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You don’t need to spend over the odds on “gaming” branded products. If you’re happy to forego the branding and RGB you’ll save money, which means you’re able to spend more on the things that matter (like GPUs and games).
Gaming Headsets
The cheapest gaming headsets are some of the worst things you can put on your head, and even the more expensive ones can fall short of the mark. The money you’ll spend on a combined headphones-and-microphone unit could be better spent on a good pair of headphones and a separate USB mic.
Dollar-for-dollar, you’ll get better audio quality all around. Not having a microphone clipped to your headphones also means you can wear them out of the house without feeling like you’re in a Tom Clancy novel. If you appreciate the headset form factor, augment your standard headphones with something like theAntlion ModMicclip-on.
Antlion Audio ModMic USB Attachable Noise-Cancelling Microphone with Mute Switch Compatible with Mac, Windows PC, Playstation 4, and More
A small attachable microphone that turns any pair of headphones into a headset.
Take a look at our picks forbest headphones,best budget headphones, or evenbest noise canceling headphones. We’ve also got a list ofour favorite gaming microphonesandtop boom microphonestoo.
Console gamers may find that this isn’t an option, so the headset route might be the best option. Even so, we wouldn’t recommend spending too much. Both Sony and Microsoft’s relatively inexpensive first-party headsets made it into ourbest gaming headset roundupfor a reason.
Gaming Chairs
Gaming chairs have a certain aesthetic, and sometimes that’s all they have going for them. They can be cheaply made, overpriced, and aren’t built to last. Cheap foam compresses over time, and thin covers tear and stretch. They may seem comfortable when you sit in them on the show floor at PAX, but if you want the best bang for your buck you can’t beat a good office chair.
We’ve got a list ofour favorite office chairsplus a shortlist of thebest ergonomic office chairs, too. Not everyone can spring for aHerman Miller Aeron, but not everyone needs to. Since many of these models (Herman Miller chairs in particular) are made to last, you can find bargains if you know where to look.
Herman Miller Aeron Chair
If you want to invest in a chair that’ll last you a really long time and have your back thanking you at the end of every workday, spring for Herman Miller’s Aeron chair.
Check out Facebook Marketplace and similar reseller websites, as well as any office “closing down” sales to find some of the best lightly-used office furniture at bargain prices. Not only do premium office chairs look good, but they can help improve your posture.
Gaming Mice
Not all gaming mice are expensive. Some ofthe best gaming miceare budget gaming mice since they offer comfort and “good enough” performance in a relatively inexpensive package. But even if you’re a keen gamer, you might not benefit from spending big on a pro-tier peripheral that lights up like a Christmas tree.
Logitech MX Master 3S
The Logitech MX Master 3S takes a great mouse and makes it even better. Keeping the comfortable form factor that will fit the needs of every user, as long as they’re not left-handed.
These have similarly high DPI so they’re plenty sensitive enough for gaming needs, with additional buttons for switching between sensitivity modes or accessing shortcuts. You might even finda nice ergonomic mousethat preserves your wrist by day and still pwns noobs by night.
Gaming Keyboards
The line between gaming and enthusiast keyboards has blurred over the years. Mechanical keyboards are loved by gamers, coders, writers, and anyone who spends most of their day punishing their fingertips. But not all “gaming” keyboards are mechanical.
Many of these keyboards use old-fashioned membranes and still cost more than thebest budget mechanical keyboards. You might just be paying for a name brand, buckets of RGB lighting, and a few extra knobs and hotkeys around the edges.
You don’t need to buy a “gaming” keyboard to get a decent typing experience. There are evenquality non-mechanical keyboardsto choose from. You shouldproperly research mechanical keyboards before you buyso that you understand the difference between switch types, keycaps, and the options you have in terms of buying a ready-made model or building your own.
You might even decide your money is better spent on anergonomic keyboard that uses an unusual shape or splits apart entirely in the middle.
Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard
Featuring a split keyboard design, the Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard takes some getting used to, but will keep your wrists in a more natural position, reducing strain.
