The Best Gaming Desks: Create the Ultimate PC Setup

Best Gaming Desk

Eureka Aero Pro

0

The Eureka Aero Pro is a wing-shaped standing desk that's perfect for gamers.

See it at Eureka Ergonomic

The Eureka Aero Pro is an absolute beast of a gaming desk with enough surface area for multiple gaming monitors, a beefy PC, and a bunch of accessories. Its unique winged shape makes it easier to grab things. Three shelves at the back of the main desk are adjustable and ready to house a few monitors or a couple of computer speakers for a more immersive gaming experience. Under the main desk is even a dedicated keyboard tray, allowing a 360-degree horizontal rotation and 15 degrees of tilt for better ergonomics when tapping away at keys.

While it was a bit of a pain to put together and the seams where the wings connect aren’t the most attractive, the desk is sturdy and comes in several sleek finishes perfect for a gaming setup or workstation. To keep a tidy gaming space, the desk comes with handy channels to help manage your cables, headphone and cup holders, and integrated slots to prop up a tablet or smartphone.

Want the flexibility of a sit-to-standing desk? Many of the best standing desks are aimed primarily at office work, but the Eureka Aero Pro features powerful dual electric motors to seamlessly transition from a regular old gaming desk to a standing desk. It has flexibility from 29.5 to 48 inches, so just about anyone can benefit from that adjustability. Pay close attention to its 220-pound weight limit though, especially when loading it up with a ton of tech.

2. Cooler Master GD160

Best Budget Gaming Desk

Cooler Master GD160

0

A sturdy and stable desk featuring a gaming mouse pad that spreads across the entire desk surface and a cable management tray to hide wires.

See it at Amazon

It’s hard to find a gaming desk that is robust, large, and also affordable, but Cooler Master has managed that with the GD160. For about $400, this is a solid gaming desk delivers a sturdy frame ready to hold up to 220.5 pounds that remains stable even when you get overly excited during a game. That frame holds a massive desktop, which can easily house a multi-monitor setup.

The Cooler Master GD160 may not have as many frills as other desks on this list, like RGB lighting or standing functionality, but you do get a cable management tray to hide away pesky wires. The entire desktop surface is covered in a water-resistant mouse pad, ensuring your gaming mouse glides around with ease while also improving tracking precision. Though you can’t get this desk all the way up to standing, it does have some slight adjustability for sitting between three different heights from 28 and 31.1 inches.

3. Ikea Utespelare

Best Ultra-Cheap Gaming Desk

Ikea Utespelare

0

Made in collaboration with ROG (Republic of Gamers), this affordable but sturdy desk offers limited height adjustability, metal mesh at the back for ventilation, and a cable management net.

See it at Ikea

The ready-to-assemble furniture retailer Ikea may not be your first thought when it comes to quality gaming furniture, but its Utespelare gaming desk is a solid, affordable option made in collaboration with ROG (Republic of Gamers). Unlike most of the other desks on this list, you aren’t going to find any motor to let you stand up or electrical component, but for less than $300, we wouldn't expect it to.

The Utespelare is ready to support a gaming PC and a few gaming monitors with its large surface area and hefty max load. If you’re packing it to the brim with electronics, the metal mesh at the back provides a nice ventilation and cable management net. The tabletop is also ergonomically shaped on one side and can be reversed, while the desk height can go between 27 and 30 inches to find the ideal seated position.

Mojo Gamer Pro Standing Desk

10 Images

4. Mojo Standing Desk Gamer Pro

Best Modular Gaming Desk

Mojo Standing Desk Gamer Pro

0

Raise the desk to stand or lower it down with quiet dual motors while a magnetic cable management system, a c-clamp monitor arm, and a CPU hanger keep your desk space organized.

See it at Amazon

We loved the Mojo Standing Desk Gamer Pro, as proven in our review. (The $1,000 price tag, not so much.) Our reviewer said that this desk "goes for practicality and functionality rather than frills and thrills. There’s no RGB lighting or charging ports of any kind. This is a desk, pure and simple, and it’s here to house your gaming setup while keeping your gaming sessions comfortable – not make it all look impressive. That said, the Mojo Standing Desk is one heck of an impressive gaming desk anyway. The desktop is extremely durable, as well as water-resistant and scratch-proof."

