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. This is the thing: the Secretlab Magnus Pro XL requires some added expense to make it as sleek an experience as it should be.

That depends on what you class as a 'gaming desk.' Indeed, it's worth having a dedicated desk upon which to have your monitor and keyboard, and mouse, from an ergonomic point of view at the very least. Balancing your kit on top of a chest of drawers where you can't get your feet under is terrible for your posture, and sitting at a dining room table isn't going to help either. There has been a lot of talk recently about how our increasingly sedentary lifestyle can harm our health. And if you sit down for much of your working day and then sit down to enjoy your favorite games for hours on end in the evening, then chances are that you're not going to be moving around that much, which is bad.There are multiple gaming desk sizes, mostly around 60 x 30 inches, with 40 x 30 inches as another popular size. Which you prefer will largely depend on how much space you have and how many monitors you want to stand atop it. Is a gaming desk worth it? Though, once it's set up, that's not an issue and means it's an impressively sturdy solution at each of its 11-height settings. We've been able to run a pair of monitors on the top section with the extended lower section ideal for a mouse and keyboard. Okay, 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. 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 I 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. It took me an hour to put together by myself, and the instructions weren't worded all that well—asking me to simply get it in the "proper position"—and the illustrations didn't help at all, so I had to really pause to think about which holes went where. The alignment wasn't as accurate as I would have liked either, but despite some of the screws having gone in at a slight angle it's now finally together and stands mightily in my spare room.

I really am impressed with what the Magnus Pro XL offers, as it's much more than anything I had expected from a desk previously. I'm now firmly in the camp that a desk should be absolutely massive. The Magnus Pro XL is the largest desk I've ever used personally, having only recently found the space for such a behemoth, coming in at 177cm x 80cm. This is also the heaviest desk I've ever had to move solo by far, at 32.9kg for the desk 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. Ultimately I have to ask myself would I be happy with this desk if I'd paid that sort of sum for it? And, yes, I would. Though it is a definite luxury to be able to allocate that much of your budget to a component in no way connected to the performance of your gaming PC. The main reason I feel it worth doing is more because I feel I fit into a group of people most likely to benefit from an investment in a high quality sit/stand desk alongside an ergonomic gaming chair: those that work primarily from home.

The Flexispot EN1B may not have the catchiest name here, but it makes for an impressively sturdy, motorized adjustable desk for anyone looking to upgrade their home/gaming/office setup. And it will do it all at a reasonable price.

But that's what makes this the Magnus ProXL: the desk's adjustable sit/stand functionality. The standard Magnus doesn't offer this. The Magnus Pro XL is capable of lifting 120kg in gross weight (87.1kg if you subtract the weight of the metal desk itself) up to a height of 125cm. It sits only 65cm off the ground at its lowest. Thing is sturdy, and can take the weight of a big ass PC, as well as a full grown adult (don't get any ideas). When working from home a standing desk is a seriously useful piece of kit. Not only can you use it to help give your day some variety with the sitting and then the aforementioned standing, but they also provide options in other ways. Changing the height can make it easier to fit storage like draws, or even perhaps your weirdly huge tower PC, underneath your desk. I've been sold on the standing desk life for a while now, and a carbon negative one like what the Fnatic x ChopValue(opens in new tab)Collaboration is definitely worth giving a look to. The Flexispot supports heights from 71cm (27.8in) up to 121cm (47.6in), which should have you covered for all comfortable sitting and standing setups. The control panel can hold three different height profiles in its memory banks and moves smoothly between them. Or you can set your height manually, with the current level shown on the three-digit display. It's classic Lian Li, too, by which I mean my fingers were striped with bloody slices once the chassis-on-legs were built. There were also some misaligned screw holes on my review sample, though that has not impacted its impressive solidity. In the end, even with a couple of monitors mounted directly on the desktop, it's a robust desktop, even at its full height.It's also one of the simplest ways to get yourself a standing desk; 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. There are a good few options to mix and match the worktop and desk frame, though the UK options are a little more limited. You may not want to replace your office furniture completely—or even be able to if it's not yours—which makes a converter, such as VariDesk's Pro Plus range, a great option. The Pro Plus is available in different sizes, can sit atop most desktops, and immediately allows you to switch from sitting to standing.

The Walnut top is polished to perfection, the corners have a gorgeous curve to them, and the edge is rounded just enough that it doesn't feel sharp to rest your wrists on. Larger desks also often have storage for all your work stuff, so you don’t have to look at that mess all the time. And another great thing: you often get more legroom if the desk is larger. Quite a benefit if you’re spending many and long hours behind it. Smart solutions and great gadgetsThe one accessory I really do think is 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 it offers sprawling reach for both the 28-inch and 32-inch monitors I've got in right now. But specific gaming desks can be helpful in that they may have cable routing for your peripherals and power leads and may even have an entire mouse mat surface across it.RGB on a gaming desk? Now, that's probably not worth it. Do I need a sitting/standing desk? Also, ask yourself how much real estate you need for your gaming monitors. Should you take our recommendation to pop your PC on it, away from the dusty floor, you have to know if there will be enough space to move your gaming mouse beside one of the best gaming keyboards. But that doesn't necessarily mean you need a standing desk because purely standing all day and night isn't good for you either. Movement is key, so even if you have a sitting desk, you can remain healthy by regularly shifting position and getting up out of your seat often.