We are influencers and brand affiliates. This post contains affiliate links, most which go to Amazon and are Geo-Affiliate links to nearest Amazon store.
This is a review of the COUGAR MARS Gaming Desk which was sent to me to review and I needed to use it for at least two months to determine durability rather than just flush out a quick review of the desk without testing how long it held up since unlike normal desks this desk had electronic components involved including a USB Hub and LED light panels built into the desk itself. We will get into that, but first let’s go into the unboxing of the COUGAR MARS gaming desk.
Unboxing the COUGAR MARS Gaming Desk
COUGAR MARS Packing Data
| Individual Size W/O Packaging Weight (N.Weight) | 40.28 (kg) | |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Packaging Weight (G.Weight) | 45.1 (kg) | |
| Individual Size W/O Packaging (WxHxD) | 1533 X 750 (800 / 850) X 771 (mm) | |
| Individual Packaging Size (WxHxD) | 930 X 350 x 850 (mm) | |
COUGAR MARS specifications
| Series | COUGAR MARS Gaming Desk | |
|---|---|---|
| I/O Panel | USB 3.0 x 2 / Audio Jacks x 2 / Power button / Reset button / Backlight button |
|
| Desk Dimension (W x D) | 1533 x 771 (mm) 60.4 x 30.4 (in) |
|
Everything that came in the box was well packaged and the instructions were easy to follow. In the picture below you can see the holes where you align the legs and decide which height adjustment you want for the desk, you can decide while you build it or just adjust later.
As you complete the frame of the desk you will notice the cord management area at the back of the desk which is pretty basic and could have used some more paths and possibly some cable management ties or straps built in, but it does serve to at least keep the cords arranged so they come to a central point behind your desk and it somewhat managed. You still may want to have cable sleeves and various ties to manage the cables going to and from the cord management area of the desk.
One of the biggest points of confusion is the USB Hub which also contains the “RGB Light Switch’ you only need to plug this hub into a USB outlet and you get enough power to power the LED RGB lights. It is not required to use the 5V adapter to plug into your motherboard just to get the desk to light up, but it is required to use a compatible motherboard and 5V if you want to sync the lighting to your computer.
As I said, the desk was very easy to assemble, and the ease of setup was one of my top 3 features when rating pro’s about the desk. There are no ikea instructions here, and you will find that the setup is super super easy to follow.
Quick Review of the COUGAR MARS Gaming Desk
Now after assembling the desk let’s talk about how it looks, feels and style. From the image below you can see the desk is just around half as high as a nickel radius when held against it. Despite the desktop surface being very thin it is very sturdy, and during my testing I not only had my equipment on the desk but laid on the desk myself as well to make sure it supported as much weight as I can put on it and I found no issue though I couldn’t find an exact product weight limit in the spec documents, the high strength steel frame gives assurance this can hold just about any equipment you have and then some on top of it.
The separate hub for the Microphone and Headset is a nice touch as it prevents you from having to reach the back of your computer if your audio jacks are back there and keeps the 3.5mm jacks at your fingertips. 
Again, the USB Hub which I get the most questions on the YouTube videos is for the RGB lighting and the 2 USB ports. It also has a power button.
Plug in the 5V cable into your compatible motherboard and you can then have greater control over the RGB lighting including syncing the lighting to software/games on your computer.
Once lit up, the desk looks really nice at night and is incredibly bright in a dark room.
One fo the top things I liked about this desk is the design, Cougar Gaming didn’t choose to make a desk that was gimmicky and corny. The desk has very sleek cuts, no tacky gloss black finishes, and the carbon fiber look on the main portion of the desk is very nice to look at. The second thing about the desk I love is functionality. You can easily adjust the desk by unscrewing the easy to access four bolts on the legs, and raise/lower it to your desired height. It also has support for lighting syncs which is a feature that wasn’t needed, but makes a great streamlined look if you’re going for a central theme. You can see from some of my streams how the lighting would sync with my games and PC case lighting depending on which games I was playing and what was happening in game.
Now based on our YouTube Video here are some common questions people have about the COUGAR MARS gaming desk and some answers.
Does the COUGAR MARS Desk need to plug into your PC for LED lights?
No, you only need to plug the USB port into your computer and you aren’t losing a USB port, you are actually gaining one since the desk itself has 2 USB ports and you are only using 1 in your PC. The USB port is pass through and will power the LED lights in generic light pattern modes. The only time you need to plug the COUGAR MARS into your motherboard 5V connection is when you want the RGB Lights to use the desk with ASUS Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome Sync for system-wide lighting synchronization. So if you don’t care about synchronizing the lighting with your PC or you don’t have a compatible motherboard with the tech you don’t have to worry about using the 5v connector for the COUGAR MARS desk.
I decided to reprint the HUB picture from the COUGAR MARS USER MANUAL here so that you can see how the lighting button works and how you can switch it between Control by RGB Buttona nd Control by Motherboard Driver.
Does the COUGAR MARS have a Power Adapter?
No, the COUGAR MARS does not plug into a wall outlet with an AC Adapter, it draws power from a USB plug. That being said, if you plug the USB into a USB Hub or a USB wall adapter, you can use that to power the LED lights of the COUGAR MARS desk without having any functionality of the USB hub part.
How High Is the COUGAR MARS Gaming Desk?
You can adjust the height of the COUGAR MARS gaming desk to 3 different levels to make sure it is at the most comfortable position for you. Those levels are:
- 750mm / 29.527 inches
- 800mm / 31.496 inches
- 850mm / 33.465 inches
Overall, I can tell you this desk had all the features I could want in a gaming desk and I was satisfied with the solid steel design, durability, lighting features and the aesthetic of the top of the desk. I would have no trouble recommending this desk and it should meet the needs of just about any gamer or streamer.
[P_REVIEW post_id=1091102 visual=’full’]
We are influencers and brand affiliates. This post contains affiliate links, most which go to Amazon and are Geo-Affiliate links to nearest Amazon store.
Hello all. Glad you could be here. My born year is 1995 and I have been raising hell ever since. By raising hell, I mean that I love to work on cars, computers, play video games (currently UFC 2), spend time with my family, and simply enjoy the little things. I love what I do and I do nothing else.
Onward!