Lian Li's computer-in-a-desk chassis to arrive in July

Shawn Knight

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Staff member

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The idea of stuffing a computer inside of a desk isn’t entirely new as modders have been doing it for years. Unfortunately, most of us don’t possess the time or skill required to build something that’s both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Now, Lian Li has come to the rescue with a pair of cases that double as a desk, the DK-01X and DK-02X. Both are constructed of aluminum in true Lian Li fashion and support HTPX and smaller motherboard form factors. The DK-02X can also hold a secondary mini-ITX board alongside the primary system.

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You’ll find external USB 3.0 ports, HD audio ports, a slim optical drive slot, a power button and a lock across the front of the chassis just above the adjustable keyboard tray. A storage tray with hooks to hang headsets and the like can be positioned on either side of the desk.

Users can access the chassis inside either by opening the drawer or removing the tempered glass top – the former would seem easier as you’d need to remove your monitor(s) to lift the glass off.

The DK-01X supports up to 10 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives and comes with seven 120mm fans. There are removable dust filters all around and there’s even room for a 360mm radiator up front. An array of slots around the chassis aid in cooling and cable routing.

To my knowledge, this is one of the first such implementations from a major manufacturer of enthusiast gear. It may not be as elaborate as some of the custom jobs we’ve seen over the years but it certainly looks practical and you can actually own one this July.

Pricing is set at $989 for the DK-01X while the larger DK-02X will set you back $1,189. Yes, they’re expensive but you’re getting a premium chassis and a premium desk for the price.

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It is beautiful, just not very practical:

- Any proper PC desk gives room for the mouse + keyboard cables to extend underneath the top cover, so they do not get in the way. I don't see where they are supposed to go in with this table.

- With new boards supporting Thunderbolt 2 ports you will have them on the back instead of the front?

- Even a full-size tower is portable on occasion when really needed, and this thing is totally not.

Who knows what else may go wrong with this thing, but hey, it looks nice, although from the right side it resembles a BBQ :)
 

To me it looks more like a BBQ:
China_Charcoal_BBQ_Grill_Metal_BBQ_Grill_X_Style20127121446156.jpg
 
I'm not a fan of how it looks like those monitor brackets attach to the desk, especially if they're clipping onto the glass. I would have liked to see a more robust/safe solution. Though for $1200 I'd just as well make my own desk assuming I could gain the assistance of some friends that do metalwork.

I do really like the storage space for peripherals/headset on the side.
 
It is beautiful, just not very practical:

- Any proper PC desk gives room for the mouse + keyboard cables to extend underneath the top cover, so they do not get in the way. I don't see where they are supposed to go in with this table.

- With new boards supporting Thunderbolt 2 ports you will have them on the back instead of the front?

- Even a full-size tower is portable on occasion when really needed, and this thing is totally not.

Who knows what else may go wrong with this thing, but hey, it looks nice, although from the right side it resembles a BBQ :)
It does look like a BBQ and they were even thoughtful enough to put some pegs on the side to hang your utensils from. For the amount they're charging it should also come with an apron, spices and, oh yes, a couple of 6 packs.
As far as the looks go, they say that beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
 
No it is not beautiful!! :p

It's truly horrible, badly thought out and if I didn't know better I'd say it was an April Fool's joke. I'd rather have a BBQ in my living room than this ridiculous eyesore.
 
That's cool. Looks good IMHO. Great for someone living in an inner city apartment.
 
I hope that the anti-vibration on the fan mounts and the HDDs is good as a vibrating desk would not be comfortable to use.
 
At first I looked at this as something potentially interesting...;
Then I saw the price...;
Then I looked at the pics of this rickety-looking, pressed-recycled tin/aluminum, ready-to-assemble, piece of crap with card table legs, and a nauseatingly tacky "Lian Li" thickly-raised plastic badge Elmer's-glued on the side...;

And then I looked at the price one more time just to make sure...what a complete insult and then, just plain laughable.

Lian Li is in a conundrum- Only Kim Kardashian would be stupid enough to pay this much for this thing, ...and she isn't interested.
 
Well it's cheaper than the Red Harbinger Cross Desk, but it doesn't look anywhere near as cool. If I had $1200 to drop on a desk, it would look a helluva lot better than this.
 
I actually think I can mimic the idea and build one for $400. I don't see how mass producing them would cost $1200 a piece. Must be paying for an abundance of unnecessary equipment and labor. Hell it is no more than a standard case with legs. Optimized a bit, but basically no more than the standard case costing $40.
 
That's cool. Looks good IMHO. Great for someone living in an inner city apartment.
More like great for someone working in an inner city crime lab. Looks like it would be easy to clean. Just swab it down with some alcohol, and it's ready for the next autopsy.
 
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