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Gaming hardware - Keyboard, Mouse, Headphones

red454
Level 11
I am on my second ROG motherboard. I would say that I am a moderate gamer.

I admit I am a sucker for the ROG themed hardware, and there is no question as to the value and performance of the ROG motherboards.

I have always gotten by with a standard issue keyboard, mouse and headphones. The question is, are the high dollar "gaming" keyboards, headphones and mice worth the extra money?

Talk me into or out of them.
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34 REPLIES 34

reynaldo1978
Level 7
For very good gaming headset i would say the plantronics dsp-500's top of the line for quite some time now, i know some people love sennheiser but ive bought 3 pairs of dsp-500's over the years, good chance you would have to special order in store or buy online and they are cheaper then the 125$ they used to cost. I am currently looking for gaming speakers too, it would seem the logitech z-5500 or the creative labs gigaworks s750, im thinking it will be logitech, not much as changed in the last few years in terms of pc gaming speakers it seems....

Gorman
Level 12
Gaming keyboard? No, you are better off buying a regular mechanical one. Most gaming keyboards come with features such as "backlit keyboard" or "gold plated USB" or "gaming profiles" or even "macro keys". These features are all pretty much useless. It's better to get a good quality mechanical keyboard, such as a Filco or Das or KBC. Personally if I was looking for a gaming keyboard, I'd go for a tenkeyless cherry MX red switch keyboard. Surprisingly one of the cheapest in this category is the CM QF Rapid. The KBC Poker is probably a bit more expensive, but they come in 60% and 40%, which I think is great for gaming because you can easily hit more keys. Ducky have also been making high quality "gaming" hardware, but they tend to focus on making quality hardware instead of adding novelty features (that said, there are models with backlighting). Gaming keypads are also getting popular, logitech and razer both sell them, I'm not sure how good the second generation razer keypads are, but the first gen are designed by belkin and are quite good. Personally I think keypad gaming is superior to keyboard, the layout is far superior, and you can control the arrows with your thumb easily - in games like DotA this means you can keep your mouse in a good position as you move around.

Gaming mouse? The main features on gaming mice are LEDs, profiles, on-the-fly DPI switching, high DPI and recently the "sniper button". Out of these, DPI switching and high DPI are the main things you would probably want. It depends what kind of gamer you are though. If you are a 1:1 CS player, then 6000 DPI won't do anything for you. RTS is probably the genre that benefits most from super high DPI. I usually play WC3 and SC2 on 4000+ DPI. Generally you can't find mice that are high quality and not labelled as gaming - other applications just don't need these features. I'd suggest a logitech mouse, they don't have excessive novelty features and LEDs, and they have good build quality. Razer would be the worst choice in this category - because they are tacky, and because they have poor build quality.

Gaming headset? Questionable. All you need is some good quality headphones with a mic. Most quality headphones don't come with mics obviously. If you don't play multiplayer, then ATH-M50s are fine. If you play multiplayer, then logitech probably makes the best headphones with mics. They have 5.1, 7.1 and wireless models too. Macro keys on a wireless headset are surprisingly useful, you can control your voice chat while away from the computer or when alt tabbed.

ganji
Level 13
I've gone through quite a few keyboards and headsets in the last 3 years trying to find one that worked bes for me.
Mouse
Logitech G500. an ok mouse but too big and it fealt a bit cheap.
Cyborg RAT5, very good mouse, tracks really well and adjustable to fit your hand.
Cyborg MMO7, My current mouse. A very good mouse again like the RAT5 but with more buttons and more adjustable.

Headsets
Logitech G35, Very good but usb so they're virtual 7.1 and not true 7.1 surround. They do sound really good but the sound can get a bit mixed up ingame.

Roccat Kave. My current headset and will probably buy the same when they fail. A very good headset with really nice sound. True 5.1 surround and rumble packs in the ear the bass 😄

Keyboards
Logitech G110
Logitech G19 Both very good and couldn't fault them.

Razor Lycosa. keys stopped failed soon after purchase.
Roccat Isku, Keys failed soon after purchase.

Cyborg V7, Nice to use but ugly as hell.

Coolermaster Quickfire Pro, My current keyboard which is mechanical (Cherry Red switches). Now i've used a mechanical board i would not go back to a regular type keyboard. The difference in response times ingame when hitting keys makes so much difference. It took a bit of getting used to when typing but apart from that i can't fault it. Although it would be better if it had full backlighting instead of partial.

red454
Level 11
Thanks everyone - this info is exactly what I was looking for...
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Mankz
Level 10
I think mechanical keyboards are worth the price, but only a low-ish end one...

As for mice, I always insist on trying a mouse in my hands before I buy it... I normally end up going for a fairly high-end business mouse as opposed to a gaming mouse.. I take everyday comfort over that extra little bit of DPI, which in all honesty doesn't do all that much.

I use a Corsair K60 and an M60 and can't really fault them.

Mankz wrote:
I think mechanical keyboards are worth the price, but only a low-ish end one...

As for mice, I always insist on trying a mouse in my hands before I buy it... I normally end up going for a fairly high-end business mouse as opposed to a gaming mouse.. I take everyday comfort over that extra little bit of DPI, which in all honesty doesn't do all that much.

I use a Corsair K60 and an M60 and can't really fault them.


Thanks to bestbuy instore return policy I have tested quite a few.
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red454
Level 11
That is a good point - I should go somewhere that I can try things out first and see if I can notice any differences.
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Woofyhugger
Level 7
For me, I am using a Razer Anansi Keyboard, Razer Naga Molten Mouse and Razer Cacharias Headphones. Swapping out the keyboard for a Razer Deathstalker Ultimate and headphones for the Razer Tiamat.

Are they the best products out there? No. Do I like them and do they work for me? Yes.
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saipan
Level 8
my razer mouse just died after 10 years of heavy usage, just got a new abyssus. i am looking at headphnes also. doesnt seem to be a middle ground for price. either cheap or expensive. anyone try CMs sirius? i would like true 5.1.
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|Creative G500 5.1 | Razer Abyssus