What’s On Your Desk, Stevie Bonifield?

Stevie Bonifield is simply a news writer present astatine The Verge and, they say, “I screen a small spot of conscionable astir everything, from nan FCC to AI shopping devices to Linux.” Before joining our news team, they wrote play news for PC Gamer and did reviews, news, features, and guides for Laptop Mag, on pinch immoderate stories for Tom’s Guide, IGN, TechRadar, and XDA. “I’ve been reference (and watching) The Verge since I was successful precocious school,“ they add, ”so it’s beautiful breathtaking to beryllium portion of nan squad now.“ 

Outside of writing, Stevie says “I besides emotion gaming, reading, and TTRPGs (tabletop roleplaying games). As you’ll astir apt beryllium capable to show from my workspace, I’m benignant of a full nerd.” 

Let’s statesman pinch nan basics. Where is your activity abstraction located?

My table and activity abstraction are successful my bedroom. I stock my flat pinch a roommate, truthful we some activity from our bedrooms truthful we don’t distract each different during nan day. I don’t really mind not having a abstracted agency — it intends I only person to interest astir decorating and managing 1 abstraction alternatively of two. I precocious moved to New Jersey from Pittsburgh, PA, truthful I’m still getting everything group up here. 

Could you show america astir your table and your chair?

I’m utilizing a VIVO 3-stage adjustable desk pinch a VIVO 60-inch desktop and a Haworth Breck chair. I sewage some erstwhile I moved past month, truthful I haven’t been utilizing them for long, but I for illustration them truthful far. 

This is really a opinionated desk, which I’ve ne'er utilized before. I sewage it truthful I could person my table tallness beautiful debased — I’m connected nan shorter broadside and astir desks are excessively precocious for me. This 1 goes each nan measurement down to 24 inches, little than moreover I need, which is really nice. The action to usage it arsenic a opinionated table is simply a cool perk, moreover though that isn’t what I bought it for. My cablegram guidance nether nan table still needs immoderate cleaning up, but I’m moving connected it! I person a VIVO clamp-on cablegram guidance net containing astir of it for now. 

I for illustration nan Haworth Breck truthful far, but it’s a beautiful basal chair. Like my desk, a large portion of why I sewage this 1 is its tallness range. It’s highly difficult for maine to find decent table chairs that spell arsenic debased arsenic I request them to (without requiring a footrest). This 1 has a minimum spot tallness of astir 15 inches and has adjustable spot depth, some of which I’ve really appreciated. That said, I wish it had a headrest. 

Tell america astir nan various tech devices you’re using.

My setup is simply a small crazy because I person 3 different computers moving to my 2 monitors. 

My gaming PC lives connected nan level nether my desk. It’s presently temporarily retired of committee because I’m having a hardware issue. Unfortunately, my RAM seems to beryllium connected nan fritz, which is beautiful bad timing considering nan existent RAM pricing nightmare. Most of it is still working, though! It has an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X CPU, an AMD Radeon RX 6600 GPU, an Asus ROG Strix B650-A motherboard, and a brace of 16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM sticks (which apparently request to beryllium replaced, aft little than a twelvemonth of use). 

That’s besides my Linux PC — it’s presently moving Fedora 41 pinch nan Cinnamon desktop environment, but I’m updating to Fedora 43 soon and readying to move to nan KDE Plasma desktop environment. 

Hanging disconnected nan broadside of my table are my activity and individual laptops, some nan M4 MacBook Air. My laptops are only connected to my near monitor, which is simply a 27-inch 1440p Viewsonic Omni (VX2728J-2K). My gaming PC is connected to some monitors. I chiefly play games connected nan correct show since it has amended colour accuracy. It’s a 27-inch 1440p Asus ROG Strix gaming show (XG27ACS). 

Neither 1 of my monitors is thing fancy, but some are bully capable for my needs. Between nan two, I would astir apt urge nan ROG 1 more, though I’m not a immense instrumentality of nan buttons being located connected nan backmost since I request those to switch input modes truthful I tin move to my Mac. When I’m moving during nan time I usually person my activity laptop moving connected nan near show and my Linux PC connected nan correct monitor. My keyboard and rodent I chose specifically because they make it easy to jump betwixt each my devices. 

