Yesterday someone asked for a breakdown of the setup. So here is everything: 4 computers, one giant screen, and zero regrets.
The computers
- MacBook M5 Pro Max, 128GB RAM: my main work machine
- Intel i9 desktop, 96GB RAM, RTX 4090: model training, plus Ghost of Tsushima and friends
- AMD Threadripper 3990X desktop, 64 cores / 128 threads, 128GB RAM, RTX 3090, and a million terabytes of storage: mostly for long distributed data processing jobs
- A plain i5 desktop: a home Linux server running 24/7 with all my agents: email and invoice triage, an agent that scans Reddit for opportunities, an AI news curator, and home automations. It also runs Plex for all the media in the house.
The cheapest computer in the room does the most work.
Those always-on agents are the same patterns I ship in client agent projects, running on hardware that costs less than a monthly SaaS bill.
The screen
MSI MPG 491CQPX, one of my most successful purchases. Amazing for work: on paper fewer pixels than a single 4K screen, but the arrangement makes it feel like 3 monitors, and for games it is a straight WOW. It is also a docking station, so everything connects to it, and switching input (with a keyboard shortcut) moves everything between the computers. The only drawback: no network port.
The screen hangs on an arm, and that may be my strongest recommendation here. It simply frees the entire desk, makes connecting things easy, and no pile of books is needed to fix the height and angle. Every screen deserves its own arm.
Keyboard, mice, audio, dock
- Keyboard: an AJAZZ mechanical from AliExpress, a surprising 50 dollar buy. Dongle, Bluetooth, and wired, which is convenient with several computers, plus a Mac/Windows switch. The whole house has one now.
- Mice: Logitech MX Master 3 for Mac, the mouse as far as I am concerned, without competition. For games, a Razer Basilisk V3, quite good.
- Headphones: JBL Bluetooth with a wired option. Bluetooth pairs to the Mac; for games the cable goes straight into the soundbar.
- Soundbar: a simple Speedlink connected to the screen, so sound follows whichever input source is active.
- Dock: CalDigit TS3 Plus, an amazing dock with a million ports. Expensive, but it has stayed with me for years. It is Thunderbolt 3 and I still see no reason to replace it, a long-term investment that earns it.
The finishing touches
The shelf is from IKEA, highly recommended, it organizes the whole desk. And the housing for the computer farm under the desk was designed by my wife, the talented architect.
Now it is your turn: show me your setups.