Community Christmas Tech Buying Guide: The best from the forums
By steve_rogers42 on December 18, 2012 at 10:35 am
Wondering what to buy yourself, or the next tech-savvy person in your household this Christmas? We’re here to help with the Community Christmas Tech Buying Guide, assembled from the most commonly used products and recommendations in our own forums. Our tireless Tech Moderator steve_rogers42 has put together the following list for your perusal — take a look.
Monitor
Current Best: ASUS VG278HE 27″ Full HD WS 2ms 144hz 3D (~$550)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- Ultra smooth action with 144Hz rapid refresh rate and 2ms (GTG) tracer-free
- Vivid color performance with Splendid™ Video Intelligence Technology
- A comfortable viewing with ergonomic design for swivel, tilt angle, and height adjustment
- Extensive connectivity with HDMI 1.4, dual-link DVI-D, and D-sub
Highly Recommended: Samsung 27″ LED Monitor S27A950D (~$430)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- 1,920 x 1,080 Display Resolution
- Response Time: 2ms (G2G)
- Display Colour Support: 16.7million
Budget Great: Dell UltraSharp 23″ U2312HM ($269)
Only available from Dell | See official product page
- Lose yourself in the details: Enjoy 1920×1080 (max) HD resolution, a vivid 2,000,000:1 (typical) dynamic contrast ratio and IPS technology for outstanding color consistency across a wide viewing range.
- Stay comfortable and connected: Select your best view with a range of tilt, swivel, pivot and height options. Link to a range of devices with 4 USB ports, a DisplayPort, plus DVI and VGA connections.
- Be environmentally-conscious: Beyond offering efficiency and vivid detail, this monitor also meets EPEAT® Gold standards and is ENERGY STAR® qualified.
Gaming Mouse
Current Best: Razer DeathAdder 2013 (~$65)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- 6400dpi 4G Optical Sensor
- Ergonomic right-handed design with textured rubber side grips
- Five independently programmable Hyperesponse buttons
- Razer Synapse 2.0 enabled
- 1000Hz Ultrapolling/1ms response
- On-The-Fly Sensitivity adjustment
Highly Recommended: SteelSeries Xai (~$80)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- Best-in-class technology provides extreme precisions and reliability
- Finely engineered shape suits all grips to ensure maximum control and comfort
- Advanced macro creation allows for precisely timed key press sequences
- 100% driver independent, essential to gamers attending LAN parties
- Scroll wheel-controlled, built-in menu system for effective personalization
- Scalable pointer speed up to 5,001 CPI in increments of 1
- State of the art laser sensor guarantees stable tracking at maximum acceleration
- Automatically adjusted lift distance locked to 2-4mm across surfaces
Budget Great: Logitech G500 (~$56)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- Game-changing precision at any hand speed. Whether you’re zeroing in on one pixel or whipping across a million at full speed, the gaming-grade laser gives you hard-to-beat cursor control.
- You can save your settings on the mouse. A ready-to-play profile (for keyboard macros and dpi settings) stores critical info for your favorite title.
- Prefer a heavier or lighter mouse? Up to 27 grams of extra weights lets you mix-and-match for personalized feel and control.
- You get precise click-to-click scrolling that’s perfect for weapon selection when you’re gaming. Hyper-fast scrolling lets you fly through long Web pages.
- You can shift from pixel-precise targeting (200 dpi) to lightning-fast maneuvers (up to 5700 dpi) in an instant.
Gaming Keyboards
Current Best: Logitech G105 Gaming Keyboard (~$45)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- Long-life, LED backlighting
- Easily locate keys even in the dark. The backlight can be set to two different brightness levels or turned off completely.
- 6 programmable G-keys
- With three macros per key, you can configure up to 18 individual functions per game, including single key presses, complex macros or intricate LUA scripts. You can also create macros on the fly.
- Multi-key input
- Use up to five keys at once to perform multiple and more complex actions.