I’ve reviewed rather a fewer keyboards, truthful it’s a small ironic that nan 1 I’m utilizing now I really haven’t reviewed. It’s nan Nuphy Halo75 V2 pinch Nuphy’s Mint switches. It sounds and feels great, useful really smoothly pinch macOS, and I tin jump betwixt my laptops and PC pinch a speedy keyboard shortcut. The artillery life could beryllium a spot better, but admittedly I time off nan RGB on, truthful that’s astir apt not helping. Overall, though, I really for illustration nan creation and sound value connected nan Halo75 — it’s 1 of nan only keyboards I’ve tried that I’m happy pinch out-of-the-box without making immoderate DIY customizations. 

My rodent is really 1 of my favourite devices correct now. I’ve tested immoderate awesome gaming mice, but this 1 is my individual regular driver and not 1 I reviewed. It’s nan Razer Orochi V2, and I sewage it connected waste for $35 connected Amazon earlier this year. It’s thing fancy, but nan size and consciousness are cleanable for me. Most gaming mice consciousness benignant of tremendous successful my hand, but I committedness Razer designed nan Orochi for my thenar specifically. Like my keyboard, it’s besides capable to jump betwixt a Bluetooth relationship and a 2.4GHz dongle. Despite nan budget-friendly price, it’s a awesome mouse. 

Underneath that I’m presently utilizing a Matrix Blizzard mousepad. I sewage it connected Amazon, but unfortunately, I deliberation it’s sold retired now. I wanted thing pinch a small spot of a creation going on, but not thing excessively elaborate aliases distracting. This creation conscionable astir perfectly fresh what I was looking for. I wish it was a tad thicker, but it’s much absorbing than a plain achromatic mousepad, and that’s bully capable for me. 

I person 2 controllers connected my desk, a standard Xbox controller for my Mac and nan wired Razer Wolverine V2 for my gaming PC. I don’t usually for illustration wired controllers, but I really emotion nan Wolverine. The clicky buttons connected Razer controllers are truthful satisfying to me, and they thin to connection consistently bully capacity successful my experience. My favourite mobile controller is besides from Razer, nan Kishi Ultra. 

My preferred headphones are my AirPods Pro 3. The ANC and spatial audio is awesome for watching shows and movies connected my laptop (and helps maine attraction erstwhile I’m working). I don’t for illustration wearing earbuds each nan time, though, truthful I besides support a basal brace of on-ear Sony headphones around, nan WH-CH250. The audio value connected these isn’t peculiarly impressive, but they’re ace affordable. 

Last, but surely not least, I besides person a Razer Seiren V3 Chroma mic disconnected to nan broadside of my table connected a clamp-on mic arm I sewage connected Amazon. I’ve been utilizing nan Seiren for a mates years now for gaming and playing Dungeons & Dragons pinch my online group. The audio value could beryllium a spot better, but it’s a important betterment complete astir built-in headphone mics, and I’ve ne'er had immoderate bugs aliases issues pinch it. Notably, it useful connected Linux for maine without needing immoderate tweaks aliases work-arounds.  

That is simply a awesome laptop holder you person astatine nan broadside of your desk. What is it?

I conscionable sewage that erstwhile I moved past month, and it’s 1 of my favourite additions to my table setup. It’s a double-decker laptop mount I sewage for astir $30 connected Amazon and conscionable clamps onto nan broadside of my table (no screws necessary!). 

I wanted to free up immoderate table space, and this lets maine support some of my laptops adjacent and retired of nan measurement astatine nan aforesaid time. I besides utilized a bid portion to instrumentality a USB-C hub to nan backmost of nan laptop tray, truthful I tin quickly hop betwixt my individual and activity laptops connected my outer show by conscionable moving complete nan USB-C cablegram and charging cable. 

Great wall decorations. Tell america a spot astir your Elmville representation and what surrounds it.

This is nan wall crossed from my table that group spot erstwhile I person my webcam on, truthful I put each my coolest worldly connected it. I’m a immense instrumentality of Dimension 20 connected Dropout, truthful I instantly picked up 1 of those Elmville maps erstwhile they released them. For those who haven’t checked retired Dimension 20 yet, Elmville is nan main mounting for Fantasy High, 1 of nan champion shows Dropout has to offer, successful my humble opinion. 

The smaller horizontal image beneath nan representation is really a page from Dropout’s 2025 Dimension 20 almanac that I sewage astatine their Madison Square Garden show past January. It’s a segment from play 2 of Fantasy High, and I conscionable thought nan creator did specified a awesome occupation pinch it that it deserved to beryllium framed. Off to nan correct supra that 1 is simply a people I sewage from an creation convention. It’s not from immoderate show aliases movie arsenic acold arsenic I know; nan creation conscionable resonated pinch me. 

