Secretlab’s Magnus desk is a magnetic marvel for cable management

I hate cables. Ironically, coming from someone who writes for WIRED. That doesn’t mean I am anti cables — rules for Ethernet and wireless Wi-Fi — just hate cluttered desks, so cables need to be out of sight. Once I almost drilled a hole in my desk, just to run the wire from my old mechanical keyboard to my desktop computer below, instead of scattering like chamomile on top.

Unfortunately, I never trained at all good cable management. Of course, things were clean and tidy, but the underside of my desk could fit right in Nebuchadnezzar’s house. This is where Magnus from Secretlab comes from. The company, which makes very good gaming chairs, has built a metal, magnetic container to help hide all these picky cables. The cable management functions are performed at the top of the desk and under it.

I feel like it was made to order for people like me who talk but are a little lazy to go for a walk. And if you’re like me, just know that you no longer have zero to tie the cables with tape to the wall or desk and call it a day (not that I’ve ever done that, no, never). Now I can welcome you to a world without cables.

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Simple setup

Magnus comes in two boxes and after unpacking each part of it you may feel overwhelmed. It’s a lot. Fortunately, Secretlab labels each piece of the desk, and the included assembly instructions are very clear. It all took me about 30 minutes to assemble it. You may need to attract a friend as it weighs a whopping 93 pounds.

The desk is 59 inches long, which is more than enough space to hold my computer, ultra-wide monitor and a second vertical monitor, along with the usual desk accessories such as speakers and the same Funko Pops and Amiibos. Secretlab estimates its payload at a generous £ 221.

One of the key parts of this desk is the trench, as I call it. The back of the Magnus is separated from the main desktop. A thin panel that runs along the back of the desk folds up to reveal a spacious cable management board. Here you can hide most of the cables that run from your computer to your peripherals. Under the desk, you can remove the magnetic cover to access these cables and point them to a socket. Thanks to that, I didn’t have to worry about a mess of wires hanging under the desk near my feet. All cables are completely out of sight and out of mind.