Key Takeaways
- A monitor arm and desk mat are easy and affordable upgrades to enhance the looks of your PC setup.
- Real or faux plants can instantly bring a breath of fresh air (no pun intended) to your setup.
- Light panels on the wall and diffused lighting can envelop your entire room in your PC setup.
Your PC setup is your cozy corner, day-long haunt, or even your safe space. For PC users, it’s one of the most personal spaces in their entire homes. Maybe you’ve built an all-white PC or a similar great-looking build, but that’s just one element of your setup. Besides the PC itself, your display, desk, and accessories play a huge role in determining the esthetics of your PC setup.
Having a large desk is just the starting point for crafting a good-looking PC setup. If you really want to take your PC setup to the next level without breaking the bank, there are other upgrades you can consider. I’ve tried to bring together the easiest and most affordable upgrades that can instantly enhance the looks of your computer corner.
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8 Get a monitor arm already
We all love huge 27″ or 32″ monitors in our PC setups, but the bigger the display, the bigger the stand, and the more desk space it hoards. Some models are notorious for unusually large and unseemly stands that jut out too far from under the display, cramping your keyboard and using up precious desk space. Well, fortunately, almost every monitor on the market can be mounted on a monitor arm as long it is compatible with the VESA 100×100 mounting standard.
With the right monitor arm, you can easily pull, push, slide, or raise your display to any position you want, based on your chair and desk arrangement.
The best monitor arms not only get rid of the monitor stand to provide you with an instant boost in desk space, but also allow you to position the monitor in ways that aren’t really possible with the default stand. With the right monitor arm, you can easily pull, push, slide, or raise your display to any position you want, based on your chair and desk arrangement. And most importantly, switching to a monitor arm just gives a better look to your setup.
Moreover, if you work with multiple screens, managing without a monitor arm (or a dual monitor arm, in this case) can be nightmarish. You could make do for a few weeks or months, but you’ll eventually come around to the idea of a monitor arm to save space and add to the looks of your setup.
Wali Single Monitor Mount (GSDM001)
$45 $50 Save $5
The Wali single monitor arm supports a wide range of monitor sizes, and has a gas spring arm with adjustable tension. You can rotate, title, and swivel your monitor the way you want, and you also get a 10-year warranty.
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7 A large desk mat is all but necessary
Take care of comfort and looks at the same time
No one’s stopping you from using your keyboard and mouse on your bare desk, but having a decent desk mat is the civilized thing to do. A large desk mat that covers the length of your desk adds a touch of elegance to it. Plus, it’s another element where you can show your creativity by choosing the color and design you want. In terms of functionality, a thick desk mat provides comfort for your wrists and a smooth (or textured) surface for your mouse to glide on.
Matching the design of the desk mat with the theme of your desk and PC will nicely round out the look of your PC setup.
A desk mat is helpful for your keyboard too — it makes your keyboard sound slightly fuller by muffling some of the impact of your keystrokes. Of course, it isn’t the only thing contributing to the typing sound and feel, but it definitely helps. You can easily fit your keyboard, mouse, and even your wrist rest on a cheap desk mat. Matching the design of the desk mat with the theme of your desk and PC will nicely round out the look of your setup.
Aothia Leather Desk Pad
The Aothia Leather Desk Pad is spacious, minimalist, waterproof, and comes with a 1-year warranty.
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6 Cut the cord with a wireless charger
It’s the age of wireless everything
An older Satechi wireless charger (left) beside the 3-in-1 foldable charger (right).
If you’re like me and spend around 8 to 10 hours on your PC every day, you likely have a bunch of charger cables running all over. Charging your phone, laptop, smartwatch, earphones, and more is something you can never escape. But, you can at least stop the cables from ruining the look of your desk setup. Switching to a wireless charger (if your phone supports it) can get rid of at least one cable from the mess on your desk.
You might not be able to charge your laptop wirelessly, but for almost everything else, you can tidy up your desk with a wireless charger.
The best wireless chargers will allow you to charge your phone, smartwatch, and earbuds at the same time, eliminating three different cables in a single stroke. If you have more budget to spare, you can invest in a wireless charging mat that can accommodate even more devices simultaneously. You might not be able to charge your laptop wirelessly, but for almost everything else, you can tidy up your desk with a wireless charger.
Samsung Trio Wireless Charger
$72 $90 Save $18
If you want a multi-device wireless charger, Samsung has an official choice for you. It can charge two Qi-compatible devices and a Galaxy Watch. That means you can even use it with non-Samsung devices.
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5 Organize your PC cables with a cable management tray
Get rid of the cable jungle behind your desk
Fancying up your desk and the front of the setup is well and good, but what about the seedy underbelly that’s the back of your PC setup? You know, the one crowded with every kind of cable imaginable, coiled around each other and destroying your dream of a perfect-looking setup. I know the feeling; I’m yet to solve the huge mess of cables under and behind my desk. But you can succeed where I’ve failed.
If you aren’t lazy like me and want a truly clutter-free desk, this is a must-have upgrade.
