAC/USB hub) to the selected input.

I used to run 3x 24" 1080P monitors but a couple of years I moved to a 34" 1440P ultrawide monitor and haven't looked back.
 
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