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Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Earbuds/Headset
Normally I would post in the individual threads, but it’s a fairly large purchase, and I’d actually like to find places in my area to try them out. My computer has a 250gts graphics card, and if my brother buys it from me I’ll get a nicer one, but that’s not in the cards unless if I decide to get a multi-monitor setup.
In any case my keyboard is over ten years old, and not that nice, my mouse is a general electric that is 7 years old, my monitor is an 18.5” 1440x900, and I’m interested in possibly getting a gaming headset or earbuds/mic (like the Siberia headset)
1) Keyboard Well, my keyboard came with a computer with a 700mhz processor if that means anything. The switches are the “bubble” ones, and it’s of fair build quality. But I do use it al ot, and some of the keys are getting very squishy, while others remain stiff. Also, there actually is some latency, as it is a USB keyboard. I don’t want to spend that much. Ideally in the sub 80 dollar range, but I’d be willing to spend more for really high build quality (6gv2 anyone?) I’ve also heard good things about the QSenn, which would be substantially cheaper. I’ve gone to stores, and even 40 dollar keyboards feel worse than my current one (more flimsy) Does anyone have advice on this front?
2) Mouse: Well, my general electric optical mouse has seen lots of wear and tear. The buttons are on and off working. At some point my brother spilled soda all over it, but after letting it dry for a week it was fine. Hehe. Essentially I’m looking for a reasonable mouse. I don’t want to spend over 50-60. http://shop.steelseries.com/us/index.php/mice-us/steelseries-kinzu-optical.html looked reasonable, but it’s optical not laser, what exactly is the difference? Would it be worth it? What are your experiences with it
3) Monitor: Currently I have an 18.5” Samsung. I’d like something 1080p. My last monitor was 14” so I have no idea how large of a monitor would be good. I don’t want to spend over 150-200. About what size should I get, and what should I look for in a monitor besides size and resolution?
4) Earbuds/headset: Right now I have a Logitech headset that I use for skyping, and playing tf2 (voice) I also have a px100 sennheiser headset, which has awesome sound, and is comfortable, but is open, so not really that great for gaming. I’m looking into something to use while really gaming, or with an MP3 player. I don’t have any reasonable earbuds. I was thinking to kill two birds with one stone to use http://shop.steelseries.com/us/index.php/audio-us/steelseries-siberia-in-ear-headset.html Alternatively I could get one of the plantronics gaming headsets, but the consensus on those vary.
All in all what do you think would be optimal cost effective options for me in each of those situations. Keep in mind I have small hands, a relatively small desk space, and relatively large ears 
Pictures:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ST29m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/4FrkU.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/y8PP8.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/PkWgK.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ofK8e.jpg)
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Hmm, I'll keep the razer stuff in mind.
Main limiting factor is I want to try it, so >.>
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Monitor is really just what you can afford and some personal things, but most you'll find are of good quality I'd assume.
I'll list you what I'd say are the best for the others:
Keyboard: QSenn DT-35 if you want to spend less, I'd go for a Leopold with brown switches if you're willing to pay more.
Mouse: Logitech MX-518, solid mouse here. Will last you a long time for sure and will fit well with lots of different types of gamers (hand size, grip, etc). Otherwise, I'd go for a newer Logitech model. Razer/Zowie is also very good but I feel as if Logitech has the best quality in terms of the material used, as lots of people complain about Razer products breaking.
Headset: I'd still go for the Sennheiser HD 555. It's not too expensive anymore and still can be modded pretty easily to make it a pretty solid model even if it's been around for a while. I still own a pair and I think they're great.
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HD 555 is great, but not quite what I'm looking for.
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In terms of mouse/keybaord, what advantages are there to spending more.
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Nothing besides looks. You can easily find a very cheap professional keybaord such as dell, ibm or any mechanical keyboard really. I don't really understand why you'd spend more money on it than the mouse. Finally bought mine which is a Saitek Cyborg simply because it looked cool with a red glow below the keys. The old one was getting a little hard to press, obviously because it has like 10 years of use (Generic Dell keyboard)
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On May 12 2011 14:19 RaiZ wrote:
Nothing besides looks. You can easily find a very cheap professional keybaord such as dell, ibm or any mechanical keyboard really. I don't really understand why you'd spend more money on it than the mouse. Finally bought mine which is a Saitek Cyborg simply because it looked cool with a red glow below the keys. The old one was getting a little hard to press, obviously because it has like 10 years of use (Generic Dell keyboard)
Well, long story short financial aid lol.
I want to try a mechanical keyboard, but I'll either get another cheapish keyboard, or mechanical tbh.
Does anybody have the steelseries earbuds except for the banned idra? 
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Hey, I don't have any specific recommendations, but I will tell you this. Go try out some generic keyboards (new Dell ones at your school's engineering computer lab), etc, and see how those feel. Go play some flash video games that require lots of clicking with those mice. See if they're comfortable.
