 Whether you're a gamer, a professional, or someone who just wants to put his feet up while he watches YouTube, a desk is important. It is where we enshrine our RGB madness, but it is also where we would rather spend the least amount of money. A new desk isn't as exciting as getting a new graphics card or a PC case, but it's something a lot of people never choose to upgrade because the budget is better used elsewhere. But what if I told you you could transform your old table into a premium desk set up for as cheap as 8,000 pesos or even less? Would you believe me? I'm Rafael from Hardware Sugar and I just discovered the Tabletop Hack. A couple of months ago, I found a furniture maker who did a fantastic job at making my dream desk come true. I spent 7 years fantasizing about this desk and it was worth every penny. If only, however, it didn't cost a whopping 35,000 pesos or roughly 700 US dollars. The table was made out of two Alex drawers and a solid slab of mahogany which was placed on top of the drawers. It is a stunning piece of furniture which gave me a lot of legroom and a massive amount of space to put as many monitors as I wanted. You can see the full review of this at the link above. Recently, however, I got kicked out of my room for some slight renovation. I dreaded the feeling of having to use just one monitor again because it was too difficult to move my new desk into the other room. And the spare desk I had was way too short to have my PC and two monitors on top of it alongside my plan, of course. And that's when I realized. This video is handed to CDKoffers.com. You can find many different types of software here. There are games, apps, activation codes, or Windows 10. Check out our video on CDKoffers in the video description. It's quick, cheap, and of course, legit. It's easy to order, search for the software you need, add to cart, check out, and then on their payment options, there's no more than a minute, finished. You already have a legit working CDK on the software you bought. Use our promo code to get an extra 20% discount on your purchase. If you're looking for cheap, legit, and original software, check out CDKoffers.com. Why not just place the wood countertop on top of the desk I already have? Boom! Not only did I have the exact same amount of space as I used to, but installation was quite literally placing one piece of wood on top of another, and got me thinking. For the seven years that I checked Pinterest pictures and YouTube videos about desk setups, never did I come across a similar idea which saves on the environment, is cheaper than a full-fledged desk, and at the same time greatly enhances the looks of my desk setup because of the natural feel and finish of pure thick wood. Does the tabletop move? Heck no! There is so much weight on this that this isn't going to budge unless you really want it to. One of the greatest things about a wood countertop is that you can quite literally move it to any other piece of furniture any time you want because it's a plank of wood. So if you ever get tired of your recital desk, or if you see another piece of old furniture which might be a better fit, you can just move it to that table instead. The main benefits are, firstly, you can get a modern premium desk for a lot cheaper. I asked my furniture supplier to give me a breakdown of how much my desk cost, but just for the wood countertop. I did the math and it came out to 109 pesos per inch. My table is 30 by 80 inches, thus coming out to 12,000 pesos. However, most people don't need the length of a table which can dine eight. I would recommend that a decent size office table countertop would be 50 by 23 inches or a cost amounting to 8,000 pesos. Yes, there are local companies who make completely new tables for around the same price or a little bit cheaper, but are the countertops of these other suppliers made of pure wood? And if they are, are they thick enough so that you can prevent bending? You have to remember that just because it looks like wood doesn't mean it's wood. Laminated MDF and plywood may look like wood, but they are actually discarded wood shavings which are merged together through heat in order to become a single solid piece rather than individual scraps. You will see bending with these kinds of countertops. And hey, if you know a supplier who can cut and sand down wood planks for you for cheaper, then go for it. I just had a really good experience with axe woods and I can't help but recommend them. Secondly, using real thick wood provides a premium experience. I highly recommend 2 inches of thickness. My mahogany countertop emits a natural red when hit directly by light and the individual grains you see on the top remind me that I have a desk which is unique as they were formed through the natural process of years of growth before its life was sacrificed to serve my commercial needs. This brings me to my next point. Thirdly, it helps save the environment by reusing a desk you already have. The table I'm using is an old table we've had in the family for many years. It's a classic furniture piece from Bulacan made out of Nara and it's called a memory table. It is meant to connect with an identical table through these ports in order to extend it. By itself however, it doesn't serve my needs for productivity and if you have a lot of unused furniture, maybe you could consider looking at them with potential for a similar setup rather than selling them for less than its value. Finally, if you ever want to complete the upgrade path for your desk and get alex drawers like mine, the option is available anytime because you already have the most important part. The countertop. It does give you the benefit of getting a good looking top now and improve on it in the future. A KLB opening in the Philippines soon and you can probably get cheaper alex drawers there. Dangerous. Do not however do this with just any kind of table. A thick countertop like this requires two people to carry and the added weight of the computer and the monitors will require that whatever table you are attempting to enhance must have the foundation and strength to carry that weight. In short, there is a danger for your computer and expensive hardware to collapse if you aren't careful on the table you are choosing to recycle and the countertop you are going to place. If you aren't an expert then feel free to inquire with professionals but please take care of your stuff. What you need. First, you need to know how much space you can max out your work area. Get a measuring tape and see how wide you can allot to the upgrade so you know how large a wood plank you should get. By the way, if you don't want to expand the area of your desk but want to upgrade its look then placing the wood countertop on top also achieves that. The top of this MDF cabinet is just cheap white MDF like this one but you don't see it because I had the furniture maker drill the same hog at the countertop on top of this. Second, you need to make sure that what you are getting is the genuine deal and that the plank of wood won't bend or break off thus resulting in the unthinkable. Do not get plywood or MDF as the countertop. Alex Jowers which are made of MDF however are fine to act as support but not as the actual countertop. If you feel like being creative there are a lot of YouTube videos on how to make a great wood countertop and how to stain it as well. Thirdly, choose the desk you will be recycling and make sure that it can handle the weight of your modifying wood countertop and your PC gear. Do not use tables with a glass countertop. You are asking for a disaster of epic proportions. Again, if you are in doubt ask an expert. Fourth, you may want to place rubber pads so that the two pieces don't scratch each other. Heck, I didn't even bother sticking them and so I just threw the entire package along with the plastic in between. That way, if you ever change your mind on the combo you made, you won't have damaged either of the pieces. Finally, for comfort purposes, I always recommend you make sure the height of the desk is leveled with that of your armrests and that there is enough leg room for you so that you don't feel restricted. My temporary setup has an okay height but my legs feel sore after being pressed hard against the wood all day. If you want a good looking desk, this is a fast and cost effective way to give your current one a really nice makeover. Provided you make sure that the pieces you choose are sturdy and safe. No upgrade is worth taking if there is even a slight chance that it might result in injury. Please like and subscribe if we won over your interest and stay tuned as we release more content about gaming gear, desks and investing. Stay safe everyone. And we want to give a special shout out to our top fans. Di Prasun, John Rubinocia, Christian Espinoza, Mark Palania, Asher. Thank you for being the first to heed the call. We really greatly appreciate your membership and we really hope to get you out more content faster and actually better content.