It also comes with an easy-to-install magnetic cable management system with a spacious cable tray, a cable chain, and a power bar that lets you load up on peripherals while keeping everything organized. A C-clamp monitor arm and CPU hanger (that can also hold consoles) opens up desk space for other accessories (maybe some with RGB lighting).

5. Thermaltake ToughDesk 500L RGB Battlestation

Best L-Shaped PC Gaming Desk

Thermaltake ToughDesk 500L RGB Battlestation

0

This massive, well-built L-shaped desk has a large desk surface area covered in a mouse pad, built-in RGB lighting, and three motors to adjust the height.

See it at Thermaltake

Built like a tank with a steel frame and a massive desktop area, the L-shaped ToughDesk 500L truly is a battle station. Its L shape gives an extra side desk to play around with, and the large surface area is no match for three motors to take the desk from sitting to standing with the push of a button. (The controller can store up to four height settings.)

Beyond its impressive surface area, the ToughDesk 500L is built with gamers in mind, including useful features like cable management to fun ones like built-in RGB lighting, which can sync with Razer Chroma and TT RGB Plus. One especially handy addition is its big mouse pad, covering the surface area of both the main and side desks. Just be prepared to shell out about $1,500.

6. Uplift V2 4-Leg Standing Desk

Best High-Performance PC Gaming Desk

Uplift V2 4-Leg Standing Desk

0

Impressive pick with over 200,000 possible configurations to fit your unique needs and wants.

See it at Uplift Desk

Uplift’s desks are extremely customizable from the start, and we’re not just talking about add-ons. You’ll have a wealth of choices for desktop material, color, size and style, frame color and type, keypad, and even grommet covers. However, if you’re looking for something specifically for gaming, you need Uplift’s V2 4-Leg Standing Desk, offering all those customizations and additions while bringing a few other features crucial to gamers.

The V2 4-Leg Standing Desk includes a whopping 535-pound maximum load, and unlike the other gaming desks on this list, it works on a four-leg system with a motor in each leg, providing stability and speedy height adjustments between 25.3 inches to 50.9 inches. There’s even anti-collision technology built in that detects resistance to prevent injury or damage.

7. Secretlab Magnus Pro

Best RGB Gaming Desk

Secretlab Magnus Pro

0

Go from sitting to standing with a tap. A sturdy steel frame, magnetic ecosystem, and integrated power add value to this already great gaming desk.

See it at Secretlab

Secretlab’s Magnus Pro gaming desk is a souped-up model of the Magnus, which we gave a 9 in our review. It continues the tradition being undeniably unique thanks to its use of a magnetic ecosystem in the design, making it simple to add extra accessories like cable management solutions, desk mats, and RGB lighting. That RGB lighting, though it does cost extra, is easy to install and attaches right onto a dedicated spot at the top of the desk. From there, this Nanoleaf-powered strip shines, offering tons of custom lighting effects that can be synced up with other Nanoleaf accessories and controlled using several smart home systems.

Beyond flashy RGB lighting, the metal desk surface is ultra-durable, and its steel chassis can hold the heftiest gaming setups up to 265 pounds. Adjust the height with a button on the built-in control panel to find the ideal sit or stand position. A sneakily convenient integrated power supply lives in the left leg of the desk, letting you power your devices while keeping cable clutter to a minimum.

8. Cougar E-Mars

Best Connected Gaming Desk

Cougar E-Mars

1

Beyond dual motor height adjustability, this desk packs ample connectivity for hooking up peripherals and customizable, dual-sided RGB lighting.

See it at AmazonSee it at B&H

The Cougar E-Mars gaming desk is more than just a sturdy surface to rest your battle station, as it packs a hub of ample connectivity options to make hooking up components a breeze. To start, you get a USB-C and a Type-C cable for monitor extension. There are also two USB-A ports, along with audio and mic jacks, built into the desktop. For sit-to-stand, it has dual electric motors for height adjustments, and you can save up to four. The E-Mars wouldn’t be complete without a bit of customizable dual-sided RGB lighting, which is compatible with certain motherboards’ 5V connections for some synchronized lighting.

