March 2015 – Gaming PC Keyboard, Mice and Monitor Suggestions
Welcome to the peripheral suggestions for March 2015. This article is written as an aside and attachment to the March 2015 $600, $1000 and $1500 builds of the month. The gaming pc builds included in the monthly pc build article don’t include a mouse, keyboard, monitor or operating system, so this article is to serve those who ware wanting suggestions for the “complete package”, so to say.
This is not a comprehensive list or meant to be the best of the best, but these are some of the best in the respective “higher end”, “mid-range” & “basic” peripheral (keyboard, mouse or monitor) categories for gaming specific builds.
Jump to –
- Higher End Gaming PC Peripherals
- Mid-Range PC Peripherals
- Basic PC Peripherals
- Gaming PC Operating System Options
Higher End Gaming PC Peripherals – March 2015
The “higher end” peripherals are meant to showcase some of the more popular higher end / gaming specific peripheral hardware that one may consider to have the top of the line gaming peripherals. Keep in mind, these are not the most expensive gaming hardware peripherals one can buy, but a collection of the higher quality / more popular hardware for gamers.
The keyboard below is the Razer BlackWidow Chroma Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, with fully programmable keys and 5 additional gaming keys with on the fly macro recording. mechanical keys with distinct tactile feel and fast response and more [learn more at razerzone.com]. The included mouse is the Logitech G502 Proteus Core – a very comfortable mouse with 11 large programmable buttons and easily one of the best mice out there [learn more at gaming.logitech.com].
The high end monitor chosen this month is the high resolution (2560X1440) Tempest X270OC monitor, a 27 inch IPS monitor that supports overclocking to rates as high as 120Hz. This is a perfect choice for a higher end gaming pc (such as the $1500 build) – The Tempest specifications can be read over at [overlordcomputer.com].
| Hardware Link | Price | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keyboard | Razer BlackWidow Chroma Mechanical Gaming Keyboard | $159.99 |  |
| Mouse | Logitech G502 Proteus Core Tunable Gaming Mouse with Fully Customizable Surface, Weight and Balance Tuning (910-004074) | $68.12 |  |
| Monitor 2560×1440 | Tempest X270OC – IPS 27″ WQHD 2560×1440 Display, 120Hz Capable, 16:9, DVI, 100×100 VESA | $450.00 |  |
Mid-Range PC Peripherals – March 2015
The mid-range category is perfect for those that want to have great gaming peripherals, but not necessarily the most expensive. This month both the keyboard and mouse have have seen changes.
The keyboard chosen is the SteelSeries Apex, which has a ton of programmable controls with four independent custom lighting zones. There is also a tactile anchoring on the W key, additional arrow keys and an extra large space bar. [Learn more at steelseries.com].
The mid range gaming mouse chosen this month is the Logitech G302 Daedalus Prime gaming mouse. This mouse is built to withstand high speed clicking for hours, a metal spring tensioning system that keeps the buttons precisely tensioned for improved response, six programmable buttons, 4-DPI settings (240DPI – 4000DPI) and a lightweight design [learn more at logitech.com].
For a mid-range monitor, I have included the AOC G2460PQU, which is similar to last months monitor, which is 24 inches Class Monitor (24 inches Viewable) Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution with a 144hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time.
| Hardware Link | Price | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keyboard | SteelSeries Apex Gaming Keyboard | $81.99 |  |
| Mouse | Logitech G302 Daedalus Prime MOBA Gaming Mouse | $49.99 |  |
| Monitor (1920×1080) | AOC G2460PQU 144hz, 1ms Ultimate Performance 24-Inch Professional Gaming Monitor | $325.29 |  |
Basic PC Peripherals – March 2015
If you are starting out from scratch and have absolutely no peripherals for your new gaming pc build on a budget, then things can get quite pricy very quickly. The “basic” peripherals are meant to showcase some of the most popular basic peripherals that are not exactly gaming specific, but are definitely quality pc hardware that will work quite well. Just because these are labelled “basic” doesn’t mean they are cheap or not good, just cheaper and not always gaming specific.
The keyboard this month is the Logitech G105 gaming keyboard – this keyboard has long life lef backlighting, six programmable G-keys, multi key input and more. For what this keyboard offers, it’s a great choice for a budget gaming keyboard at a very good price. To learn more about the G105 keyboard please visit gaming.logitech.com.
For a budget mouse, we have a basic affordable, comfortable ambidextrous gaming mouse call the ROCCAT LUA Gaming Mouse, which has some of the customizations of a gaming mouse (DPI button, precise scroll wheel, button customization), yet won’t break the bank [Learn more at roccat.org].
The monitor you see below is actually really good even though it is categorized into the budget category – the BenQ RL2455HM 24-inch with 1920×1080 resolution and quick 1ms response times [Learn more at gaming.benq.com].
| Hardware Link | Price | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keyboard | Logitech G105 Gaming Keyboard with Backlighting | $39.99 |  |
| Mouse | ROCCAT LUA Tri-Button Gaming Mouse, Black | $29.99 |  |
| Monitor (1920×1080) | BenQ Gaming Monitor RL2455HM (24-Inch LED) | $206.29 |  |
Operating System Options
If you don’t already have an operating system for your new gaming pc build, then you’re going to have to either invest in purchasing a standard OS such as Windows 7 or 8. Otherwise, there are some free alternatives that you could consider.
The following are some operating systems you can consider installing upon putting your Gaming PC build together. The first two will cost you and are either Windows 7 or 8.1 – I have no opinions here so I’ll leave the purchase of these up to the discretion of yourself. I have also included two other operating systems that are both currently free. Ubuntu is a Linux based operating system. The last OS is SteamOS, which is also a Linux OS being developed by Valve Corporation and is being made to be used for a Steam Machine game console. The official release of SteamOS has not been announced, however you can try out the beta.
| OS Link | Price | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 8.1 | Windows 8.1 System Builder OEM DVD 64-Bit | $91.71 |  |
| Windows 7 | Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit, System Builder OEM DVD 1 Pack (New Packaging) | $86.46 |  |
| Ubuntu | Ubuntu – Desktop | Free |  |
| SteamOS | SteamOS WebpageSteamOS Beta – Download Page | Free |  |