I was going to drop $300 (been saving for a while now ^^) on some new gear just like you were a couple months ago, but I was sitting in my school's engineering computer lab, and it just hit me at how comfortable the most basic things were. I've grown up without much material wealth, so I'm just used to the Dell optical mouse and keyboard. So now I use a dell keyboard and a targus travel mouse(I like small mice). No razer, steelseries(so close to buying a 50 dollar "surface"), etc.
Just a suggestion. Maybe you're like me haha. QXC plays on a dell keyboard (generic one that comes with new desktops these days). Just saying ^^. What works for others won't always work for you. The monitor / earbuds ya, i would get some suggestions on that. But keyboard mice, you gotta go feel them out. Or just get used to whatever you have.
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Avoid Razer keyboards and most of their mice. Steelseries has a nice qck series pad. Mouse - You can actually get a Razer one but be careful with your choice. As for keyboard - 6gv2 or Rosewill from newegg with blue cherry mx, new Zowie Celeritas keyboard looks very solid too. As for Monitor - you can get a cheap benq or a Samsung ~150-160. As for earbuds, right now i'm using Sennheiser CX 300 II and am quite happy for now. They're quite cheap too, ~40$ or so. Good Luck.
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On May 12 2011 15:33 Aeneous wrote:
Hey, I don't have any specific recommendations, but I will tell you this. Go try out some generic keyboards (new Dell ones at your school's engineering computer lab), etc, and see how those feel. Go play some flash video games that require lots of clicking with those mice. See if they're comfortable.
I was going to drop $300 (been saving for a while now ^^) on some new gear just like you were a couple months ago, but I was sitting in my school's engineering computer lab, and it just hit me at how comfortable the most basic things were. I've grown up without much material wealth, so I'm just used to the Dell optical mouse and keyboard. So now I use a dell keyboard and a targus travel mouse(I like small mice). No razer, steelseries(so close to buying a 50 dollar "surface"), etc.
Just a suggestion. Maybe you're like me haha. QXC plays on a dell keyboard (generic one that comes with new desktops these days). Just saying ^^. What works for others won't always work for you. The monitor / earbuds ya, i would get some suggestions on that. But keyboard mice, you gotta go feel them out. Or just get used to whatever you have.
I don't think that's fair at all. You can't judge something you use as much as a mouse or a keyboard based on trying them once or twice, and you're obviously going to prefer whatever you have been using for the last X years due to familiarity. Yeah, you MC had a shitty as hell keyboard he'd still be one of the world's best players in the world, and he could probably win a GSL using a budget mouse, though that would hurt his accuracy.
You're right in saying that it's not going to be worth it to everyone and that everything more or less works. Similar to how a Ford Focus will get you from A to B just like a Mercedes any keyboard will let you type or play any game, there is a vast difference in comfort though. That said mechanicals do have a steep price for simply being much more comfortable, while they do last much longer I can see how the price would be off putting.
As for mouses this actually does affect your performance while also being more comfortable/less comfortable depending on what you buy. What you are paying for (what you should be paying for anyway) is the sensor and perhaps some extra features. If you get any of the popular mouses it will, in all likelihood, have a good sensor. I saw some less than great reviews of the Kinzu when looking for mouses, you might want to have a look OP. I haven't used it myself but there were some issues with it, supposedly anyhow.
In that price range the most common recommendation will be the MX518, which frankly is just really fucking good for its price. There are people who use it today and have been using the same one since release (long time ago). It feels a bit like an Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 if you have tried one of those, but having the advantage of adjustable DPI and disadvantage of terrible aesthetics.
Getting a non shit mouse will essentially make the cursor more responsive to your action with the mouse, and less jerky. I didn't even notice that there was a problem when I used my IEM 3.0 (400 DPI mouse, not that fantastic on a 1920x1080 screen) and had quite a revelation when I tried the G9X. It's hard to explain, just feels like I have far more control over where the cursor goes.
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I just recently upgraded a lot of my gear. I got a new keyboard last week and a new monitor and mouse pad in the last month. All were needed for various reasons. I upgraded my keyboard because I was currently using an Inland wireless keyboard that used a single AA battery and would spazz out and die every other day in the middle of my games. I got a new 24" ViewSonic monitor because I am currently using a laptop and am upgrading to a new computer soon and needed a monitor . I also upgraded my mouse pad for like 7$ at office depot.