Highly Recommended: Ducky DK9008 Shine II Mechanical Keyboard (~$149)
- Dual layer PCB
- Removable mini USB with dual sided routing
- Backlit illuminated keys with multiple lighting modes
- Laser printed keycaps with dual coating
- Muliple function DIP switch
Also Highly Recommended: Das Keyboard Professional Mechanical Keyboard (~$149)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- Media controls
- Cherry MX blue mechanical key switches with gold contacts (clicky tactile)
- Laser-etched key cap inscriptions to prevent fading
- Full n-key rollover with an included PS2 adapter, and 6 keys with USB
- Enhanced 104-key layout
- Two Windows keys
Headphones
Current Best: Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 (~$140)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- Air Dynamic (open) headphones for natural and high quality sounds with deep resonating bass and vocal projection
- Full open-air type headphones produce no sense of pressure on the ears, resulting in a completely natural sensation
- Lightweight honeycomb aluminum casing and magnesium frame structure
- Large-aperture 53 mm drivers with neodymium magnet systems and CCAW voice coils for superior sound reproduction
- Self-adjusting 3D Wing Support Housing provides comfortable support for a more enjoyable listening experience
- High-quality hybrid PCOCC and titanium alloy cord
- Extremely comfortable velvet ear-fitting pads
- Gold-plated stereo 1/8″ (3.5 mm) connector with 1/4″ (6.3 mm) adapter
- 1 year warranty
Budget Great: Corsair Vengeance 1500 Dolby 7.1 USB Gaming Headset (~$90)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- Massive 50mm drivers
- Large diameter extra-deep memory foam earpads are designed for superior comfort
- The circumaural closed-back design blocks distracting sounds and keeps your head in the game
- Extra-large inline volume and microphone control is easy to grab and use when the action heats up
- 2 yrs warranty
- Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz
- Impedance: 32 Ohms @ 1kHz
- Dynamic Range: 95dB
Highly Recommended: Audio-Technica ATH-A900 (~$250)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- Audiophile -quality headphones with aluminum housing
- Closed-back Double Air Damping System for deep bass reproduction
- Large aperture 53 mm drivers for high-fidelity playback
- Superior, deep bass and vocal projection unmatched in its class
- CCAW voice coils and OFC (oxygen-free copper) cloth-wrapped cable
- 3D Wing Support Housing offers a vibration-proof mechanism that provides comfortable support for a better listening experience
- Extremely comfortable ear-fitting pads
Microphone
Current Best: Zalman ZM-MIC 1 (~$8)
- High Sensitivity Microphone
- Sensitivity: -40±3dB
- Impedance: Max. 2.2 KOhm
- 3 Mini Clips for Tidy Arrangement
- Compact Design
Highly Recommended: Blue Microphones Snowball (~$90)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- Dual capsule CD-quality microphone for superior sound
- Professional quality Blue condenser capsules
- CD-quality audio
- Easy installation and use
- Rugged adjustable mic stand included
- Blue Microphones’ renowned circuitry
- USB cable included
- Perfect for podcasting, internet communication, voice recognition software, movie narration, music, live recording, interviews
Modems/Routers
Current Best: Billion 7800NL ($80)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- IPv6 ready (IPv4/IPv6 dual stack)
- Supports Multiple LAN segment for multiple network application
- 4-port 10 / 100Mbps Ethernet switch integrated
- High-speed Internet Access via ADSL2 / 2+; Backward Compatible with ADSL
- 802.11n Wireless Access Point with Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA-PSK/ WPA2-PSK) and Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) support
- Wireless speed up to 300Mbps
- Quality of Service Control for traffic prioritization and bandwidth management
- SOHO Firewall security with DoS Prevention and Packet Filtering
- Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) Compliance
- Dynamic Domain Name System (DDNS)
- Available Syslog
- Ease of Use with Quick Installation Wizard and Auto-scan ADSL settings
- Supports IPTV Application
- Easy Sign-On (EZSO)
Highly Recommended: FRITZBox 7390 (~$260)
Search for it on StaticICE | See official product page
- Fast Internet thanks to integrated ADSL2+ modem
- Concurrent Dual Band Wireless N up to 300Mbits
- Also suitable for combination with 3G or cable modem
- DECT base station for connecting up to 6 cordless telephones
- Connection of analog terminal devices and telephone systems
- Telephone calls via the Internet (VoIP), even if the PC is switched off
- Up to 5 answering machines and fax function integrated, voice-to-mail and fax-to-mail
- USB port for USB devices such as printers and storage media for shared use in the network
- Media server for music, images, and videos in the network
- Integrated network storage with NAS functionality
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Former Valve engineers working on augmented reality glasses
Valve released them to pursue their dreams.
Win a brand-new BenQ RL2450H RTS gaming monitor! Details inside
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I would have recommended the 7800N purely for the EWAN port. Important if NBN is coming to your area soon.
Cool, but where’s the rest of the gear???
Dell UltraSharp 23″ U2312HM ($228) – http://www.ht.com.au/part/Z8931-Dell-UltraSharp-U2312HM-LED-monitor-23/detail.hts
nice work. decent coverage for products that are well suited to gifts. being a mechanical keyboard user, I would recommend mech keyboards for everyone but the people that will really get use out of those macro keys.
ottomatic,
Agreed, this is my current equipment. Little bit more expensive but worth it to future proof for NBN.