The 2 smaller prints supra nan representation are besides from creation conventions and were made by nan aforesaid artist, Natasha Tara Petrović. The purple 1 is immoderate cool Mothman creation — I person a soft spot for cryptids and spooky stuff. The bluish 1 is simply a Dark Souls people that makes nan crippled look way cozier than it is. 

And past but not least, I’ve sewage immoderate Nanoleaf Elements tiles lighting up that wall. These are nan first smart lights I’ve ever bought, and they’re beautiful cool, particularly pinch nan much mellow wood look. I person them group to displacement colors and brightness passim nan day. 

You’re evidently into Star Wars and different subject fabrication / imagination worlds, judging from nan toys complete your bookcase and nan figures connected that small shelf. Are you a superior instrumentality aliases do you conscionable for illustration nan genre?

I americium a immense Star Wars fan. One of my earliest memories is watching The Phantom Menace connected VHS, and I’ve loved nan franchise ever since. Obi-Wan is my favourite character, which I’m noticing is simply a spot evident successful my activity space. 

The lightsaber supra my bookcase is Obi-Wan’s from The Phantom Menace. I’ve had it since astir apt kindergarten aliases first grade, truthful it’s a small hit up. And adjacent to that I’ve sewage a typical version Obi-Wan Funko Pop. Then supra my table I person a Lego exemplary of Obi-Wan’s Jedi starfighter from Attack of nan Clones. 

On nan support beneath that I’ve managed to compression successful nan Dungeons & Dragons bid minifigures I’ve collected (I’m a fewer awkward of nan afloat collection). These shelves ended up being measurement smaller than expected, truthful I’m readying to adhd much truthful things aren’t rather truthful cramped. I thought Lego did a awesome occupation pinch these D&D minifigures, though, and would emotion to spot them do much D&D sets. My individual favourite from this bid is nan dragonborn paladin. 

The different Funko Pop adjacent to Obi-Wan is Vi from Arcane, which is simply a genuinely phenomenal show and a individual favourite of mine. I’m not overmuch of a Funko Pop person, but I’ll get them from clip to clip if it’s a characteristic I really like. 

I conjecture I would opportunity I’m a superior sci-fi and imagination fan, though I thin to link pinch circumstantial bid aliases books and instrumentality pinch those. To spell backmost to nan Star Wars example, connected 1 of nan little shelves successful my bookcase, I person astir of nan aged Jedi Apprentice books. They’ve gotten beautiful difficult to find, but I loved them arsenic a kid, truthful I’m trying to cod them each again. 

On nan imagination broadside of things, I emotion epic imagination for illustration Lord of nan Rings, but besides for illustration immoderate YA books, particularly The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson. At nan moment, I’m reference The Name of nan Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree, which is nan 3rd book successful his Legends & Lattes series. Both are great, though they person drastically different tones. 

You besides person a stone collection!

I do! Much for illustration a goldfish, it has grown to capable nan size of its container, and now it tin turn nary more. I’ve ever had an liking successful earth science and person had immoderate of nan rocks and minerals successful that lawsuit since I was a kid. 

I person a bunch of quartz, a geode, immoderate copper, chalcopyrite, amazonite, dravite, moissanite, a sliver of obsidian, a lump of basalt, immoderate feldspar and sedimentary rocks, and a bunch of smaller tumbled stones. There’s besides a chunk of petrified wood successful nan backmost that I recovered successful a streambed. My favorites are nan chunk of amber successful nan beforehand and nan bismuth supra it — I emotion really bismuth crystals get that neat geometric shape. 

Anything other I missed that you’d for illustration to add?

While I don’t usage it for work, my Kobo Clara BW e-reader is almost ever connected my desk. My bookcases are beautiful overmuch afloat (and a spot mini — I’m readying to switch them eventually), truthful I’ve been reference much ebooks complete nan past twelvemonth aliases so. 

I switched from a Kindle to a Kobo respective months agone and person been loving nan Kobo. The show and personification acquisition connected nan Clara are amended than their Kindle counterparts successful my experience, and you person much state to adhd books from extracurricular Kobo’s shop and backmost up everything successful your room connected different devices. My Kobo is successful my mundane transportation now, though successful hindsight, I wish I’d gotten 1 pinch a colour display. 

Photography by Stevie Bonifield