Quick menu
⚙️ The list in brief
1. Best overall
2. Best budget
3. Best large
4. PC-inna-desk
5. Best sustainable
6. Best standing
7. Best convertible
8. Q&A
The best gaming desk can quite literally change the way you game. At its simplest, a suitable gaming desk should give you plenty of space for your monitor and peripherals, all in a stable and adjustable frame. Pair it with an awesome gaming chair and your friends will marvel at your ergonomic superiority.
Choosing a desk to suit you isn’t always an easy task. We reckon the best gaming desk is the Secretlab Magnus Pro XL for its laundry list of incredible features and great pricing. When choosing a gaming desk, ask yourself if are you looking to sit, stand, or both. There are benefits to spending some time on your feet, so a motorized standing desk, or a desk converter, might be a better fit for you.
If your budget isn’t going to stretch to the pricey ol’ Secretlab, then the best budget desk is the Flexispot E1 series. They’re solid, affordable sitting/standing desks that look pretty good and won’t break the bank, either. All the best gaming desks for any scenario are just a scroll away, so keep reading below.
Curated byCurated byDave James
A good desk for PC gaming wasn’t high on Dave’s agenda until he found that a cramped corner of his home, with a cobbled-together desktop was a recipe for not only discomfort but also long term back issues. Switching to a sitting/standing desk has changed all that and he’s been a keen convert to finding people a good, ergonomic, and comfortable gaming setup ever since.
The quick list
Best overall
1. Secretlab Magnus Pro XL
The best overall
Vast and sturdy, this one comes with great cable management solutions and some nifty accessories to boot. It may be hefty and cost a little extra for accessories, but the Magnus Pro XL is the best desk we’ve tested.
Best budget
2. Flexispot E1
The best budget
Cheap and cheerful, the base E1 may not have a collision sensor or cable management, but it sure is a nice adjustable desk for the money. It’s stable and smooth in its operation and comes with a great warranty.
Best large
3. Arozzi Arena
The best large
This desk is vast and pictures don’t do justice to the amount of space there is for multiple monitors, peripherals, and other goodies. The whole thing’s covered in a waterproof mouse pad for serious gaming chops, too.
PC-inna-desk
4. Lian Li DK-04F
The bestPC-inna-desk
Building your PC into your desk is made super easy with the Lian Li DK-04F. There’s room inside for a monster rig, it’s height adjustable and has a snazzy tempered glass top so you can gaze at your components.The price is gaming PC-level, mind.
Best sustainable
5. Fnatic X Chopvalue Revive Pro
The bestsustainable
Made from recycled chopsticks, this is the most eco-conscious gaming desk we’ve tested, and the build quality is really good. It’s a little small for the money, but it’s a price worth paying to minimise your impact on the good Earth.
Best convertible
6. VariDesk Pro Plus
The bestconvertible
This is the best convertible desk we’ve tested and it means you don’t have to buy a whole new desk to get the benefit of standing. It’s not ideal for large mouse pads, but there’s something to be said for the lack of assembly required.
Recent updates
Updated February 22 with a new recommendation for the best budget gaming desk and some formatting changes to make it even easier to find the best desk for you.
The best gaming desk
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1. Secretlab Magnus Pro XL
Our expert review:
Specifications
Height: 25–50 inches / 64-127 cmWeight support: 192 lbs / 87 kgDesktop dimensions: 70 x 32 inches / 177 x 80 cmWarranty: 5 years
Reasons to buy
+Fantastic for working from home+Stealth cable management options+Simple and effective magnetic accessories+Excellent monitor arms (sold separately)
Reasons to avoid
-Weighs over 154 lbs / 70 kg-Essential accessories add further costBuy if…
✅ You want a big, luxurious desk: You might think it’s expensive but there are pricier desks around. None of them are as nice as this one.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You need to move it by yourself: This is a seriously heavy desk and while that makes it incredibly stable, it’s a real challenge to move it about or build it all by your lonesome.
What makes this the best gaming desk? It’s surprisingly innovative. That’s how to best sum up the Secretlab Magnus Pro XL and it’s so impressive that it would make anyone reconsider their whole opinion of what a deskshouldbe.
