It took me about 2 - 3 hours to put the desk together (would have been quicker if I had more space), but it doesn't require power tools or a second person (though both might also make it quicker). The gray desk looks nice and is definitely worth the extra money. The instructions warn not to tighten the screws in the desk too tight, as they can crack the desk, but I was able to make mine pretty tight and didn't have any issues.I saw a review that mentioned the black port container on the desk felt hot after a while, and while it does get warm, I have had my laptop and phone plugged in constantly and it hasn't felt hot enough to be concerned about.The lights look nice and are a fun addition, but I do wish there was an easier way to turn them on, like a button built onto the side of the desk or something. You get to place the strand of lights wherever you want underneath the monitor stand, and there are 3M strips to hang hooks on, but with my setup, the button is close to the corner of the desk and not very convenient to turn on. Aside from that, no complaints and would buy it again!