A cable management tray can easily get rid of the bulk of the mess by tidying up your PC cables going from your PC to your monitor. Even some of the remaining cables, like the ones from your surge protector, speakers, and USB passthrough cables can be organized neatly in a cable management tray. If you aren’t lazy like me and want a truly clutter-free desk, this is a must-have upgrade.
Scandinavian Hub Under Desk Cable Management Tray
$25 $36 Save $11
Cable management racks are great for holding your PC cables and even a power strip. You can finally get rid of the cable jungle behind your desk.
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4 Get faux or real plants for a breath of fresh air
Infuse a bit of green into your setup
I’m sure you’ve seen countless Pinterest boards with plants on and around people’s desks. There’s a reason people want to include flora in their PC setups — it breaks the monotony of mechanical parts and hard lines. Having either real or faux plants on your desk, or just around your setup, can instantly bring a dash of nature to elevate the feeling. You’ll feel fresher inside by looking at them, and it somehow keeps you going during the day.
They convey a sense of personalization and allow you to play with the theme of your setup in unique ways.
Besides making you more productive, plants and greenery enhance the appearance of your setup as well. If you have a white-themed setup, they go even better with the overall vibe. Plus, they convey a sense of personalization and allow you to play with the theme of your setup in unique ways — you could go with a PC case that has wood and other nature-inspired materials, choose green-tone keycaps for your keyboard, or put up nature paintings on the wall behind your monitor. The possibilities are endless.
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3 Include some figurines to liven up the space
Your pop culture interests have a space to shine
This is yet another popular addition you can make to your PC setup. Adding a few figurines of characters or other reminders of your favorite IPs can make your setup truly unique. Of course, everyone might be doing the same, but you still have tons of freedom in terms of how and where you place your figurines. Maybe you could put them under your monitor or next to your PC. You could even place them under or on top of a monitor stand.
If not figurines, try to get your hands on keychains, magnets, or some small art pieces.
Based on the theme of your PC and your overall desk setup, you can always find personal items you can add to it. If not figurines, try to get your hands on keychains, magnets, or some small art pieces. You could even spend some time making designs on small canvases, creating the works of art that you’d love to have as part of your setup. At the end of the day, what matters is making your setup feel like your space.
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2 Beautify your walls and ceiling with light panels
Extend your setup to your room ambiance
Enhancing the appearance of your PC setup doesn’t have to end with your desk. You can include your walls in the mix as well. This can extend the visual palette of your setup to your entire room, allowing your eyes to travel seamlessly from the PC and the desk to the walls and the ceiling. There are enough options to make this happen, b ut perhaps the easiest and best-looking design can be created by using light panels.
You can customize their RGB lighting and sync them to the theme of your PC, unifying your entire room under one single overarching design.
These panels come in various shapes, from triangles and hexagons to circles and rectangles. You’ll find the triangular and hexagonal variants more common in PC setups, and these are easily available on sites like Amazon. You can customize their RGB lighting and sync them to the theme of your PC, unifying your entire room under one single overarching design.
Govee Glide Hexa
These light panels can create amazing designs and effects anywhere in your home. The panels can each display multiple colors at once, support animated effects, and even bounce along to your music. You can control them using Google Assistant or the full-featured companion app.
1 Install diffused lighting for a cozy desk setup
Hidden lighting can greatly enhance your setup’s esthetics
Light panels on your walls are great, but you can go one step further by adding diffused lighting to your PC setup. These can be light bars covered with translucent covers, floor lamps smartly tucked away behind the desk or the PC, or even portable lamps placed behind your monitor. Diffused lighting brightens up your setup without being too harsh on your eyes.
Another nifty addition can be light strips stuck to the back of your monitor, synced with the RGB theme of the rest of your setup.
You can find most of these products for cheap on Amazon or your local electrical store. Another nifty addition can be light strips stuck to the back of your monitor, synced with the RGB theme of the rest of your setup. There are endless combinations you can make once you start thinking about diffused lighting in detail. You can also repurpose existing lamps or tube lights you have at home and include them in your setup as diffused lighting.
Govee Smart LED Light Bars
If you’re looking for a flexible, unique way to light up your monitor area, Govee’s Smart LED Light Bars are worth considering. These Alexa and Google Assistant-compatible LED lights are easy to stick just about anywhere without any hassle, and you can set your preferred color with an app.
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Don’t ignore your PC setup esthetics for too long
Building a PC and buying the best peripherals is great, but if you don’t invest time and a little bit of money in enhancing the look of your desk setup, you won’t get the maximum enjoyment out of it. Not only that, but your room is also an integral part of your setup, and with the proper care and thought, will make the vibe the best it can be.
This doesn’t mean you have to go overboard and become an expert interior designer. You simply need to think about how you can infuse your personality into your setup. Plus, you can think along the lines of increasing the functionality of the setup by organizing it better and freeing up more space. This process is bound to make you appreciate your setup more, and provide you with more inspiration that can elevate your space to new heights.