We’re firmly in the camp that a desk should be absolutely massive. The Magnus Pro XL is one of the largest desks we’ve experienced of late, coming in at 70 x 32 inches / 177 x 80 cm. This is also the heaviest, at 73 lbs / 33 kg for the desk’s surface panel alone. The mostly metal frame of the Magnus Pro XL explains some of that, though it’s the two included motors, one integrated into each of the legs, which add a whole lot of mass to the equation.
But that’s what makes this the MagnusProXL: the desk’s adjustable sit/stand functionality. The standard Magnus doesn’t offer this. The Magnus Pro XL is capable of lifting 265 lbs / 120 kg in gross weight (including the weight of the metal desk itself) up to a height of 49 inches / 125 cm.
Perhaps the most visually impressive thing about the Secretlab Magnus Pro XL is how sharp and clean-cut it makes your PC setup look, thanks to its clever magnetic cable management accessories and discrete cable tray. These neatly hide a mountain of USB, audio, and power cables out of sight.
However, it must be noted that the magnetic cable ties are not included in the cost of the desk itself and cost an additional $25 / £25 for a set of three or $49 / £45 for a set of three alongside two cable management sheaths and a stack of fastening straps.
This is the thing: the Secretlab Magnus Pro XL requires some added expense to make it as sleek an experience as it should be. But the one accessory worth investing in is the dual monitor arm. It’s a single unit that clamps firmly onto the desk, between the hinged cover and the desk itself, and each arm offers sprawling reach for monitors up to 34 inches in size.
Would we be happy with this desk if we’d paid that sort of sum for it? The answer is an emphatic yes, despite the fact it’s a component that is in no way connected to the performance of a gaming PC. The main reason it’s worth the price is the sheer level of flexibility, features, and luxury. If you work from home, then you’ll certainly benefit from investing in a high-quality sit/stand desk, along with an ergonomic gaming chair.
We’re really impressed with what the Magnus Pro XL offers, as it’s far more than anything one would normally expect from a desk.
Read our full Secretlab Magnus Pro XL review.
The best budget desk
2. Flexispot E1
The best budget desk
Our expert review:
Specifications
Height: 28–48 inches / 71-122 cmWeight support: 154lbs / 70 kgDesktop dimensions: Up to 55 x 24 inches / 140 x 60 cmWarranty: 3 yr motor, 5 yr frame
Reasons to buy
+Smooth, quiet operation+Easy-to-use controls+Simple and clean design+Great value for money
Reasons to avoid
-Collision sensor is extra-So are cable trays-AvailabilityBuy if…
✅ You want an adjustable desk without busting your wallet: Solidly built, nice and stable, excellent value for money. What more needs to be said?
Don’t buy if…
❌ You don’t live in the right location: Flexispot doesn’t sell the same models across the globe, so you may need to pay extra for international shipping to get the E1.
The Flexispot E1 may not be the catchiest of names for a product, but it’s absolutely the best budget desk you can buy. Put simply, it’s an impressively sturdy, motorized adjustable desk for anyone looking to upgrade their home/gaming/office setup. All for a very reasonable price.
With a height range of 28 inches / 71 cm up to 48 inches / 121 cm, the E1 covers pretty much every comfortable sitting and standing setup. The Basic control panel just moves the legs up and down, but the confusingly named Standard controller (an additional £20) can store four different height profiles and offers anti-collision detection to prevent anything from getting caught.
Of course, the main thing you want from any desk is stability. If everything is bouncing along as you type, it doesn’t matter if you’re sitting or standing; you’re going to want to break it up. The good news is that the Flexipost is rock solid at all heights and the smooth motion instills lots of confidence.
Construction is a straightforward task, taking just over an hour to turn the two boxes into a working, versatile desk. A few more pre-drilled holes for the control box and the central beam would have been nice, but the surface is easy enough to screw into with a bit of elbow grease.
The only downside to the whole desk is anti-collision detection and cable trays are all optional extras. None of particularly expensive but if you’re just after a really solid desk that is flexible across a range of scenarios, the base model is more than good enough.
It’s important to note that this exact model isn’t available in every country. In the US, for example, the closest model is currently the E5, which is more expensive. It’s worth checking out how much shipping fees from the UK, home of Flexispot, would cost compared to buying one in your own country.
