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You dont need to spend over the odds on gaming branded products.
Dollar-for-dollar, youll get better audio quality all around.
If you appreciate the headset form factor, augment your standard headphones with something like theAntlion ModMicclip-on.
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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.
Weve also got a list ofour favorite gaming microphonesandtop boom microphonestoo.
A small attachable microphone that turns any pair of headphones into a headset.
Console gamers may find that this isnt an option, so the headset route might be the best option.
Even so, we wouldnt recommend spending too much.
Both Sony and Microsofts relatively inexpensive first-party headsets made it into ourbest gaming headset roundupfor a reason.
Branch
They can be cheaply made, overpriced, and arent built to last.
Cheap foam compresses over time, and thin covers tear and stretch.
Weve got a list ofour favorite office chairsplus a shortlist of thebest ergonomic office chairs, too.
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.
Not everyone can spring for aHerman Miller Aeron, but not everyone needs to.
Not only do premium office chairs look good, but they can help improve your posture.
Gaming Mice
Not all gaming mice are expensive.
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.
Gaming mice are good, butmost people arent good enough to need a gaming mouse.
The Logitech MX Master 3S takes a great mouse and makes it even better.
You might even finda nice ergonomic mousethat preserves your wrist by day and still pwns noobs by night.
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 Keyboards
The line between gaming and enthusiast keyboards has blurred over the years.
But not all gaming keyboards are mechanical.
Many of these keyboards use old-fashioned membranes and still cost more than thebest budget mechanical keyboards.
Justin Duino / How-To Geek
You dont need to buy a gaming keyboard to get a decent typing experience.
There are evenquality non-mechanical keyboardsto choose from.
Gaming PC Cases
PC cases come in all shapes and sizes.
As long as your case fits your chosen form factor and components, youre halfway there.
Other factors to keep in mind are airflow, inputs and outputs (I/O), and budget.
You dont need to spend massive amounts of money to get good I/O and satisfactory cooling.
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.
Readour guide on picking the right PC caseand then choose something that fits your budget.
You might even have a case you’re able to re-use from an old build.
They also come with Windows 11 Pro, instead of Home.
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.
The devils in the details in terms of whether these are always the better buys.
Customizing these pre-built machines is also an option.
Now spend the additional money you would have spent on a maxed-out Wi-Fi model on Ethernet cable.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
If you have a super-fast internet connection then its important tomake sure your Wi-Fi speed isnt limiting performance.
For most, this wont be an issue if your router is only a couple of years old.
Cables
Dont fall for expensive HDMI cables, theyre no better than the cheap ones.
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 arent worth skimping on.
These include graphics cards, processors, RAM, storage devices, coolers, controllers, and displays.
