How to Build a Gaming Computer Desk

Whether you’re setting up a dedicated gaming station or upgrading your home office, a custom-built desk is one of the most rewarding woodworking projects you can take on. This modern industrial gaming desk features a solid wood top, built-in storage drawers, a monitor shelf, and LED accent lighting — all at a fraction of the cost of retail options.

This tutorial walks you through every step of the build. Printable plans, a full materials list, and a cut list are available over at Kreg.

Watch the YouTube Tutorial

What Makes a Gaming Desk Different from a Regular Desk?

A gaming desk isn’t dramatically different from a standard office desk — but there are a few key design considerations:

• Length: Gaming setups typically require more surface area to accommodate extended mousepads, dual monitors, and a PC tower sitting on top of the desk.
• Monitor shelf: Raising the monitor to eye level reduces neck strain and frees up keyboard space underneath.
• Cable and lighting management: Many gaming PCs feature RGB lighting that users want to show off, so open desk designs and LED accents complement the setup nicely.

This desk is designed with all of those needs in mind — but it’s equally functional as a standard home office desk if gaming isn’t your thing.

Tools & Materials

Before diving in, note that this build uses rough-cut knotty alder that is milled down to dimensional sizing. If you don’t have milling equipment, dimensional pine works perfectly as a substitute and is widely available at any home improvement store.

Find the complete materials list and cut list on the Kreg plans page.

Step 1: Build the Desktop

Start by cutting all desktop boards to just over 60″ long. Glue the boards together and clamp them tightly. If your edges are clean and square, glue alone is sufficient — but you can also add pocket joinery for extra strength.

Let the glue dry overnight. Then use a track saw or a tool like the Kreg Adaptive Cutting System (ACS) to square up the edges and trim the desktop to its final dimensions.

Filling knots with epoxy: If you’re using knotty alder or pine, fill any knots with epoxy tinted with black acrylic paint. This creates a smooth, flat surface — important for writing or using a mousepad directly on the desktop.

Once the epoxy is fully cured, sand the desktop starting with 80-grit on a belt sander, then finish with an orbital sander up to 220-grit for a smooth final surface.

Step 2: Build the Side Panels

Each side panel is made from five 1×6 boards. Before drilling, lay all boards flat and mark your pocket hole locations — this helps you avoid placing holes over knots.

Drill ¾” pocket holes into the sides of each board, then glue and assemble the panels using 1¼” pocket screws. Once assembled, drill ¾” pocket holes into the top edges so the panels can be attached to the desktop later.

Squaring the panels: Use your ACS or track saw to square up and trim the panels to final size.

Front edge trim: The drawers sit flush with the front edge of the desktop, so the front of each side panel must be ¾” narrower than the desktop depth. Measure your desktop depth, subtract ¾”, and that’s your side panel width (approximately 26¾”).

Rabbeted groove: To allow the cabinet back to sit inset and flush with the rear edge, use a router fitted with a rabbeting bit to cut a groove that is ¼” deep × ½” wide along the back inside edge of each side panel.

Step 3: Build the Cabinet

Cut the cabinet bottom from ¾” Baltic birch plywood. Drill ¾” pocket holes into the long ends and attach it to the side panels using wood glue and 1¼” pocket screws.

For the back panel, cut a piece of ¼” Baltic birch and secure it with wood glue and ¾” narrow crown staples (brad nails work too).

Step 4: Attach the Hairpin Legs

The open end of the desk uses 28″ hairpin legs for a clean industrial look that avoids the visual bulk of traditional wooden legs.

Attach the legs 1″ in from each edge. Drill 3/32″ pilot holes first, then fasten with the included screws. It’s easiest to attach the hairpin legs before joining the cabinet to the desktop.

Step 5: Build and Attach the Cabinet Legs

The cabinet end uses 4×4 legs, cut to 4″ in length. Attach them flush with the corners of the cabinet using wood glue and 2½” wood screws.

Pro tip: Lightly round off the bottom corners of each leg with sandpaper. This small detail helps prevent chipping and splintering as the desk gets daily use.

Step 6: Attach the Cabinet to the Desktop

Run a bead of wood glue along the top edges of the cabinet sides. Position the cabinet so the outside face is flush with the edge of the desktop. Clamp firmly, then drive 1¼” pocket screws through the pre-drilled holes in the top edges of the side panels.

Step 7: Build and Attach the Monitor Shelf

Attach two 1×6 boards together with wood glue and 1¼” pocket screws to form the shelf surface. Build the 4″ vertical risers the same way, then drill ¾” pocket holes in their top edges.

Positioning the shelf:

1. Clamp the shelf to the desktop, 4″ in from the left side.
2. Mark the location of the vertical pieces and where they end (10″ in from the back edge).
3. Use a square to draw reference lines on the underside of the desktop.
4. Drill pilot holes and attach the shelf using 3″ wood screws.

The shelf raises your monitor to a comfortable viewing height and creates a natural space for a keyboard and mousepad to slide underneath.

Step 8: Finish the Desk

Apply your preferred stain or paint. For the look shown here, use Varathane Provincial stain followed by four coats of Minwax wipe-on polyurethane, sanding lightly between coats for a durable, smooth finish.

Allow the finish to cure fully before moving to drawer installation.

Step 9: Install the Drawers and Drawer Faces

Install 18″ side-mount drawer slides using a drawer slide installation jig (such as the Kreg drawer slide jig) for accurate, level placement.

Installing drawer faces:

1. Pre-drill hardware holes in the drawer faces only.
2. Position the faces on the cabinet front. Use stacked playing cards (~1/8″) as spacers to ensure even gaps between drawers.
3. Drive 1¼” screws through the pre-drilled holes into the drawer boxes to tack the faces in place.
4. Pull the drawers out and drive additional screws from inside the drawer box to fully secure the faces.
5. Finish drilling through the hardware holes and attach your drawer pulls. With ¾” drawer fronts, you’ll likely need 1¾” #8 machine screws for the hardware.

Step 10: Add LED Lighting

LED strip lights are an easy way to add atmosphere to a gaming setup. TV backlight LED strips (available for around $15–$25 online) work perfectly here — they come in ~20″ segments that connect together, so two segments fit neatly under the monitor shelf.

The strips have an adhesive backing — simply peel and stick them to the underside of the shelf. They typically power via USB, so either plug into a nearby USB port or use a power strip with USB outlets to keep things tidy.

Finished Gaming Computer Desk

This build delivers a desk that’s functional, good-looking, and completely customizable. The combination of solid wood, hairpin legs, and LED lighting gives it a modern industrial aesthetic that works just as well in a home office as it does in a gaming setup.

Ready to build? Grab the free printable plans — including the full materials list and cut list — over at Kreg.

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