I was a bee’s knob away from buying a pair of those Audio Technica headphones after reading this…
I’ll wait I think till my next pay cycle, all the reviews I’ve read praise the bejesus out of them! I’ve been missing a decent pair of cans since I broke my Sennheiser HD555s :(
I’m also interested in the AD700′s sometime in the next few months. Would probably grab one of the new Sound Blaster Z’s to pair it with.
Go for it, they are fantastic :)
I’m going to buy a Billion 7800NL ($80) shortly (no NBN coming here for years at the earliest.
Just a note I think the $80 is only if bundled with a plan or something. Cheapest outright I’ve found is $98.
Are there any major differences between the AD700′s and the AD900′s? Not that it matters as I doubt they’re worth the extra $100 lol but just curious.
Is there much point in getting a set of AD700s if I don’t have a sound card?
I’ve been holding onto a pair of plantronics .770s for years now because they still work and all the other gaming headsets are now USB, but I’m seriously considering getting just headphones and a clip-on mic.
The corsair vengeance looks comfortable…
The AD700 is an open set (note the perforated purple part) so it will sound different, should be comfortable for longer from less heat and pressure compared to a closed set, but it will leak more sound than a closed set so others around can hear what you’re doing easier. But I’ve been taking my 700′s with me to work for a year and half now with no complaints. Super awesome part is the velvet cushions =)
AD700 Forum Review
I tend to check this site when I want to look at whats around and such for non gamer marketed headsets.
Headphonic
You missed the point of the S27A950D. It’s a 120HZ 3D LED monitor. I have the 23″ version (23″ at 1080p is better than 27″ at 1080p) and the LED gives great colours and the 120Hz is just amazing (I don’t use 3D)
You’d really want a soundcard for them to sound the best, without they will just be average.
$32-35 ASUS+Xonar+DGX – http://staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=ASUS+Xonar+DGX&spos=1
$28-30 ASUS+Xonar+DG – http://staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=ASUS+Xonar+DG&spos=1
Both have a built in headphone amp.
The Vengeance are good, you can get replacements ear pads from Corsair’s website if needed, their software isn’t as good as Logitech’s G35/930 however; the upside being that the build quality is better with the Vengeance though.
exe3,
I have a set of A900′s and the GF’s got a pair of AD700′s, both set’s were highly recommended by friends and other forum users. Having used both in a variety of games, the A900′s sound and feel better no matter what your doing, the AD700′s rock the casbah over anything else in that price range. Between the two, the step up for me was with the AD700′s i felt if was still sitting in a room playing a game, with the 900′s on i was in the game. To me, gear that gets you in the game immersion wise, is worth it. The AD700′s will, like the corsairs get you into playing the game, but those long hauls (like metro 2033) the 900′s pay for themselves, even without a $100 sound card.
@ashigaru,
My best friend rolls a pair of 555′s, he’s mad jelly for a pair of AD700′s since i swung him the GF’s pair at a lan. sennis are good, but the AT’s speak for themselves.
@Hotblack,
If your talking Comp wise, check out the hardware forums ;)
I’d like to thank Tim ‘Dat Badass’ Colwill for this, definatly owe a beer or six for this <3
I was more curious about the open 700′s vs the open 900′s rather than the closed 900′s. I don’t really know anywhere where i’d get the closed variety anyway and i’m curious in experiencing the more open sound stage (more immersive and more accurate sounds from everything i’ve read). PC Case Gear have both open 700′s and open 900′s which is why i’m interested in knowing if there is a marked improvement in the AD900′s over the AD700′s or if the AD700′s are amazing enough that you don’t really need to go higher.
are there any monitors that go beyond 1920 by 1080? i have a 670 gtx and would like to stress it out a bit more than i currently do…
trex0321,
LG IPS http://www.overlordcomputer.com/overlord_tempest_X270OC_display_p/ot_x270oc_a.htm
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/330765147621?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
Good list!
Screen – I also went 23″ SA23A950D over the 27″ > has higher pixel density :)
Would go LG overclockable IPS now if i can get one…1440P ;) *see above*
Mouse – I have a Xai & Sensei.. I would put Sensei in the list!!!
Headphones – Have AD700′s very comfortable for people with big skulls like myself!!
