Any desk or simple table from a surplus store might work for your gaming PC setup. But bear in mind that your gaming desk isn’t just going to house the rig you’ve spent good money on, as it’s also where you’ll spend lots of hours. By going for a basic, cheap option, you’re risking both your gear and well-being. That’s why finding a capable gaming desk that works for your budget and needs is essential.
Beyond considering the quality of materials, durability, dimensions, and desk surface area of great gaming desks, there are details most people, even gamers, probably don’t think about. Ergonomics, weight limit, height adjustability, and modularity are all important features to keep in mind depending on the type of setup you’re looking for. And that’s without mentioning extra frills like RGB lighting, a cable management system, and charging ports.
So, we’ve considered all that to bring you a selection of gaming desks to take your battle station to the next level. Here are our top picks – and click here to find them in the UK.
TL;DR – These are the Best Gaming Desks:
- Cooler Master GD160
- Ikea Utespelare
- Mojo Standing Desk Gamer Pro
- Thermaltake ToughDesk 500L RGB Battlestation
- Uplift V2 4-Leg Standing Desk
- Thermaltake ToughDesk 300 RGB
- Secretlab Magnus Pro
- Cougar E-Mars
- Lian Li DK-05F
- FlexiSpot EC1 Adjustable Standing Desk
Cooler Master GD160
Best Gaming Desk
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 $350, it 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 rests a massive desktop on it, which can easily house a multiple 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 even covered in a water-resistant mouse pad, ensuring your gaming mouse glides around with ease while also improving tracking precision. And though you can’t get this desk all the way up to standing, there is some slight adjustability for sitting, letting it go between three different heights from 28 and 31.1 inches.
Ikea Utespelare
Best Budget Gaming Desk
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. It was even made in collaboration with ROG (Republic of Gamers), so you can rest assured that a lot of thought went into the design. 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 under $300, it doesn’t need to.
Don’t worry, 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, you’ll appreciate the metal mesh at the back for ventilation and a 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 for the perfect seated position.
Mojo Standing Desk Gamer Pro
Best Modular Gaming Desk
What’s not to love about the Mojo Standing Desk Gamer Pro? Well, maybe the $1,000 price tag, but with it comes the signature standing desk and vital accessories (a cable management system, monitor arm, and a CPU tower hanger) that are all so brilliant it’s hard to find fault. The robust frame won’t wobble, while a simple-to-use control panel and quiet dual motors let you raise and lower the desk.
Now, standing is cool sometimes, but we all probably prefer to sit down most of the time when gaming, so thoughtful details, like a water-and-scratch-proof tabletop with a matte lux finish for smooth mouse gliding and precision tracking is very welcome. You also get 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) also mean you can open up more desk space for other accessories—maybe some with RGB lighting since there is non on the desk.
Thermaltake ToughDesk 500L RGB Battlestation
Best L-Shaped PC Gaming Desk
Built like a tank, the L-shaped ToughDesk 500L truly is a battle station, as it can hold up a full-sized adult thanks to its steel frame and massive desktop surface. Its L-shape means you get an extra side desk to play around with, while that large surface area is still no match for the three motors to easily bring the desk from sitting to standing. And that’s done literally with just the push of a button, as the controller can store up to four height settings.
Beyond its impressive surface area, the ToughDesk 500L is built with gamers in mind, from more 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 the incorporation of a mouse pad, and it’s big, covering the surface area of both the main and side desks. Just be prepared to shell out about $1,500 for all this capability.
Uplift V2 4-Leg Standing Desk
Best High-Performance PC Gaming Desk
Uplift’s desks are extremely customizable from the start, and we’re not just talking about add-ons here. More specifically, you’ll have a wealth of choices for desktop material, color, size and style, frame color and type, keypad, and even grommet covers, meaning you can make it your own before you hit buy. 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.
For starters, the V2 4-Leg Standing Desk includes a whopping 535-pound maximum load for the most robust setup full of monitors of peripherals. Unlike the other gaming desks on this list, it’ll never break a sweat when lifting everything thanks to its 4-leg system with a motor for 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.
Thermaltake ToughDesk 300 RGB
Best Standing Desk for Gaming
The Thermaltake ToughDesk 300 RGB offers loads of fun features, with one in particular that takes the cake, its standing desk functionality. With a gentle tap on the six-button controller, you can quietly adjust the desk’s height anywhere from 27.5 to 43.3 inches, so it’s at the level perfect for your comfort. It even displays the height your desk surface is at and can store up to four different height settings to memory, making it simple for your whole setup to go from standing to sitting when your legs need a break.
