Category: Hardware

After being on the AMD Ryzen platform for 18 months, I decided to go back to Intel & NVidia. Yes they present tremendous value in terms of hardware but I find Intel/NVidia to be more stable in terms of day to day operations and overall more efficient in thermals and power consumption. But I want to highlight the Dan A4 SFX ITX enclosure that can house all these hardware:

• Intel i9 9900K
• G Skill Trident Z 2x16gbgb 3200 DDR4
• Asus Strix Z390-i
• Gigabyte GTX 1070
• Corsair SF600 SFX PSU
• Corsair H80 AIO
• Dan A4 SFX case
• …and I managed to fit 2x 2.5 drives and 2 M.2 drives 🙂

Apart from the case, all the parts are off-the-shelf hardware you can purchase at reputable resellers. I had to go with an AIO to cool the 125W TDP 9900k since the Noctua L9i/a isn’t rated for my CPU. I can opt to get a 65TDP part and use a full length GPU but I have more CPU intensive workloads and a GTX1070/1080 or even an RTX2070 is more than enough for me. That and the prices for new GPU’s are just banana’s! It’s really not worth buying new GPU’s now a days, I’ll probably hop on the RTX / Navi hype train when a new architecture is released and the prices of those parts drop.

Pun intended!

I finally got my audio setup sorted. I have my Audioengine A5+ speakers hooked to an Audioengine D1 DAC, which is connected to my desktop (Dan A4) via USB for power & audio input. Then I have my PS4 Pro connected to the D1 via optical cable to route the PS4’s sound to my speakers. I connect my Audio Technica M50x on the D1 DAC if I want to used headphones. And finally i have a Blue Yeti mic in black on a Rode PSA1 boom arm.

The Audioengine D1 DAC prioritizes the optical input, so when I boot the PS4 it automatically changes signal sources. I did opt for quality RCA and optical cables which I got from The Listening Room, nothing fancy though. They do have a noticeable difference in static noise and crackling over generic cables you can get at Ace Hardware or the like.

On a side note: I like how my desktop is smaller yet more powerful than its PS4 Pro neighbor. It packs an 8 core, 16 thread cpu with a GTX 1070.

I’ve been wanting to try a Height Adjustable Desk ever since I heard of it some 2 years ago but couldn’t due to logistics and cost to acquire one here in the Philippines. Desks range from $500-$1,000 USD plus shipping which was the primary limiting factor for me. Fortunately you can purchase one locally at Offix for just P20,000 ($400 USD) with free shipping within Metro Manila and a 2 year warranty. You can chech them out at Qube along Aurora blvd. near Gilmore.

The table frame itself lacks features of the one I originally wanted like cable-management support, and better linear stability but the quality is comparable and works as advertised. It does have 2 motors on each leg with 3 programmable height settings and can handle a load of 120kg. The only thing I didn’t like initially is the slow movement of the motors and the lack of responsiveness of the controller, but you’ll get used to it over time.

Features aside, having a height adjustable desk which I primarily use standing up has been one of the best decisions I made since I started working on a desk. I’ve been using it for a month now and the benefits I experienced are already well worth the price of admission:

• I don’t have lower back issues (soreness, numbness, pain etc) when working anymore.
• My flexibility has improved, particularly my posterior chain.
• My posture improved too, particularly my shoulders and neck, since I can adjust the desk to have a more ergonomic typing position.
• I burn slightly more calories than I typically did when I was working sitting down

Those are just the tangible / noticeable benefits I got from the desk. The biggest benefit to me was fixing my back issues, that in itself is priceless to me, the other benefits are just icing on the cake. Now that I think about it, P20,000 is a small price to pay if you make your living off your desk, considering it is a long term investment in your health and productivity. For me, I feel I already got a return on my investment. I do plan to upgrading my desk in the future if I can source a better one, but this should serve me well into the foreseeable future.