Looking for the best gift for that PC gamer in your life? Well look no further than B&H. Whether you are looking for a new desktop or laptop, maybe a nifty mobile device or the cool accessory, B&H is here to help. So, take a look at some of the coolest gear and become the top-tier gift giver this holiday season!
Laptops
Beginners, indie enthusiasts, and low-spec gamers that enjoy retro titles will find the Lenovo LOQ 17 gaming laptop to be one of the more interesting products out there. It has just enough under the hood to get into a bunch of titles. The Intel Core i5, 12GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD all lay the groundwork, while the dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 graphics card boosts visual fidelity to make games run smoothly. It also features a solid HD display with a fast refresh rate that adds to the overall fluidity.
ASUS has a solid laptop for the mid-tier gamers out there with their Republic of Gamers Strix G18! At the heart of this machine is the AMD Ryzen 9 processor which is one of the top-of-the-line CPUs out there currently in a laptop. It also has 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD, both contributing to the system's overall speed. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 graphics card is enough to support a lot of games, from beloved indie titles to online competitive shooters.
For the gaming enthusiast in your life, the powerful MSI Vector 16 HX AI gaming laptop is a great option. Equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, 32GB of memory, a 1TB SSD, and a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card, the Vector presents itself as a no-compromises machine. It also has a colorful 16" high-resolution and incredibly fast display that gives gamers the performance they want in a mobile form factor.
Desktops
Not every gamer out there wants a laptop, which brings us to the realm of the good ole desktop computer. One of our favorite recommendations is the MSI Codex Z2 gaming desktop computer. It features a quality AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 16GB of memory, a 2TB SSD, and a dedicated NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti graphics card. Users will be able to play a ton of graphically demanding games on medium settings, while easily handling indie and retro games.
A step up would be MSI's Aegis Z2, which also features an AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 32GB of memory, and a 2TB SSD. The big difference is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card, which is a more robust GPU designed to handle a ton of games at high settings.
On the more extreme side of the aisle, we have the HP OMEN 45L, which is machine designed to run games at high settings with support for up to 4K resolution and high refresh rates. What makes this possible is an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 32GB of memory, a 2TB SSD, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card! Here you can run games on the highest settings with the fastest refresh rate without an issue. With this system, you won't have to worry about upgrading for a long, long time.
Monitors
Whether the gamer in your life has a new system or they just performed a few upgrades, chances are a new monitor is called for. In the case for entry level gamers, a monitor like the MSI MAG 275F is a solid choice. It is a standard 16:9 aspect ratio and sports an HD 1080p resolution, but it has an amazing 180 Hz refresh rate, which is great for competitive games where monitor speed is just as important as resolution. It offers great color and brightness, suitable for a majority of gamers out there.
The ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ3A is a solid pick, delivering great 1440p resolution with 180 Hz refresh rate for clear and smooth imagery. It also has a higher level of brightness, support for more colors, and even has HDR10 support.
Finally, I can easily recommend the MSI MAG 321CUP display for the high-end gamer looking for something robust, fast, and absolutely stunning. This 32" curved display features a 4K resolution and 165 Hz refresh rate, but the real highlight is the OLED panel. Because of how versatile OLED technology is, you get a great picture with support for billions of colors, an incredibly high contrast ratio, and a true 1000 nits peak brightness for HDR capabilities.
Accessories and Peripherals
Let's say the gaming fan in your life already has the best system and a top-tier display, what do you get them? Well, we can't forget about all the neat accessories and peripherals out there—for example, the Logitech G G915 X LIGHTSPEED mechanical gaming keyboard. This particular variant uses GL Brown tactile switches, which offer a smooth press without the loud clicky sounds. There is also customizable lighting effects and built-in media controls.
The ASUS ROG Falchion Ace HFX is another great keyboard, one that incorporates a ton of gaming-centric features like magnetic switches, per-key RGB lighting, rapid trigger toggle, and more. Most importantly, it is a reduced size keyboard, giving users only the most essential keys for both typing and gaming.
Aside from a keyboard, a good mouse can go a very long way. My personal favorite is the Logitech G G502 HERO gaming mouse. It has a ton of additional buttons, an accurate optical sensor, and an adjustable weight system so you can get that perfect feel. My favorite aspect of this mouse is the “infinite" scroll wheel, which takes the standard scroll function, unlocks it, and gives you a friction-free experience. There is also a wireless variant for those who don't like cables.
Gaming headsets are also incredibly popular and make a great gift, especially a wireless pair. Models like the Fractal Design Scape Dark deliver great sound and feature a removable boom microphone, great if the user wants to just listen to their media. But for pro players, the ASTRO Gaming A50 Gen 5 is a great upgrade. This model allows you to plug in all of your favorite consoles and easily switch between them—the one headset to rule them all!
Designed for the competitive gamer out there, the PRO X2 SUPERSTRIKE LIGHTSPEED combines performance and ergonomics to deliver the best competitive gaming mouse I have ever used. It is fairly standard as far as buttons go, giving you the standard clicks with only two secondary side buttons, but for competitive shooters, this is the best mouse on the market hands down thanks to the internal optical sensors, haptic trigger system, and more!
Some gamers may be ambitious and want to venture into the world of content creation. With tools such as the Elgato HD60 X capture card, the gamer in your life can record and stream their gameplay to others all around the world.
For the flight and racing sim enjoyer, there are various products to help immerse players into their favorite titles. For the flight enthusiasts, there is the Logitech G X52 H.O.T.A.S. throttle and stick simulation controller designed for those who want to take their flying experience to new levels. Logitech G also has its G923 TRUEFORCE racing wheel and pedal set, which are designed for the racing sim enthusiast in your life.
Battery Backup Systems
Whether you are a PC or console gamer, having a battery backup system is important. Systems like the APC Back-UPS Pro Gaming Battery Backup System and the CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD PFC Sinewave UPS are both fantastic products designed to give you some extra life so you can properly shut down your equipment. Tired of getting the PlayStation 5’s power-down message every time you sit to play a game? This should help as both systems include a slew of outfits, monitoring capabilities, and a whole lot more.
There you go—plenty of nifty gifts for the gamer in your life. Make sure you click on all the links above to learn more about each of the devices mentioned here.