The best large gaming desk
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3. Arozzi Arena
The best large gaming desk
Our expert review:
Specifications
Height: 28–32 inches / 71-81 cmWeight support: 176 lbs / 80 kgDesktop dimensions: 63 x 32 inches / 160 x 81 cmWarranty: Limited 2 year
Reasons to buy
+All mouse mat, all the time+Hydrophobic surface+Whole lotta space
Reasons to avoid
-Hydrophobic coating easily destroyedBuy if…
✅ You want masses of real estate: The Arena is as spacious as you could want from a gaming desk, with bags of room for monitors and all your peripherals.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You’re not very gentle with your desk surface: The hydrophobic material is wonderful for your mouse but it’s also rather fragile.
If you want the best large gaming desk, then look no further than the Arozzi Arena. It’s monstrously huge and the shallow curve that faces the seating position lets you nestle into a glorious amount of monitor, keyboard, and mouse space.
And speaking of the latter, the entire surface is covered by the same material that mouse pads are. It’s honestly quite startling to see at first but once you have your first whoopsie with a drink, you’ll then discover the benefits of its hydrophobic coating.
Watching liquids ball up is mesmerising at first but a word of caution: The coating is surprisingly fragile when it comes to being cleaned. Use anything but the mildest of detergents and you’ll wave goodbye to that lovely surface.
Before you get to the joys of the full-desk mouse mat, you’ll need to construct it and oh boy is this thing is heavy. To the point where you may need an extra pair of sturdy hands just to move the boxes about. The manual’s adorable illustrations make the process streamlined, but the machining quality is somewhat variable, and you may find some misaligned holes or parts not sitting as flush as you’d expect.
The Arena is very sturdy, but you do need to consider the surface you’re going to place the thing on.
Arozzi recommends a rug or carpet placement, as opposed to a hard surface floor, though we found that while it settles nicely into a thick carpet, there was still a fair amount of travel when pushing up to get out of the chair.
The built-in mesh hammock for cable management, however, is fantastic and makes it easy to have a clean and stylish gaming desk. If the manufacturing standards don’t put you off and you have the space for it, you’ll love having the vast desk area that the Arena offers.
You’ll be able to fit a gaming tower up top comfortably, alongside a couple of two monitors, handheld PCs, coffee cups, open notebooks, shelves, speakers, microphones, lamps, etc. You get the picture.
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The best PC case gaming desk
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4. Lian Li DK-04F
The best gaming desk PC case
Our expert review:
Specifications
Height: 27–46 inches / 69-118 cmWeight support: 176 lbs / 80 kgDesktop dimensions: 39 x 29 inches / 100 x 74 cmWarranty: Limited 1 year
Reasons to buy
+Tempered glass top is super bling+Can house a serious gaming PC+Adjustable height with presets and sensor
Reasons to avoid
-Only 1 year warrantyBuy if…
✅ You want to build a PC inside your desk: There’s no other reason to choose this desk but if that’s your thing, then there’s none better to choose from.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You don’t want to spend more on your desk than your PC: No joke, this is one seriously expensive desk and its bigger brother is more so. One for serious enthusiasts with capacious wallets only.
The Lian Li DK-04F is easily the gaming desk PC case, if for no other reason than that it will essentially be your computer’s security device. It’s going to be incredibly hard for any would-be thief to make off with your rig should it be housed inside this weighty beast. With a 39-inch / 100 cm width, this behemoth is the smaller sibling, too; Lian Li also makes the DK-05F, in which you can fit two discrete gaming PCs.
The desk itself is not that easy to build, however. The individual legs are super heavy, and the metal ‘chassis’ isn’t much better. You’ll need a hand making it, or maybe an engine winch.
It’s classic Lian Li, too, by which we mean your fingers are likely to get striped with bloody slices by the time you’ve got the chassis-on-legs all built. There were also some misaligned screw holes on our review sample, though that did not impact its impressive solidity. In the end, even with a couple of monitors mounted directly on the desktop, it’s a robust desktop, regardless of height.
Then there’s that tempered glass top. It’s frosted, which makes the included RGB strips look great when your system’s fully built, but at a single button press, it can be made crystal clear so you can gaze adoringly down into your PC’s insides. It’s completely unnecessary and we love it. However, it’s a blessing and a curse because even the best gaming mouse will need a good mouse mat with that glass surface beneath it.
At $1,500, the DK-04F is incredibly expensive, and the one-year warranty feels a little stingy too. And that’s also without any of the components needed actually to build a PC into it. All told that’s a hell of a lot for a gaming desk and a lot for a PC chassis. But it is a lovely, lovely thing for the serious enthusiast.
Read our full Lian Li DK-04 review.
