GEAR OF THE YEAR
THE BEST PC PERIPHERALS
BEST GAMING MONITOR ACER PREDATOR X34P $1,399 | acer.com
There is little to dislike about the Acer Predator X34P. It has G-Sync and 120Hz support wrapped up in a 1900R-curved IPS screen with accurate color and good contrast, made even better by a unique approach to gamma that works extremely well. It’s better-looking than its predecessor, and speedier too.
BEST LAPTOP MOUSE LOGITECH MX ANYWHERE 2S $90 | logitech.com
Logitech’s push this year was to add crosscomputer compatibility to its wireless keyboards and mice, which made our favourite laptop mouse even more appealing. It’s $10 more than last year’s MX Anywhere 2, but the added multi-computer compatibility allows seamless scrolling across PCs as if they’re screens on the same system, so it’s worth a bit extra in our eyes. After all this mouse does maintain the 3-week-lifespan rechargeable Li-Po battery, nearly faultless tracking and USB dongle or Bluetooth connection of its predecessor.
BEST PROFESSIONAL MONITOR DELL U3415W $1,200 | dell.com
Curved monitors may still leave some buyers scratching their heads, but in our opinion, they’re quite useful and worth the extra money. The U3415W offers quality and accuracy that easily justify its price, so we consider the ultra-wide aspect and curved screen to be bonuses. We have no trouble recommending this one to professionals or enthusiasts alike.
BEST USB LAPTOP DOCK/HUB STARTECH THUNDERBOLT 3 DUAL-4K DOCKING STATION $399 | startech.com
Often, docking stations require multiple leads, but StarTech’s latest offering avoids that. The device has been designed to work with thinner notebooks and uses only one cable. As the name suggests, it supports dual 4K displays (at 60Hz) and harnesses the power of Thunderbolt 3, offering 40Gbps bandwidth while keeping portability in mind. That’s not all, though. It can be used with up to three USB 3.0 devices and you also get Gigabit Ethernet capability.
BEST BUDGET MONITOR AOC Q3279VWFD8 $299 | au.aoc.com
A mammoth 31.5 inches in size, all of it a quality IPS panel at a game-friendly 2560x1440 resolution for under $300. The refresh rate of 75Hz is reasonable, especially at this price. FreeSync support helps keep the price down and makes this a great choice for AMD GPUs, but really for $300 any Nvidia owner would get great satisfaction from this beauty, too.
BEST PROFESSIONAL MOUSE LOGITECH MX MASTER 2S $149 | logitech.com
The Logitech MX Master 2S is one of the best mice you can buy today, especially if you need to get some work done. The Logitech MX Master 2S is created for one thing, and one thing only: productivity. Trust us, you might not think you need a high-end wireless mouse for your day-to-day office work, but once you use this mouse, with its ergonomic grip and buttons and dials you can program for anything you’ll never want to go back.