Wish I had NBN…
Just wondering where those supposed “current best” items came from, as many of those items are good, but are very far from the “current best”.
violentseizure,
These are a bunch of products that are highly recommended and have been popular for some time.
FRITZBox 7390 over billion any day… It also is compatible with fiber.
plus the DECT station is useful for Voip.
Interesting post, thanks for the insight.
I’m still getting the M50s for christmas though as they’re the most universally recommended :P (predominantly Classical/Romantic listening with some gaming thrown in), may have to buy a sound card too but wouldn’t want to skimp on that so I’ll probably have to wait for my birthday to roll around for that.
The 23″ is increasing hard to find, i hope Samsung gets to grips with another generation of these monitors and listens to the feedback, they are bloody great in either 23/27 variety. My only with would be for the return of the s27A750 with a hdmi and dvi-d ports over DP, or better support for nvidia 3d.
the density going to the 27″ doesnt eat away too much, and actually i preferred it over going to a 32″ for the same distance. 27′s a decent sweet spot for distance and pixelation when you bring 3d viewing distance and resolutions in game into factor.
Also splango, i went the Xai as its a throw back to the intelli mouse, the sensi is a great bit of kit tho, steelseries mice and headphones have been getting a bit more of a market share now that people realise that there are more than just M$ and logitech who make pc peripherals.
@rapid101,
Heh, a musician/producer friend of mine borrowed my AD900′s. He’s since bought a pair of A900X’s and a set of M50′s. I like the comfort of the 900′s but the sound of the ATH-M50′s is pretty great, but i think more ideally suited for music. They do have a bit of a ‘burn-in’ time to them tho, so if they arent right to begin with, use them for a while, or do your tuning for the headset after a week or so of decent use.
@exe,
I purchased both my sets from amazon, as headphones.com.au was out at the time, and their listed price was dearer than it cost me to get both sets and a zalman mic shipped to my door. Check with them before you place an order tho, as a few mates have gotten gear through them and they do a very decent service.
as per the closed v open, not having tried a set of closed 700′s or open 900′s, there are a few things that come to mind, including the weight of the closed cans, and also the feel of the muffs. As for sound, nothing escapes from my closed set once they are on, the opens will bleed a bit if used up on high, but no where near as bad as, say, playing music of a phone. People tend to admit the opens are a bit bassier, but it all depends on what your driving them with and what your listening to.
Completely false, The sound cards only have a very small effect on sound, other than ones with high output impedance AKA the ones you just recommend.
The A900 and AD900 are completely different and the AD700 is regarded as better than the A900.
<3 I hope the feedback isnt too annoying… if i need clarifying just yell <3
What is the point of those two 27″ monitors if their resolution is the same as a 23″? For a TV I understand because I sit two-ish metres away from that, but I fail to see the benefit as a computer monitor.
Just asking…
Nice to know you have made up your own conclusion which anyone who has used a decent headset would completely disagree with, but you enjoy your onboard if you can’t hear the difference.
Was thinking about getting a new keyboard, I got a $14 one when I built my computer to keep the cost down, but that was three years ago I guess it’s fine really and I don’t game serious enough to use complicated binds. Would a new keyboard be beneficial to me? Say comfort wise? And trust me even though I might not use in-game binds I will find other uses for them!
+1 for the G500. I have one of these and it’s served me really well. It’s also worth noting that it now uses the same software as a G series keyboard instead of SetPoint (starting with LGS version 8.40).
Also, the FritzBox 7390 supports the NBN in addition to that feature list. It also has the best web interface I’ve used (complete with integrated firmware update checking – no need to leave the web interface to get new firmware as it’s downloaded and installed on the fly).
I’m actually looking for a new monitor but I’m torn between getting a high refresh rate and getting an IPS panel. Wish a monitor company would make a panel that has both (or even Razer – given that they’ve branched out into laptops, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to go into monitors as well).
Also, IMO the stand on that Samsung monitor looks retarded.
It is. Your screen WILL start to lean after a while.
Do not bother: it is all wank…
It is weird but I don’t you’ll notice it leaning unless it becomes extreme (which I very much doubt it will). Atm side by side my 2333SW has a greater lean than it.
My brand new set of AD700s are sitting under the Christmas tree. Getting very impatient.
Getting the Zalman mic shipped to Perth was going to be ridiculously expensive ($12 for the mic and $12 again for postage!) so I looked around and found this:
http://www.modmic.com/
It’s more expensive ($32 + $8 postage) and, being a new small company it’s probably not going to arrive for weeks, but omg.
Brilliant idea
Hahaha, shit. That is awesome.