Complete Desk Setup: The Order to Install Everything
Key takeaways
A desk setup comes together in a set order: desktop height first, then the screen, then storage under the desk, and cables last. Each step depends on the one before it, so you avoid buying a piece that gets in the way of another.
A desk rarely comes together in one go. You add a monitor arm, then a drawer, then a cable tray, and that's usually when the pieces start getting in each other's way: a clamp with no room left on the edge, a drawer sitting right where a keyboard tray rail would go.
Installation order solves most of these conflicts. Each piece takes up a specific zone, above or below the desktop. Set up in the right order, each one finds its place without pushing another out.
Start with the height of your work surface
Everything else is set relative to the desktop: screen height, keyboard position, cable length. That makes it the first decision.
Two options. A standing desk replaces your current desk and adjusts its height with a motor. A desk converter sits on your existing desk and raises the screen and keyboard together.
28.3 to 45.1 in
Height range of the 3-memory standing desk (71.9 to 114.5 cm). Three heights save and come back at the touch of a button.
Check this now
Look under your desktop. A crossbar near the front edge changes which keyboard tray will fit, and the free length sets the drawer size you can use. Write these measurements down: you'll need them at every step.
Set the screen at eye level
Once the desktop height is decided, the screen is set relative to it. The top of the screen sits at eye level, or slightly below, when you sit up straight.
| Criteria | Monitor riser | Monitor arm |
|---|---|---|
| Adjustment | Fixed height | Height, tilt and rotation |
| Mounting | Sits on the desk | Edge clamp or grommet |
| Space freed | Storage under the screen | The entire surface under the screen |
| On a standing desk | Rises with the desktop | Rises with the desktop |
The arm takes its spot on the desk edge. Keep that spot free before installing anything else nearby.
Tip
Choose the arm based on your screen's actual weight without its stand, not its size in inches. You'll find that weight in the screen's spec sheet.
Split the space under the desktop into two zones
Under the desk, three items compete for the same space: the drawer, the keyboard tray and the cable tray. One simple rule keeps them out of each other's way.
The front for what you use, the back for what you don't touch.
- Front of the desktop: drawer or keyboard tray, within reach
- Back of the desktop: cable tray and power strip
- Side of the desk: side-mount cable rack, if the back is already taken
- Desktop thickness: a screw-mounted drawer needs enough material to hold the screws
Finish with the cables
Cables come last because they connect everything else. Until the desk, screen and drawer are mounted, their route isn't final.
The cable tray mounts at the back, under the edge. The power strip sits in it, and a single cable runs down to the wall outlet.
Check this on a standing desk
Leave a loop of cable between the desktop and the floor. It needs to cover the desktop's full travel, or the cable pulls tight in the raised position.
The order at a glance
- Set the height of your work surface. Standing desk or converter, and take the measurements under the desktop.
- Install the screen. Riser or arm, keeping its spot on the desk edge.
- Equip the underside. Drawer or keyboard tray at the front, allowing for crossbars.
- Route the cables. Cable tray at the back, with a free loop if the desk moves up and down.
Frequently asked questions
Can you mount a monitor arm on a standing desk?
Yes. The arm clamps to the desktop and moves with it. Add the weight of the screen and arm to what the desk already carries, and check that the total stays under its maximum load, listed on its product page.
Can a drawer and a keyboard tray share the space under the desk?
Yes, as long as they don't use the same zone. Measure the free width under the desktop: the keyboard tray goes in front of you, the drawer to the side.
Do you need to drill into the desk?
Not for everything. Monitor arms mount with a clamp, and several cable trays and drawers do too, with a clamp, clip or adhesive. Metal drawers with slides screw into the underside. Each product page lists the mounting method.