There are many important obligations gamers have to take on when they own a gaming PC. These things aren’t cheap by any means and the last thing you want is to avoid any kind of preventative maintenance and end up with a $2,000 paperweight. 

One of the biggest concerns with a gaming PC is heat. Especially high-end gaming computers, even though many of them have the latest in cooling systems, you still need to be mindful about where you place them. 

When you’re thinking about where to place your tower, it’s usually best to get it up onto a shelf. However, not everybody has the same amount of space where they game. Sometimes, setting a gaming PC tower on the carpet may be the only immediately viable choice.

Can I Put a Gaming PC on the Carpet?

It’s not a good idea to put your gaming PC on the carpet. Placing your tower on the carpet will increase the risk of it being exposed to static electricity may block some of the ventilation ports. It can also get warmer on a carpet since it is less able to disperse the heat than on a tile or wood floor.

And since the Power Supply Unit (PSU) is usually found on the bottom of the computer case, the carpet could potentially choke the PSU exhaust and shorten the life expectancy of the power supply. 

The situation is exacerbated when you have a thick carpet. While you shouldn’t settle your tower or your gaming laptop on a short carpet, it’s even more dangerous if your carpet has long fibres. Carpets also generate a lot of static electricity, especially during the winter months. 

If you want the most ideal situation for setting up your gaming PC, an open environment, where it’s cool and clean, and a hard, flat, elevated surface is the best. If you absolutely have to place your gaming PC on the carpet, there is nothing stopping you from placing something in between the tower and the carpet. Something like a monitor riser, a small chest of drawers, or even a milk crate would do the job.

Placing your gaming PC on a carpet risks a number of dangers to your PC, including electrical damage, overheating, and problems with excess dust, dirt, and other debris, especially if you have animals in the house or kids (basically the same thing).

Related Article: Are Gaming PCs Expensive To Run? (And How To Cut Costs)

What to Put Between Your Gaming PC and Carpet

Computer stands are a dime a dozen and reasonably cheap as well. It’s one of the best solutions you can find, especially the computer stands that are designed with ventilation in mind. 

For instance, the LORYERGO Monitor Stand is a cool metal surface that’s perforated throughout. It allows plenty of air to pass over the bottom of the PC, helping it remain cool instead of hindering it. 

If you’re looking for something a little more aesthetically pleasing, you can go with something like the Alaskan Wooden Computer Stand. The stand has enough of a border sticking out to rest your tower on, leaving a large, rectangular gap through the bottom for ventilation purposes. 

Plus, it looks really nice, although it may not go with some of the more streamlined, high-tech, RGB lighting aesthetics of some gaming PCs.

Bottom Line

If you have to set your gaming PC on the carpet, just be sure to add something like a computer stand to the mix. If you can’t get your hands on one, feel free to use a cinder block or stack up some bricks. 

Whatever you choose to do, it’s in your best interest to keep the PC off the floor and away from the potential dangers there.