Inside PC Gamer's Desks: How the Team Gears Up for Work and Gaming

Your desk setup says something about who you are. Whether you prioritize function over aesthetics, accumulate gaming peripherals with abandon, or keep things deliberately minimal, the space where you work reflects your habits and interests. The PC Gamer editorial team recently opened their desk drawers, shared photos of their workstations, and revealed the hardware, gadgets, and personal items that occupy their spaces.

The setups vary widely. Some team members run high-end gaming rigs with cutting-edge components. Evan Lahti, Strategic Director, uses an RTX 3080 paired with 32 GB DDR4 RAM on a curved ultrawide 3440x1440p monitor mounted on an Uplift standing desk. He's kept the same Corsair cube case for 11 years but recently identified a persistent problem: his 650W power supply causes hard crashes in first-person games during power spikes, requiring an upgrade to 750W or higher. Lahti also uses two mice and a split gaming keyboard, and occasionally stands on a balance board to recall his San Francisco skateboarding days.

Jacob Ridley, Managing Editor of Hardware, runs one of the most powerful setups in the office. His rig features an RTX 5080 and Ryzen 7 7900X, paired with high-end audio gear including a Schiit DAC/amp and Audeze LCD-S20 headphones. His keyboard is a Wooting 80HE, and he rotates between a Razer Ergo mouse and Viper V4 Pro. Like many colleagues, Ridley uses two mice. He also employs a standing desk with a focus timer to maintain concentration, though he admits his internet-addled brain may be beyond saving. Despite regular cleaning efforts, cat hair accumulates faster than he can contain it.

Dave James, EIC of Hardware, commands the highest-spec system in the office. His Hyte Y70 Touch case houses an RTX 5090, AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, and 64 GB of RAM. His setup includes dual monitors: a Gigabyte Aorus 32-inch OLED and a Dough Spectrum 27-inch IPS display mounted in portrait orientation. James recently replaced his motherboard after an ASRock board exhibited strange behavior. His desk also displays a collection of Dungeons & Dragons Lego minifigs inside his fishtank-style PC case, though he acknowledges poor CPU cooling practices. He has to hear his CPU actively screaming before increasing fan speed from its default 'Quiet' setting.

Other team members prioritize different aspects. Joshua Wolens, News Writer, runs an RTX 4080 with a 5800X3D and 32 GB DDR4 RAM, but he prefers working on his Mac while sprawled on a settee and plays games on a TV-connected PC. He owns just one mouse, which apparently marks him as unusual among colleagues. He also possesses a bronze Soviet bust of Marx and Lenin from Izmailovsky Market, though it's currently displaced by charging devices on his desk.

Issy van der Velde, PC Gaming Show deputy editor, takes the minimalist approach. His setup consists of a work-provided ThinkPad, a mouse borrowed from a friend years ago, and a spare mousepad from his girlfriend. He deliberately keeps things minimal.

Peripheral choices reveal consistent patterns across the team. Multiple staff members use two mice for different tasks: one for MMOs, another for FPS games. Mollie Taylor, Features Producer, is a two-mouse user with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 and AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT setup. She uses a vertical monitor exclusively for her rhythm game addiction, specifically Sound Voltex. Jake Tucker, Editorial Director of the PC Gaming Show, recently acquired an FLX4 DJ controller as a hobby and worries about how much desk space an all-in-one upgrade will consume.

Audio setups vary from budget-conscious to premium. Andy Edser, Hardware Writer, owns two gaming headsets and uses them strategically: his Logitech MX Master 4 and Fractal Design Scape are daily drivers, while his Razer and Audeze Maxwell 2 headset handle serious gaming sessions. Jake Tucker switched to the SteelSeries Nova Pro after five years of searching for the right sound solution, appreciating the on-desk control station for battery charging. Midas, Video Producer, describes his RGB setup as "the coolest," though he admits his wire management is "beyond trash."

The desks also host unexpected items. Fraser Brown, Online Editor, uses a cockapoo bust to hold sunglasses and a medieval helmet to organize hats. Jess Kinghorn, Hardware Writer, maintains an army of Hatsune Miku figurines that earned her a spot in the collective notice of coworkers. Tim Clark, Group Editorial Director of Games, prioritizes productivity tools: dimmable Hue bulbs for video calls and an enormous digital clock positioned directly in his eyeline because he chronically loses track of time.

Desk culture at PC Gamer reflects the broader gaming industry's blend of high performance, personality, and practicality. Whether staff members run RTX 5090 flagships or minimal ThinkPad setups, nearly every desk includes multiple mice, personal touches, and the accumulated debris of working in tech journalism. Standing desks, fidget toys, and quirky collectibles sit alongside professional-grade monitors and speakers. The collection reveals that desk setups matter not just for performance, but as expressions of how each person works best.