If you’re looking to take your gaming computer to the next level and not have your computer’s peripherals hold you back, you’ll want to look at investing in some real gaming-grade gear to unlock your skill level and reach new heights of competitiveness in those online games. Here are five things that connect to your computer, and you need to pay attention to what will give you the competitive edge.
A Mechanical Keyboard
Normal office keyboards work by using a rubber membrane to depress and spring the key back into place as you push down. If you’ve never used a mechanical keyboard, you might not realize what you’re missing out on once you ditch that membrane-based keyboard. Mechanical keyboards have a mechanical mechanism and actual spring inside each and every key to offer actuation of keypresses that take less pressure to activate, return to position quicker, and just overall offer a more tactile experience to your gaming. They often also include extra keys for macros or functions that a normal membrane office key doesn’t. The mechanical switches are rated based on their actuation force and classified by color. Look for brown switches if you like a more natural key, or red ones if you want light, fast keys.
A High-Poll Gaming Mouse
The biggest advantage gaming mice offer over their standard counterparts is both the sensitivity of the sensor and the polling rate of the mouse. Many manufacturers, including Lenovo, make mice specifically for gaming.
The sensor sensitivity is rated in DPI, and the higher the number, the more subtle the movements it can translate, and the more you can adjust the speed of the mouse to be either incredibly sensitive to the smallest movement or require exaggerated movements to better control your aim. The polling rate is simply a measure of how many times in a second the mouse reports movements to the computer – also, the higher this number, the better.
Gaming mice also come in different sizes and weights, and some even offer removable and customizable sizing and weights.
The Right Mousepad
Not all mousepads are created equal and there is a definite difference between them that can translate to you having a preference. If you’re taking gaming more seriously, the last thing you want to do is just have your mouse straight on the desk. Gaming mice rely on a uniform surface to properly report movement to the computer, and thus the mousepad is very important. Gaming mousepads are predominantly made of neoprene material, but hard surface pads are making a comeback. Look on the mousepad packaging for the classification of the pad, which will vary from control surfaces to speed surfaces. Often, the type of game you’re playing will be the deciding factor in the type of mousepad surface you look for.
Gaming gear isn’t all just flashing colorful lights and sharp design. There’s some real cutting-edge technology that goes into these peripherals to help you get the most out of your time spent in-game. You might need to spend a bit more to get the best of the best, but it will be worth it.