My Current Setup: (pictures soon to come)
Keyboard: Leopold Tenkeyless Mechanical Keyboard with MX Brown switches.
http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=leopold,tenkeyless&pid=fc200rtab
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Yxmin.jpg)
(Review)
So far I love this keyboard. Mostly for typing though. I do a lot of coding and writing for my website and this keyboard is a dream to type on. The tactile feel is unlike anything else. For gaming its a bit of a different boat. It is definitely a step up from the previous keyboard I was using but its not exactly what I expected. The travel distance is a good bit further than a rubber dome keyboard (even though the key actuation is 1/2 the travel distance, so it is definitely something I am going to have to get used to because I usually bottom out my keys. If I were you I would stick with what is comfortable. If there is not an obvious flaw that needs fixing with your keyboard than don't change it. But if you do a lot of typing and are looking for a good keyboard I would definitely recommend the Leopold keyboards. Leopold's are made by the same manufacturer as FILCO.
Mouse: Razor DeathAdder 3G
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826153055&cm_re=razor_deathadder-_-26-153-055-_-Product
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/K514v.jpg)
(Review)
There is not a lot I can really say about this mouse. Its a very responsive mouse, and the blue glow is nice but not necessary. The buttons on the site get a little squishy with continuous use(I use the close left button for push to talk on ventrilo). Its USB and is not compatible with a PS2 to USB connector. Its a big mouse and is meant for someone that uses the "palm grip" not the "claw". So far its my favorite mouse having tried quite a few.
Headset: Razor Carachias
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826153043
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/HZ2SC.jpg)
(Review)
Got these as a present from an extended family member a few years back and then have done well to stand up to the abuse I put my headsets through. They have a braided cord thats a plus but their connection after time to the jack can become sketchy and unreliable after extended use. The sound quality is good and the microphone is too but they are nothing special and I cant really recommend them. I heard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826816002 were good but besides that I don't have a lot of input.
Monitor: ViewSonic LED 1080P Full HD 24"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824116447
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/hV8NB.jpg)
(Review)
I am quite happy with this investment. I went from a 20" laptop screen to this and oh boy is there a difference. The colors are crisp and clean and the stand is sturdy. The speakers suck and there is not HDMI port but the way I look at it is that I am using 3rd party speakers or headset, and I just use a HDMI to DVI adapter and saved like 50-75$ dollars. I got it for 155$ on sale at Office Depot when I was buying an office chair and never regret it for a second.
Mouse Pad: AllSop Large Hard Pad?
No Link, cant find it online?
(Review)
I got this at OfficeDepot also. I was previously using a small Golden Retriever puppy mouse pad and decided that this was worth the 7$ to try. So far its okay :\. I like the large area it covers and it allows more precision movements. Cons are that you have to keep it clean, the slightest crumb or hair causes obstruction unlike a felt pad. Also if you move the pad a lot it tends to bend and you need to spend a few hours using it to get it flat again. Again mouse pads are a preference thing.
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i recently purchased a computer with all these parts as well.
Keyboard: went with the daskeyboard. Its very cheap in terms of a mechanical keyboard...around 100$. It feels amazing while typing and gaming. Only drawback would be a slight metallic ringing when hitting the keys. Alternatively I would get a leopold brown switch or a Qsenn dt35 if you dont want to dish out 100$. Nada uses this as well as alot of BW pros.
Mouse: I have been using this for over a year now and its fantastic. Best mouse I have got so far for sc2. My previous experiences have been the logitech mini optical, and the razor krait. I think the kinzu has a pretty good build quality and the feel is quite unmatched imo.
Monitor: I got quite lucky in my choice as I got a 24 inch LED matte screen with 2ms for under 180. I would opt for either a 23 inch or 24 inch LED. If you go LCD, make sure the contrast ratio is high enough, i saw some pretty rediculous one with like 1000:1 contrast ratio lol. If you are really trying to optimize your SC2 skills, maybe you should also look into the 19-22 inch range as 23-24 inchers are quite big and might not be the perfect size for gaming. (I might be biased though since my laptop up to last week was a 14 incher.
If you want I can send u links to the items i purchased, just send me a PM. GL
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Thanks. Probably can't actually fit a 24" on the desk. Looking more at 22", but if I can get a 24" for cheap enough I think I could make room lol.
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=/ Does anybody have a headset that they really like?
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On May 13 2011 07:43 Froadac wrote:
=/ Does anybody have a headset that they really like?
I have the Steelseries Siberia v2 coming in the post tomorrow and my brother the Steelseries Siberia original (slightly cheaper one). I will give them both some tests and get back to you on that  .
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On May 13 2011 09:02 TheHova wrote:Show nested quote +On May 13 2011 07:43 Froadac wrote:
=/ Does anybody have a headset that they really like? I have the Steelseries Siberia v2 coming in the post tomorrow and my brother the Steelseries Siberia original (slightly cheaper one). I will give them both some tests and get back to you on that .
Most appreciated
I'm considering upgrading my 1gb 250gts to http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121390 a 460 gtx. It would be like 130 bucks, and I could sell my current card for around 70. So like 60 bucks.
What is the difference between the two?
Does anyone know where I could try any of this out?
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I use a claw on DeathAdder, but maybe that's because I have super-big hands.
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EPT
