Ease of Building
8.5/10
Overall Quality
10/10
Peripherals
10/10
Packaging
10/10
Work and Play Value
10/10
The only section with points knocked off was Ease of Building - and that's purely because of Magpad installation. Once you get it lined up, though, it all (literally) falls into place - read on to find out why we love this desk!
Full disclosure: We were given this desk for free as part of Wowhead's help in promoting Secretlab's new Diablo IV MAGNUS Pro, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Wowhead will receive a commission on any desks or peripherals purchased via the links herein.
Purchase the Secretlab x Diablo MAGNUS Pro Desk
Unboxing the Build
First impressions are important - and the MAGNUS Pro makes a huge one. This desk setup came with a whopping five boxes: two for the desk itself, one for the monitor arms, and two for the peripherals (of which the Diablo-specific Magpad desk mat counts as).
The boxes aren't exactly dainty either - they do need to hold a full desk topper after all - but that's a good thing because it means each desk will arrive in fantastic condition. The desk was so well packaged that I watched it be physically dropped off the back of a truck as it was being delivered, and not a single mark was found on it once it was opened!
Getting the boxes inside your home might be the hardest part of this entire build. Each of the boxes is packed with custom-fit packaging that makes getting everything out of the box a breeze. One of the complaints I've had about previous deliveries I've had is just how difficult it is to get to the thing I'm trying to get out of the box - that's not an issue here.
Overly-curious cat helper for scale. Box rated as a 10/10 for scratch-ability and cardboard crunch!
You get everything you need for every piece that you order. No searching around for a screwdriver in a junk drawer, no scrambling for nuts and bolts - Secretlab sends every bit in perfect packaging, with extras to boot.
The Build
One thing to keep in mind as you unbox your treasures - the instructions for the MAGNUS Pro desk assembly state that you should have two people to finish things safely. This desk is heavy - the instructions don't lie. The desk delivered to me was the MAGNUS Pro XL, which is the heavier of the two Pro standing desks, and the top alone weighed over 70 pounds. Thankfully, with a little help, the heaviest part of the build was done in basically the first two steps.
The assembly of the desk itself took less than 10 minutes, which for a standing desk is incredible. My old standing desk took over an hour to assemble, and took quite a lot of fiddling to get things working properly.
The legs attach incredibly quickly and easily to the desk top, and flipping it from the floor upright was only a few seconds of concern.
Even better was the surprise at how easy getting wires set up was. I'm permanently hopeless at cable management, but the way the MAGNUS Pro is designed, you don't have to be good at it - you just plug and play. The tray at the back of the desk is deep and wide enough for a full surge protector, meaning everything will be protected without wires everywhere, and the Diablo Edition Cable Management Bundle took care of the rest that can't neatly fit in the channel: everything has a place, and Secretlab thought of everything.
The only thing to note as out of the norm about this build: if you set everything up, plug the desk in (with the integrated outlet in the leg, which is incredible), and you can't calibrate it because it seems like the desk is dead - don't panic! This happened on my desk, and your desk is not in fact DOA; there's just a loose wire. Under the desk in the center bar, there's a panel that the instructions don't send you to; sometimes, during transit, wires can shake loose in the power supply. Just reconnect everything (particularly the red wire, which was my specific problem) and your desk will turn right on!
The Peripherals
At this point in the build, shipping had separated some of my peripherals, so I was waiting on the Diablo-branded desk mat. The desk was too tempting to wait on, though, so on to building the monitor arms it went!
Like the desk, the arm assembly was a breeze: in less than five minutes, they were ready to go for my monitors. I was initially a little worried about how any monitor arms would fit because of the cable management tray on the back of the desk, but the MAGNUS monitor arms are specially designed for the MAGNUS Pro desks.
The arms are incredibly easy to maneuver, and feel fantastically sturdy - other monitor arms I'd had in the past always made me worry about the weight of my monitors, but not these. The tensile springs make for easy adjustment, and the magnetic cable holders allow the arms to be as clutter-free as the rest of the desk (I'll never go back to manually routing wires again).
The final touch was the Diablo Cable Management Bundle - more magnetic cable management channels to take care of the last straggler wires under the desk. It's such a small detail, but pairing the cable sheaths with the theme of the desk is one of those finishing touches that just makes everything feel better overall.
Once the monitors were set up, there was nothing to do except wait for the Magpad desk mat to arrive. That took an extra week, and while I was anxious to see the incredible Diablo deskmat in person, I just had to wait and get used to the desk.
Thankfully, the desk, even without a desk mat, is incredible. With a sit-stand desk, you often run into problems - some have motors that burn out easily, others are loud when you adjust the height, and then there's the ever-present issue of wires getting strained and pulled taut while transitioning to standing height. The MAGNUS Pro has none of those issues.
First, the motors: you won't run into any issues with this desk burning out, and that's an incredible feat given how heavy-duty it is - there's a lot of weight to move every time you want to make an adjustment. The motors are tested and ready for 20,000 cycles according to Secretlab, so you can stretch out and sit down as often as you want with no worries. Along with that, they're whisper-quiet, so no loud adjustments during work-from-home or Discord calls.
Second, and more importantly, the cable management system on the MAGNUS Pro almost completely eliminates worries about wires stretching and pulling taut during adjustments. Moving the wires into the cable management channel not only keeps your desk looking clean but also removes failure points for adjustments. My previous sit-stand desk had none of those features, and after one too many disastrous adjustments, it was relegated to a sit-not-stand desk. The MAGNUS Pro has let me stand whenever I want with no problems - and the size of the desk allows for a work buddy to come along for the ride!
The Magpad
Finally, the last bit of the desk arrived: the Diablo desk topper Magpad. The MAGNUS Pro desks have personalization options in the form of Magpads, which are, well, magnetic pads that top the desk. There are tons of different choices, from favorite franchises to plain colors, but this one specifically is straight from the high heavens.
I was shocked at how the pad felt - it's a lovely leatherette that can double as a mousepad itself, so no need for desk mats on top of it (which is fantastic, because who would want to cover it up). That said, this was a bit more difficult to assemble than the rest of the desk. Sliding the magpad into the securing slide bars can be difficult, but actually lining it up on the desk is a bit tougher. It took a few tries to get things ironed out perfectly, because once it's down, it is not moving - there's no risk of these magpads slipping, because the magnetic backing will absolutely secure them in place. Once you get them settled, though, they're truly stunning.
I love the small details, from the stitching to the design, but note for anyone who sits on the left side of the desk that the Blizzard tag may be a small annoyance. Overall, though, these are nothing but incredibly small nitpicks - as a whole, the Diablo MAGNUS Pro desk is an incredible value for those looking to work or play on a sturdy desk while also having the capability to sit, stand, and organize everything involved.
Purchase the Secretlab x Diablo MAGNUS Pro Desk
