Amazingly innovative. That's how I would sum up the Secretlab Magnus Pro XL. I've never really asked for much from a gaming desk. I just wanted a flat surface to put my monitor, keyboard, and mouse on, and I was thoroughly impressed with the Magnus Pro XL.

I am now of the school that a desk should be absolutely enormous. The Magnus Pro XL is the largest desk I have personally ever used, having only recently found room for a massive 177cm x 80cm desk. It is also the heaviest desk I have ever moved alone, weighing 32.9 kg. This is partly due to the fact that the Magnus Pro XL's frame is made almost entirely of metal, but the two attached motors (one built into each leg) add a lot of mass to the equation.

The exact weight of the fully assembled desk, including accessories, is not known, but the two boxes containing the Magnus Pro XL (with the Magpad desk mat but no other accessories) together weigh 77.8 kg (171.5 lbs).

But that is exactly what makes the Magnus Pro XL the Magnus Pro XL. The standard Magnus does not have this; the Magnus Pro XL can lift a total weight of 120 kg (87.1 kg if the weight of the metal desk itself is subtracted) to a height of 125 cm. Even in its lowest position, it is only 65 cm off the ground.

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To control Magnus, there is a control panel built into the front right side of the desk. It is very easy to use. You can pre-program three heights to one of the three hotkeys on the desk for quick adjustments, or you can tap the up and down arrows manually for a little more fine control. You can also manually tap the up/down arrows for more fine control. The best feature, however, is the on/off switch, which prevents the desk from moving at all, even if you accidentally bump your butt or tap it with your hand.

The sit/stand function of the Magnus Pro XL is simply one of the best. The motor is whisper quiet and runs on liquid action. The gradual stop means that when adjusting something on the desk, even a cup of coffee or a glass of water, you don't have to worry that the shaking will stop you.

Another thing I've come to re-evaluate since the Magnus XL is how a desk should handle cable management, and one of the most striking things about Secretlab's Magnus Pro XL is how sharp and clean the PC setup looks. I mean, I'm not saying this because I have very few cables, but because I have a lot of cables. This is not because I have fewer cables, but because of the Magnus Pro XL's clever magnetic cable management accessory and separate cable tray. These cables hide my glut of USB, audio, and power cables from view.

One of my favorites is the compact Cable Tidy. It's a small hunk of metal with a few strong magnets inside that hold the cables in place. This is especially helpful for my stack of audio devices, including DACs, amplifiers, and microphone interfaces. These front ports usually cause cables to stick out toward the keyboard, but I use one magnetic cable organizer to neatly shift the cables to the side.

However, these magnetic cable ties are not included with the desk itself and can be purchased for $25 for a set of three or $49 for a set of three, along with two cable management sheaths and one bundle of securing straps. If, like me, you already have a lot of Velcro cable ties, I recommend purchasing the three cable organizers separately.

The Secret Labs Magnus Pro XL requires some additional expense to achieve its original smart use.

When storing a PC under a desk, it is recommended that the DisplayPort, HDMI, and USB cables be long enough to accommodate the sitting and standing position of the desk. This is easier said than done, and I had to purchase a new 3 meter DisplayPort cable and USB upstream cable to deal with it.

If that's not what you want, consider mounting your PC to your desk or the Secretlab PC mount ($89). This means it can be moved up and down with the rest of the desk without worrying about cable routing. The maximum load for the kit is 15 kg, and the case alone (without components) weighs 14.53 kg.

Other items to consider are the MagRGB Smart Lighting Edition lighting strips ($79) and magnetic headphone hangers ($29). I especially like the rugged, flexible feel of the lighting strip, which delivers RGB goodness tuned by Nanoleaf. 6]

An accessory that I think is really worth the investment is the dual monitor arm. This is a single unit that sits between the hinged cover and the desk itself to hold it securely to the desk, providing a wide reach for both my current 28" and 32" monitors. It is adjustable with a couple of turns of the included tool, and can easily be switched from sitting to standing when transitioning from sitting to standing. However, this accessory costs $249.

None of these accessories are absolutely necessary, but they certainly make this desk worth its price: $949 for the Magnus Pro XL alone means that the all-in setup I am using for this review would cost over $1,000 That would be in excess of $1,000. Nevertheless, it is definitely a luxury to be able to devote so much of your budget to components that have nothing to do with the performance of your gaming PC. Rather, it is because I feel that I fall into the group of people who are most likely to benefit from an investment in a high-quality sit/stand desk alongside an ergonomic gaming chair.

The option to change workspaces at the touch of a button is more valuable to me than, for example, someone who uses this desk primarily to play games in the evening after work. If this functionality is not to your liking, many of the best features of the Magnus Pro XL are equally available in the Magnus, which is more than $350 cheaper.

Also, don't ignore the fact that there are many motorized sit/stand desks out there for about the same price as the non-motorized Magnus. These Secretlab models pay for attention to detail and clever design, and for that they are firmly rooted in the premium market.

That said, I was really impressed with what the Magnus Pro XL offers. To turn a sheet of metal into a clever combination of cable management and functionality, offering both function and form, is impressive. I didn't expect to be more than a little taken aback by the desk, but here I am, and I am.