A Complete Desktop Setup That Runs Entirely on Battery Power, Thanks to an Anker SOLIX S2000

Gamers have always faced a choice between the freedom of a laptop and the power of a real desktop. Mryeester decided to skip the compromise. He created a full gaming station complete with internet access and a cold drink on hand that works anywhere without plugging into a wall. At the center of everything sits the Anker SOLIX S2000. This portable power station holds two kilowatt hours of energy and delivers steady alternating current through a pure sine wave.

The clean power allows the graphics card and other sensitive components to run smoothly without a care in the world. It maintains a constant output of 1500 watts and can occasionally reach a peak of 3000 watts for good measure. Solar panels may add 400 watts to the mix during the day, allowing this contraption to remain going for a much longer period of time. The PC inside has an Intel Core i5-4690K processor and an ancient NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 graphics card. Those are both older, but they strike a good balance between delivering solid 1440p gaming performance and keeping their power demands reasonable enough so that this thing doesn’t just gobble up all the juice. Because this is a mobile rig, you’ll want to mount your standard monitor high up, as well as a Wi-Fi router, to keep everything online.

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Building the desk was a real adventure because you simply put a plywood surface on top of a small fridge and it produces this neat little cantilever thing that sticks out into space with no leg underneath to support it. The heavy Anker unit and PC components all lie on the base side of the fridge to balance it out and keep it from tipping over, and the fridge itself is convenient because it allows you to have a glass of water or a snack right at your fingertips.

When it comes down to it, the power figures are what truly tell the tale of how practical this system is. When everything is idle and the PC is turned off, the entire setup draws about a hundred and one watts. However, when you turn on the PC, the draw increases to one hundred eighty-one watts. When you switch to Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p, the draw only increases to around 330 watts. Those runtimes are quite impressive, especially considering that one hour of mixed use, primarily gaming, only reduced the battery by 10%. And what about overnight use, putting the PC to sleep, leaving the fridge running, and keeping the router online? The battery barely fell by 18%. Even if the solar panels are not connected immediately away, there is still enough electricity in the tank for extended sessions.

The entire setup ends up being a little heavy because the Anker unit alone weighs thirty-five pounds, and the fridge base only adds to that. It would take some effort to move it around, but just wheeling this thing outside or to a different location seems perfectly conceivable. In fact, Mryeester was considering putting wheels on the fridge and solar panels on the back for true off-grid excursions.