There’s plenty more to the ToughDesk, starting with a massive mouse pad that goes across the entire tabletop surface to help your mouse glide with ease and precise tracking. That mousepad’s edge is wrapped in customizable RGB lighting and can sync with other Thermaltake peripherals, letting your desk really shine. While a cable management system helps keep clutter to a minimum, so you can focus on your games’ action.
Secretlab Magnus Pro
Best RGB Gaming Desk
Secretlab’s Magnus Pro gaming desk is undeniably unique thanks to its use of a magnetic ecosystem in its design, making it simple to add extras 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, right before the cable tray. From there, this Nanoleaf-powered strip shines, offering tons of custom lighting effects and 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, while a steel chassis ensures it can hold even the heftiest gaming setups—we’re talking up 265 pounds. With just the tap of a button on the built-in control panel, the desk's height adjusts, letting a motor do the work to find your ideal position, whether sitting or standing. And to make your life even easier is an integrated power supply in the left leg of the desk and a socket, letting you power your devices while keeping cable clutter to a minimum.
Cougar E-Mars
Best Connected Gaming Desk
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, keeping things organized and easy to reach.
It doesn’t stop with connectivity, as the Cougar E-Mars is also ergonomically inclined with the desktop’s curved edges and rounded corners, as well as dual electric motors for height adjustments from sitting to standing. You can even store up to four height adjustments in memory. Finally, 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.
Lian Li DK-05F
Best Gaming PC Desk
How about a desk and PC in one? The Lian Li DK-05 looks like a traditional desk, but tucked inside are essentially two computer cases capable of storing two E-ATX-sized motherboards and all the components you need for a worthy battle station. You get four removable drive trays, a removable fan/radiator bracket, and water-cooling support, while trays housing the motherboards are also removable for easy swapping of components.
Now, the Lian Li DK-05 isn’t just your basic desk that happens to house a PC, as a motor lets you adjust its height from 27 to 46 inches for a comfortable position sitting or standing. Beyond changing desk height, that control panel offers physical buttons on the desk for power, fan settings, and RGB settings—with seven modes to cycle through—along with all the ports you could want on a computer. There’s even a button for the tempered glass table top to change it from opaque to transparent, letting you show off your PC's epic internals.
FlexiSpot EC1 Adjustable Height Desk
Best Compact Gaming Desk
When you’re tight on space, a smaller option, like the FlexiSpot Standard Standing Desk can help minimize your footprint while providing ample surface area for work and play. Its 40 by 24-inch model can easily hold a monitor along with all your other peripherals. And the desk remains durable and stable for such a petite size, thanks to its steel frame and solid chipboard desktop that support up to 154 pounds.
Sure, the FlexiSpot Standard Standing Desk is much more stripped down than other options on the list, so you won’t find any RGB lighting or fancy cable management solutions. But considering that it will set you back just $250, it offers quite a lot for what you’re paying. You even get adjustability, as using a basic controller, motors will 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.
Where to Get the Best Gaming Desks in the UK
There's nothing better than sitting at a nice desk and feeling comfortable while you game. A dedicated gaming desk is perfect for anyone who's looking to find the right space to kick back, relax, and play some amazing video games. Unfortunately, not all of the desks available in the US can also be purchased in the UK, but there are still a few to choose from.
What to Look For in a Gaming Desk
If you haven’t owned a gaming desk before and this is your first time buying, don’t worry. It shouldn’t be hard to find the ideal one for you. There are a lot of options out there, starting with our recommendations above, and choosing one should be easy as long as you know what you want out of yours.
That’s the first step here. Know what it is you want to get out of your gaming desk. After all, 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. So, 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 an intricate setup that altogether weighs more than 300 pounds.
Just bear in mind that even then, there are still things to consider. How much surface area do you need and how much room do you have? Do you want something with an adjustable height or are you happy with a one-height-fits-all setup? Are you hoping to expand your setup and need a modular desk with accessories on offer that you can purchase later on.
Think about the quality of materials as well. If you’re buying a glass top one, 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, you’re not just looking for build, price, and features here. You want to pay close attention to the size, height, materials, ergonomics, and expandability as well. When you do, you’re guaranteed to take home the perfect desk for you.
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.
