We love the clean look of this Alien PC gaming setup, which is made from various Ikea furniture parts, and makes great use of lights and wall panels. What’s more, its creator, Custom PC Facebook community member Jesse Lambros, has added some touches inspired by the Alien film franchise.
Custom PC has been celebrating the best PC builds and gaming setups since 2003, and our Facebook group has over 300,000 members. We’ve seen many custom gaming PCs, from case mods to scratch builds. Here we talk to Jesse about how he made his Alien-inspired PC gaming setup.
Custom PC: We’re guessing you like the Alien films? Were there any other key influences for your setup?
Jesse: I’ve been an avid fan since I was a child. I wanted to implement some of my collectibles into the theme of my build, and the Thermaltake Core P3 case easily allowed me to do this. I’ve just finished creating my basement with a movie theater section and a few pieces of memorabilia on show.
Custom PC: How did you plan out this setup?
Jesse: I primarily used my head to plan out the design. The main goal was to create a feng shui place to step away from distractions and get my work done.
Custom PC: What tools did you use, if any?
Jesse: The majority of the items used to build the desk were off-the-shelf from Ikea. However, the dimensional wall is assembled like a piece of art, hanging on the wall. I normally see people just stick tiles to the wall, but I wanted to make a statement piece. For the desktop, I actually used a pre-fabricated matte black countertop, which absolutely needed support in the middle to keep it from bowing.
Custom PC: How long did it take you to make this setup, from start to finish?
Jesse: This section of the basement setup took all of six months to create, from design, to building and completion. The total time for the computer build was most likely a week. This computer has served me well for the amount of work I feed it. With two graphics cards, 32GB of RAM and a Core i7-6700K running at 4GHz, I’ve had no issues with the CAD programs I feed it, along with the occasional games.
Custom PC: What’s the PC stand and case you’ve used?
Jesse: I’m using a Thermaltake Core P3. You often see these cases either angled on the right side of a desk or mounted directly on the wall. Both these options were not my cup of tea, so I scoured high and low for the cleanest-looking TV mount on which I could rest it. The mount is made by AVF, and I’d never seen anyone ever use one for this application. I love to stand outside the norm, so I chose this part and it was the best decision I could ever make for this build/presentation.
Custom PC: Are those acoustic panels behind the screen?
Jesse: The panels are white PVC. They’re not really acoustic, but everyone seems to think they are.
Custom PC: We see a few classic Ikea furniture items, but have you used any other brands?
Jesse: The entire desk is Ikea. The left and right drawers are the Alex units, with Lack upper shelves in white and black. Meanwhile, the desktop is the Ekbacken. To the right of the computer is more Lack wall shelving, and to the left of the desk is the Trotten cabinet with sliding doors.
Custom PC: Did you come across any difficulties in designing and making your setup?
Jesse: Wire management! With my level of OCD, having a clean desk with tucked-away wires is key. You can see I even chose to use white wire sheath to tie into the build, in order to eliminate any visual distractions from the cleanliness of the entire area.
Custom PC: Are you completely happy with the end result, or is there anything else you’d like to work on next?
Jesse: I’m completely happy – I would change nothing about this. You rarely see me content with something, but this setup fits the bill and I wouldn’t change a thing in it.
Alien PC gaming setup specs
- CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K CPU running at 4GHz
- GPU: 2 x MSI Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 in SLI mode
- PC case: Thermaltake Core P3 White
- Monitor: 34″ MSI Optix MAG342CQR
- Lighting: Govee Glide Hexa Pro, Govee RGBIC 3D Wall Light Tubes, LePro 3000K-6000K Under Desk Ambient Lights
- Peripherals: Corsair K100 RGB Keyboard, Corsair MM800 RGB Polaris Mouse Pad, Corsair ICUE Nexus, Corsair Void Pro Wireless, Corsair M65 Pro RGB Mouse, Corsair ICUE LT100, Yeti Blue mic setup with stand
- Storage: 500GB Samsung M.2 SSD, 2 x 2TB WD Black hard drives for photos and documents
- Memory: 32GB (4 8GB) G.Skill DDR4
- Motherboard: MSI Z170 Gaming V
- PSU: EVGA 1000 GQ
- Cooling: Corsair H100i V2
The PC builder
- Name: Jesse Lambros
- Age: 40
- Occupation: Production Engineer
- Location: New Jersey
- Main uses for PC: CAD/CAM programming and minor gaming
- Likes: My four kids and the outdoors
- Dislikes: Anything negative. Be positive!
What a great gaming room Jesse – it looks really smart and clean, and we love the glowing RGB lights and Alien memorabilia.
Check out our best gaming setups guide if you want to see more outstanding custom PCs and gaming setups, and if you’ve built an extraordinary PC or gaming setup of any description yourself, then we’d love to see it! Join our Facebook group if you’d like to submit your own work for consideration.