9. FlexiSpot EC1 Adjustable Height Desk

Best Compact Gaming Desk

FlexiSpot EC1 Adjustable Height Desk

0

This standing desk is ideal for those tight on space thanks to a compact footprint, but a steel frame and solid chipboard desktop ensure it’s durable and stable.

See it at Amazon

When you’re tight on space, a smaller option like the FlexiSpot EC1 Adjustable Height Desk is great. Its 40-by-24-inch model can easily hold a monitor along with all your other peripherals. The desk is durable and stable with a steel frame and solid chipboard desktop that support up to 154 pounds.

Sure, the FlexiSpot EC1 Adjustable Height Desk is much more stripped down than other options on this list, so you won’t find any RGB lighting or fancy cable management solutions. But considering that it will set you back just $200, it offers quite a lot. A basic controller will power motors to raise and lower the desk between 48 inches to 28 inches, so you can find an ergonomic position whether you’re sitting in your gaming chair or standing.

What to Look for in a Gaming Desk

The first step is always deciding what it is you want to get out of your gaming desk. Different models tend to offer different features. A handful of them are built to carry heavy loads, a few come with ports and cable organization solutions, and others go for the back-to-basics approach. Some have massive tabletops, while others are more space conscious. Some come with any port you'd ever need, and others are made to be modular. Once you know what it is you need, that will narrow down your choices considerably. After all, a 150-pound max-load desk with RGB lighting and extra ports won’t do you any good if you have a setup that altogether weighs more than 300 pounds.

Think about the quality of materials as well. If you’re buying a glass-top desk, make sure that it won’t collapse under the weight of your rig after a one- or two-year stint. If you want to minimize your carbon footprint, you should be able to find one that is carbon neutral.

Overall, pay close attention to the size, height, materials, ergonomics, and expandability of the desks you're considering. When you do, you’re guaranteed to take home the perfect desk for you.

Gaming Desk FAQ

Are standing desks worth it for gaming?

Standing desks have plenty of potential health benefits like improving your posture, relieving shoulder and back pain, promoting more movement to increase circulation – sitting too long puts you at risk for blood clots – and even helping with focus. But when you’re gaming, things get a little tricky.

Finding a sturdy standing desk to hold your PC setup is essential. Then you need to worry about positioning your peripherals for enjoyable gameplay and the prevention of accidents. That said, it’s not like we haven’t gamed standing up before – look at all those classic arcade cabinets. These days, most standing desks have powerful motors that’ll safely lift or lower your battle station with the push of a button.

A standing desk probably won’t improve your gameplay, but if you’d like to try standing while you game, even just occasionally, you might as well grab one. Luckily, many of the best gaming desks on our list offer simple height adjustability. But for those certain they won’t ever be standing while gaming, you can usually save a couple of bucks by going for a standard desk.

What's the different between a gaming desk and an office desk?

The differences are fairly subtle. Any office desk can be used as a gaming desk and vice versa, but there are some additional features that make a desk more suitable for gaming. For example, a standard office desk may have too low of a load capacity to be suitable for heavy gaming monitors or TVs. A lot of standard office desks won't always offer enough surface area for all of the peripherals associated with gaming as well. In this way, a good gaming desk is really just one that is able properly work for your gaming needs.

Where to Get the Best Gaming Desks in the UK

Unfortunately, not all of the desks available in the US can also be purchased in the UK, but there are still a few:

FlexiSpot Height Adjustable PC Gaming Desk

4

Best Gaming Desk

?239.99 at Amazon

Thermaltake Ikea Utespelare

2

Best L-Shaped PC Gaming Desk

?150.00 at IKEA

Secretlab Magnus Pro

2

Best RGB Gaming Desk

See it at Secretlab

Lian-Li DK-05F Desk

12

Best PC Gaming Desk

?1,949.99 at Overclockers

Michelle Rae Uy is a freelance tech and travel writer, part-time production editor, and a full-time traveler from Los Angeles, California. She currently splits her time between Los Angeles, London and the rest of the world. Follow her on Instagram @straywithRae.

Danielle Abraham is a freelance writer and unpaid music historian.

Image Credit: Annalee Tsujino is a multi disciplinary designer and illustrator. Check them out on Instagram @antsu_illustrations.