The best sustainable gaming desk
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5. Fnatic X Chopvalue Revive Pro
The best sustainable gaming desk
Our expert review:
Specifications
Height: 25.6–46.3 inches / 65-118 cmWeight support: 165 lbs / 75 kgDesktop dimensions: 44 x 29 inches / 112 x 74 cmWarranty: Limited 1 year
Reasons to buy
+Environmental initiative+Lovely customisable desktop+Good cable management
Reasons to avoid
-Pricier than other options-Small desktopBuy if…
✅ You want to offset your PC gaming carbon footprint somehow: Yes, it’s actually a good gaming desk but the choice of materials means it’s also genuinely eco-friendly.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You want room for your whole PC setup: There’s no getting around the fact that it’s not a particularly big gaming desk, so there isn’t room for a desktop PC and large monitor. One of them will need to go elsewhere.
If you’re looking to make your PC life as eco-friendly as possible, then the Fnatic x ChopValue is the best sustainable gaming desk you can buy. Its major selling point is the fact that the desk surface is made from recycled chopsticks. Honest!
You can clearly see this in the finish of the surface: All the splinted different colours of wood come together to make a nice sort of butcherblock-styled top but with a lot more interest.
When purchasing the desk you can choose what logos you want to have carved into your chop top and you can make the Fnatic desk look as cool or clean as you like. Naturally, we went for a blazing PC Gamer logo for our review sample. Building the Fnatic takes a while but its parts are easy to wield, thanks to being in smaller chunks.
Overall, the ChopValue Revive Pro feels really tough. We even tried scratching it, to no avail, so its longevity certainly isn’t in question. Neither are the desk controls and although they’re very much like every other adjustable desk on the market, they work perfectly well, offering programmable levels of customisation.
But the toughest part of this desk, aside from its sturdy top and metal legs, has to be swallowing the price. At over $1,000 for a desk, it’s up against some serious competition. But if you’ve got the cash, there’s a great initiative here behind this excellent desk, plus a few noticeable quality boosts in there too. It just depends on how much more you’re paying for those improvements in your region as to whether or not it’s worth sticking to the chop.
Read our full Fnatic X Chopvalue Revive Pro review.
The best convertible desk
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6. VariDesk Pro Plus
The best convertible desk
Our expert review:
Specifications
Height: 4.5–17.5 inches / 11-45 cmWeight support: 35 lbs / 16 kgDesktop dimensions: 30 x 30–48 inches / 76 x 76-122 cmWarranty: Limited 5 year
Reasons to buy
+Comes pre-built+Fits on existing desk+Both sitting and standing use
Reasons to avoid
-Awkward for some mouse padsBuy if…
✅ You need a standing desk but can’t have one: It’s the perfect compromise for getting the joy of a standing desk but without actually buying one.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You need lots of space for your mouse: Competitive gamers won’t like the small mouse area and even normal gamers might find it restrictive.
You may not want to replace your office furniture completely—or even be able to if it’s not yours—which makes a converter a great option. And the VariDesk Pro Plus just so happens to be the best convertible desk right now
It is available in multiple sizes, so there’s one for almost all standard desk sizes, and it immediately allows you to switch from sitting to standing. The Pro Plus is also one of the simplest ways to get yourself a standing desk, as it requires no setup and doesn’t impact the desktop you place it on.
The VariDesk Pro Plus comes ready to roll straight out of the box. All you need to do is put it on top of your current desk, and you’re good to go. You’ll need some strength to get it there as this thing is not light.
Once set up, though, what might be an issue for some instantly becomes a distinct advantage, as it’s an impressively sturdy solution at each of the 11-height settings.
The VariDesk isn’t motorized, but it uses a spring-loaded mechanism with twin handles to make it easy to move from sitting to standing quickly. The action is smooth and doesn’t require tremendous force to shift, even when multiple monitors and peripherals sit on top of it.
Speaking of which, there’s room to run a pair of monitors on the top section with the extended lower section ideal for a mouse and keyboard. However, it’s not ideal for a mouse because the surface does not play nice with most sensors. We had to jury rig our shaped mouse mat to get a decent experience, but the two-tier stepping still makes for an excellent desktop.
Quirks aside, the VariDesk Pro Plus is ideal for anyone needing the flexibility of a standing/sitting desk solution, without the space, funds, or opportunity to go all out with a new desk.