Gaming PC Cases
PC cases come in all shapes and sizes. As long as your case fits your chosen form factor and components, you’re halfway there. Other factors to keep in mind are airflow, inputs and outputs (I/O), and budget.
You don’t need to spend massive amounts of money to get good I/O and satisfactory cooling. As long as the case has enough vents forthe necessary intake and outtake fans, cooling shouldn’t be a problem. Readour guide on picking the right PC caseand then choose something that fits your budget.
Some people like their PC case to be a conversation starter or a desk ornament, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you’re one of the many who choose to hide the case altogether under a desk or behind a monitor, you probably don’t need to spend much more than $100. You might even have a case you can re-use from an old build.
If you’re concerned about missing out on RGB lighting, consider adding someRGB fans(which cost marginally more than non-RGB variants) instead.
Pre-Built “Gaming” PCs
Building your own PC will save you money, but some would still rather buy a pre-built system. Sometimes you’ll need to go through a system integrator that builds mostly gaming PCs to make this happen, but sometimes companies like Dell and HP are a good choice too.
Sometimes, the biggest difference between “gaming” brands like Dell’s Alienware or HP’s Omen and their performance brands is a fancy PC case and hardware downgrade. Take Dell’s XPS line, as an example: comparably priced XPS models we looked at had slightly better processors and double the RAM and storage (with the same GPU) compared to Alienware models. They also come with Windows 11 Pro, instead of Home.
The devil’s in the details in terms of whether these are always the better buys. You might find that stronger power supplies, better cooling, or faster storage and RAM tips the balance slightly. The plain old XPS box is the more boring option, but both models we compared had the same mouse and keyboard in the box.
Customizing these pre-built machines is also an option. If you find something you like but you want to swap out the GPU or add more storage, you may do this before you check out.
Gaming Routers
High-performance routers have their place, but for most of usa good budget routerwill do the trick. Brands like Netgear and ASUS have mesh-like wireless access points that are aimed at gamers and make the rest of the pack look puny, but there are better ways of improving network performance.
TP-Link Archer AX55
An upgraded version of the beloved AX50, the PT-Link AX55 offers a new Qualcomm chip to provide better stability and the addition of OneMesh and WPA3 support.
If you’re serious about maxing out your network performance, getting a decent router that supports wired speeds of at least a gigabit is a good place to start (though 2.5Gb, 5Gb, and 10Gb are all options too). Now spend the additional money you would have spent on a maxed-out Wi-Fi model on Ethernet cable.
It’s tricky to estimate the cost of an all-wired (or mostly-wired) network, since you may need to get a tradesperson to feed wires and plaster walls. That said, if you have easy access to roof cavities and some confidence in your abilities, you might be able to finish the job in an afternoon.
If you have a super-fast internet connection then it’s important tomake sure your Wi-Fi speed isn’t limiting performance. For most, this won’t be an issue if your router is only a couple of years old. If you have a large house or office and Wi-Fi dead zones are causing you grief, you might find the money spent on a “gaming” router is better spent ona good mesh Wi-Fi system instead.
ASUS ZenWiFi AX (XT8)
It’s hard to go wrong with the ZenWiFi AX (XT8) if you want a solid mesh router to bring super-fast internet to every corner of your home.
Cables
Don’t fall for expensive HDMI cables, they’re no better than the cheap ones. Thebest HDMI cablesdeliver the same digital signal and image quality, but you might find you pay more for tougher designs that will last longer (assuming you’re often plugging and unplugging them). The cables that come with your PS5, Xbox Series X, or graphics card don’t need replacing with “better” products.
Not all Ethernet cables are equal, but you canchoose the right network cable for the jobbased on your required speed, length, and whether or not you need shielding.
Charging cables for smartphones and other USB devices are a bit different. You might find that some are very flimsy, so spending a bit more might be worth it. Ultimately, they all take abuse and will fail in the end. See our roundups of thebest Lightning cablesandbest USB-C cablesfor some ideas.
Spend Your Money Wisely
Some things aren’t worth skimping on. These include graphics cards, processors, RAM, storage devices, coolers, controllers, and displays. The more money you save on unnecessary “gamer” branding, the more you’ll have left for the things that matter.
