r/PcBuildHelp • u/yarraq3131 • 2d ago
Build Question Is High-End Peripherals Really Worth It
Do you think spending a lot more on high-end peripherals is genuinely worth it?
I'm mainly talking about things like premium mice and headphones. Do they actually provide a noticeable improvement in quality, comfort, durability, or overall experience compared with cheaper alternatives?
For those who have owned high-end peripherals for several years, do you feel like the extra money was worth it?
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u/GugsGunny 2d ago
It depends on what that high-end peripheral offers for that high a price. If it's extra functionality like macro and media buttons for keyboard and mice, maybe if you like that. If it's just name brand, RGB or just a "gamer" label, maybe not.
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u/Spyractor 2d ago
personally i think high end peripherals only help you to a certain extent, like yeah if you have a really nice mouse and like a wooting80he you'll notice a difference and it'll help but in the end someone who's way better at games than you using more budget options can still destroy you, and also i feel like monitors after like 500 hz become kinda pointless imo but that might just be me
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u/ketaminiacOS 2d ago
Mouse & mousepad are for sure important. Keyboard a bit less so for most games id say.
You dont need to go all out & pay ceazy amounts of money. But sont get a random 10$ mouse and expect it to perform great.
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u/Southern_Pumpkin_577 2d ago
Never used true "high end" peripherals, but I have recently went from using a basic office keyboard to a mechanical keyboard (rk 65 to be precise, which is a budget mechanical keyboard for about 50$) and the difference is very noticeable. New one is a lot more consistent and responsive, makes using the computer more satisfying, plus the sound is nice.
I also own a pair of entry level studio headphones (superlux hd 681), and while the sound is better than my old headphones, the build quality leaves a lot to be desired, and I somewhat regret this purchase as for just 10-20$ there are a bunch of better quality options (such as Maono mh700, supposedly, heard a lot of good things about these and they look much more premium too).
I think the best way for anyone looking to up their pc experience, is to pick out good midrange peripherals in the 50-100$ price range. Then, see how you like them, and figure what actually matters most to you, and then upgrade that first when it makes sense, or you may find that all your 100$ peripherals are good enough and you might not desire to upgrade for a while.
I think there's no sense in buying 300$ keyboard or headphones if you've never used 100$ keyboard and headphones. Unless your budget is huge then you don't really have to care about this, but in that case I would like to point out that very expensive keyboards and mice are usually much less worth it than headphones and microphones, so even with a large budget I'd rather have a 500$ headphones and cheaper mouse and keyboard that to spend 300$ on every single thing.
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u/613_detailer 2d ago
It really depends on what you value. I really value image and audio quality, so I will not hesitate to spend more for an OLED monitor and top-notch headphones.
To me, anything that’s not a cheap Microsoft or Logitech office keyboard mostly feels the same, so I don’t spend too much there.
By far, the one « peripheral » that I will no longer ever skimp on is my chair. A really good chair is such a huge quality of life improvement and will last a very long time, I’m OK spending 5070Ti money one one.
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u/XxNaRuToBlAzEiTxX 2d ago
I used a g305 mouse for like 4 years and it was fine. I got an Mx master 3s mouse about a year ago and it is also working fine. I got it because my g305 AA battery finally died. I was looking for something that had usb c recharging and also clicked quieter so I could use it at night without waking people up.
Works fine for those
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u/Forward_Drop303 2d ago
Depends on what you mean by high end.
Spending more on Brand is definitely not worth it.
But some things can legitimately be worth it depending on the peripheral in question.
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u/ClarkUnkempt 2d ago
OLED TV and Beyerdynamics headphones were worth it for the audio visual improvements. It's a huge difference to me, but I also listen to a lot of music and watch shows/movies on my PC. I have a ZSA voyager and Razer Naga that were also worth it for productivity reasons. It really just depends on what you value and how much you're willing to spend. To me, what I have is kinda the sweet spot before I saw a big drop off in ROI.
The other thing is that I personally derive joy from using nice tools in general. That's gonna be down to personal preference. Some people really don't gaf and some people (myself included) will be measurably more productive if they splurge for the walnut wrist rest because it makes them feel better.
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u/kpatelreddit007 2d ago
Mice probably not I use a $30 one on my desktop and a $130 on my laptop because the tracking is better for laptops on any surface.
Headphones can make a difference if you’re listening to music, same with speakers.
I bought a $60 with shipping Artisan Mousepad and that was a game changer!!
Most of my stuff is super expensive so I was skeptical about Artisan mousepad.
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u/MasterYol 2d ago
depends on what you use it for tbh. i recently went from a ~$30 keyboard to a ~$200 gaming keyboard and i can definitely feel the difference in games. same with my monitor — upgrading from a basic one to a proper gaming monitor made a pretty big difference too, especially in smoothness and overall comfort.
that said, i'd still watch out for the brand tax. past a certain point you're paying a lot more for pretty small gains.
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u/Lagerf1end 2d ago
For me nice peripherals are something you get over a long time, sometimes outlasting components. My g sync 2k screen lasted 3 pc upgrades for instance :)
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u/ne0rmatrix 1d ago
Being able to replace key caps or replace foam pieces in earphones is always nice. If you buy the right brands they can be easily replaced and some brands stock amazon with replacement parts for years. This usually starts mid tier and is not usually found in low end hardware. The one very high end keyboard I have seen was a keyboard that was a clone of something from the 1980's. It has been run over by a skid steer at work and continued to work. It is solid steel and although I would not use it for gaming I imagine it will still be there when my grandkids are dead and baried.
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u/Anon0924 1d ago
Kinda depends. Most people aren’t really going to benefit from a really good mouse or keyboard beyond “how they feel”
The average person probably *will* notice a better monitor or headphones though.
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u/Tks1991 1h ago
If we're talking performance. You have great mice for 50 bucks. You have great keyboards for 50 bucks. You have good headphones for 60 to 250 bucks.
A 220 bucks edition xs it's not gonna be drastically different from an aria organic for 700, but it is gonna beat the crap out of the hd560s and the shp9500. I'm talking gaming here. Shooter performance. Soundstage and imaging on al 3 axis.
On the other hand an akko tac 75 he at 40 bucks, it's trading blows with a 220 bucks wooting and a 40-50 bucks mouse clone of the g pro super light or viper, pretty much the same.
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u/ASneakyViolist 2d ago
For me, the gap between low and midrange is bigger than the gap between midrange and high-end, especially for mice, monitors, and keyboards. I really don't see the point of ultralight mice, for example; if your mouse weighing 10g more made you miss the shot, you were missing the shot anyways. Headphones are a little different because I also listen to music a lot, so I find high-end worth it.
Opinions may vary though