Best gaming desk 2023

Finding the best gaming desk for your space helps to elevate the experiences you have at your PC, both in terms of aesthetics and ergonomics. To save you the trouble of taking a chance on a surface that might not be the right fit, we’ve put together our picks of the best desks for gaming across the price and RGB spectrum.

In addition to cost, both the size and strength of your next potential gaming desk are equally important considerations that should inform your purchasing decisions. The number of height-adjustable surfaces, otherwise known as standing desks, has also grown in recent years, but this extra functionality obviously carries a higher price.

Here are the best gaming desks in 2023:

1. Secretlab Magnus – best gaming desk for most people
2. Ikea Utespelare – best budget gaming desk
3. Herman Miller Motia Gaming – best premium gaming desk
4. Flexispot E2 – best budget standing gaming desk
5. Lian Li DK-04F – best compact gaming desk

1. Secretlab Magnus

The best gaming desk for most people.

Pros:

• Supports up to 220lb / 100kg of weight
• Excellent cable management
• Five-year warranty

Cons:

• Very heavy
• Little room for height adjustments
• Accessories can quickly inflate price

The Secretlab Magnus packs just about everything you could want into a gaming desk, boasting the same degree of high-quality construction as its Titan Evo gaming chairs. While its frame and top are heavy, making the Magnus somewhat unwieldy to put together by yourself, it’s this heft that gives it the ability to support a whopping 220lb / 100kg worth of weight.

It’s as smart as it is strong, too, both in terms of style and features. Every Secretlab Magnus has a built-in cable management system, saving you from the eyesore of cable spaghetti and giving your setup a clean look. There are a multitude of accessories that can further enhance the capabilities of the desk, but they are fairly pricey and aren’t a necessary purchase by any means.

A height-adjustable version is available, in the form of the Secretlab Magnus Pro and Pro XL, but both naturally carry a higher price.

2. Ikea Utespelare

The best budget gaming desk.

Pros:

• Included sizeable cable management tray
• 12cm of height adjustment
• Metallic mesh back to assist airflow

Cons:

• Needs regular wipe downs to avoid fingerprint build up
• Only supports up to 110lb / 50kg of weight
• Three year warranty

You don’t need to splash a big sum of cash to find a good value gaming desk, and the Ikea Utespelare is evidence of just that. Costing just $270 / £150, it’s surprisingly versatile, arriving with an included mesh cable tray and a height adjustment range of 12cm.

Naturally, given its budget-leaning price, the desk itself is made of cheaper but nonetheless rigid particleboard topped with melamine foil. Given how quickly fingerprints can accumulate on it, you’ll want to cover it with a large gaming mat to avoid needing to regularly wipe it down.

3. Herman Miller Motia Gaming

The best premium gaming desk.

Pros:

• 48cm of adjustable height
• Holds up to 250lb / 113kg of weight
• 12-year warranty

Cons:

• Tolerable but noticeable wobble at maximum height
• Limited monitor arm support due to cable hider design
• Expensive

Sitting or standing in front of the Herman Miller Motia Gaming Desk provides a luxurious experience that few, if any, competitors can come close to. It both looks and feels the part of a premium worktop, with ergonomic expertise to boot, with 48cm of adjustable height. It even comes with a built-in collision sensor for extra piece of mind.

While its 12-year warranty should also ease any anxieties of spending $1,345, you are certainly paying a premium here for the Herman Miller branding. The Motia does, unfortunately, also have a few minor weaknesses, namely its limited monitor arm support and noticeable wobble when it’s set to its maximum height of 117cm.

4. Flexispot E2

The best budget gaming standing desk.

Pros:

• 50cm of adjustable height
• Several worktop materials, sizes, and prices available
• Frame can be ordered by itself

Cons:

• Meager cable management option
• Customization can quickly inflate the price
• Three-year warranty

As the popularity of standing desks grow, the cost of entry level models similarly fall, and our favorite of the bunch is the Flexispot E2. Rather than opt for a one-size-fits-all approach, Flexispot instead offers a variety of worktop materials with the E2, as well as selling the frame by itself, all in the service of letting you build the ideal desk for your budget.

Naturally, as a cheaper option, niceties such as cable management are something of an afterthought. You’ll want to watch the price of the Flexispot E2 as well, as you customize it, as while it may start at $310, it can cost much more. You’re also only covered with a three-year warranty, compared to the longer periods offered by more expensive options.

5. Lian Li DK-04F

The best compact gaming desk.

Pros:

• 100cm wide
• Arrives pre-assembled
• Removes the need for a PC case

Cons:

• Costs just shy of $1,600 / £1,600
• Only certain component heights supported
• Requires internal and external upkeep

Given its small form factor, at 100cm wide, the Lian Li DK-04F should easily fit into most spaces you’d want to put a gaming desk in. Better still, it’s both stealthy and small, giving you the option to house your gaming desk beneath its glass worktop.

To be clear, awesome as this feature is, building a PC in a unique form factor naturally comes with its own challenges, supported component heights aside. Thankfully, the difficulty of constructing the desk itself isn’t something you’ll need to consider, as Lian Li are kind enough to ship the DK-04F pre-assembled.

How we chose the best gaming desks

We put this list together by drawing on decades of gaming experience, considering the strengths and weaknesses of different desk types, and comparing them against the needs of different PC gamers. Some key considerations included:

• Pricing: We want to include options for all budgets
• Size: Everyone has a different amount of space available for their desk
• Weight limitations: How heavy is your setup? We included desks that can hold a range of different weights
• Aesthetics: Your gaming space is your sanctuary, and you want it to look just right for your personal de-stressing space

What are the benefits of a gaming desk?

If you’ve already got an office desk, you might be wondering whether you need one of the best gaming desks instead. The answer isn’t always obvious.

If you’re currently gaming on your dining table or sit on your sofa, then investing in a dedicated gaming desk will be worth having it so that you can create an ergonomic setup with all of your gaming hardware.

However, if you have a good office desk already, don’t really want to spend a lot more money, or it isn’t yours to replace, you might just be able to pimp it up with a decent mouse pad or some RGB strip lights.

What to look for in the best gaming desk

Material: The construction of the table-top is an important consideration. If you’re going to be using monitor or microphone clamps, or may in the future, you’ll want a wood or metal – clamps and glass desks don’t mix.

Cable management: You definitely don’t want to miss cable management solutions such as nets, trays for power strips, or grommets, as they all help to keep your whole setup tidy – don’t worry, all the desks listed here have that convenience.

Size: We’ve listed the dimensions of all the desks in our guide, as it’s a very important factor for choosing the best gaming desk for you. There are a wide variety of sizes, so it’s best to consider the space you have and how many monitors and peripherals you want to stand on top of it.

Do I need a height-adjustable gaming desk?

If you spend extended hours at your PC, it might be worth stretching your budget for a height-adjustable gaming desk. A standing desk can help you avoid developing a bad posture, as it allows you to alternate between standing and sitting throughout the day. We know that being sedentary for too long is harmful to our health, so being able to move around and continue gaming can only be a good thing.

How much weight can a gaming desk hold?

Naturally, gaming setups are as heavy as they are elaborate, especially if you’re going for a triple monitor configuration. So, before investing in a new surface, it’s important to calculate exactly how much weight you need your desk to bear. Specialist gaming desks are usually designed to hold their ground when it comes to heavy equipment, with options like the Secretlab Magnus handling around 100kg.