Since you didn't say, I'm going to assume you're a palm gripper...and just in case (since some people get it mixed up), low sens = using a lot of mouse movement to turn around, whereas high sens = just needs a few inches to do a 360.

Mice:

• Razer Deathadder 2013 ($57): I haven't seen anything negative about this mouse's sensor, only praise...I'm assuming it's another Deathadder with a flawless sensor. You can't beat the Deathadder in design/ergonomics if you're a palm gripper - it has . Downside is having to use Synapse 2.0 drivers which I have heard are a pain in the ass...haven't used them myself though. Also, I feel that the braided cable is a downside too since it is much heavier and rigid than non-braided.
  
  
• Zowie EC1 eVo ($62): (Just got mine yesterday, I've used the Mamba (wireless Deathadder) for quite a while before this) Huge mouse feet for dat glide, non-braided cable, mouse is so freaking light that it feels wireless (especially with a cable bungee), absolutely no drivers - you just hold down certain buttons while plugging in the USB if you want to change settings. Flawless sensor and great for low sens gaming due to its lightness and optical sensor. Oh yeah, and it comes with a spare pair of mice feet, how can ya not love that?
  
  A wireless Mamba is gunna set you back $105 for the mouse alone, so I don't suggest that, even though this mouse has served me well.
  
  Keyboards:
  
  At that price ($110) for that Cooler Master board, it's just not worth it. Leopold is a better choice at that price range. Don't get me wrong, CM makes good stuff, but their niche is in the sub $70 range...that's when they are really good buys, but you'd have to wait for a sale, and who knows when the next one would be.
  
  
• Leopold: Mechanical keyboards are absolutely worth it and these guys make some of the best keyboards on the market (in our price range). You're going to have to decide what switches you want though. I went with red, they are incredibly light, but if I got to choose again I'd probably go with blacks (they are a little heavier to press). It all depends on what you mostly do...gaming or typing? If you type more than game then you'd probably be better off with browns or blues. These things are built like tanks though, really sturdy and heavy, also it's nice that there is a groove to route the cable to the left or right on the back, if you need that. This keyboard will literally last you forever.
  
  Mousepad:
  
  
• SteelSeries Qck Heavy ($21) or Qck+ ($17): The most popular low-sens mousepads around. The Heavy has a 6mm thickness and is good if your desk has an uneven surface. The Qck+ is just a skinny version of the same thing at 2mm thickness. I have a Qck+ but looking to buy a Heavy just because I want something thicker; the Qck+ does its job very well though. Btw, the Zowie glides amazingly on this pad.
  
  
• Xtrac Ripper XXL ($30): If you want something ungodly in size so that you can put your keyboard and mouse on it, then look no further than this desk pad.
  
  I don't know how you feel about cable drag, but it makes me want to do terrible things to innocent creatures. I mentioned earlier that I am using a mouse bungee ($17) from Razer and it works well enough. The Zowie's cable is a bit too thick to fit in the last clip closest to the base, but it fits in the other two just fine and does its job of no-drag. But, if you've got enough space for the cable to stretch out...Zowie's cable is so light that you might not feel it anyway.
  
  I went as close to the budget as I could/went over it a bit (depending on what you choose). If you're going to be dropping this much money on peripherals then you might as well get the best that will last you for years to come.
  
  Let me know if there is anything else...
  
  
  
  
  
  

The Sennheiser PC line, like the PC350, PC360, PC330... Blah blah, but I personally still think the AD700's out perform the PC line, maybe on par with the PC360's.. But the PC line is overpriced, but very very good. What I recommend is getting a clip on mic, the Zalman ZM-MIC1 and AD700 combo is quite popular. If you have the money, the AKG701/702's with a nice amp are probably the best known for gaming. Best thing about the AKG's, you can game, music and watch movies with amazing beautiful sound quality, the AD700's are quite bad for movies and music, depending on what you're already used to, they still sound phenomenal for some.. If you really don't want a clip on mic, look into th Blue Yeti usb microphone. It's amazing.

I've had razor death adder for over a year and it's fantastic. I've traveled with it extensively when I would game at other peoples houses on my laptop. There seems to be a air of disapproval on reddit about razor products but the reviews rarely show it. I have large hands and it conforms to my grip perfectly. The drivers come with customization software as well. The top of the mouse feels like velvet making it a pleasure just to use it. Price isn't outrageous either. And it looks sexy. Better than the pictures do it justice in my opinion. Link

Finally was able to get my spot, to where I wanted it after saving, and patiently waiting to get everything the way I wanted.

​

I had some people asking in my last post about the computer and wall art so i figure i would do a nice write up with some of the Amazon links where I purchased these items.

​

PC

• Case - NZXT S340
  
• CPU - I7-8700 w/ Corsair H100i V2 Cooling
  
• GPU - GTX 1080 Hybrid
  
• RAM - Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 16gb
  
• 250GB SSD/2TB SSHD
  
  ​
  
  

  Console's
  

  
  

• Sony PS4 Pro
  
• Nintendo Switch
  
  ​
  
  

  Accessories
  

  
  

• Monitor 1 - 65'' LG 4k UHD
  
• Monitor 2 - 27'' Asus ROG PG279 165hz
  
• Monitor 3 - 24'' Asus MG248 144hz
  
• Mouse - Logitech G-Pro and G903 w/ Powerplay mouse pad
  
• Keyboard - Logitech G-Pro TKL
  
• Controller - Xbox one Game Pad
  
• Headset/mic - SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless
  
• Surround sound - Onkyo HTS5800 Atmos
  
• Desk - Whalen Jasper L-Desk, Espresso
  
• Chair - WorkPro Quantum 9000 Series mesh
  
  ​
  
  

  Lights/Wall Decor
  

  
  

• Nanoleaf Rhythm Edition
  
• Philips Hue Play Bar x2 w/ bridge controller
  
• Philips Hue Go
  
• Philips hue white/color x4
  
• Some china LED strips that need to be replaced by smart LEDs
  
• Legend Of Zelda Canvas
  
• Destiny 2 poster
  
• Resident Evil 2 retro poster
  
  ​
  
  

  Things I found amazing to help with Cable Management
  

  
  

• Power strip box
  
• Nylon Cable wrap - great for keeping dust off cable's
  
• Velcro ties
  
• Cable Clips
  
  ​
  
  I mounted the Monitor's and Consoles/Controllers to the wall to help with a set up that looked clean and well is easy to infact clean.
  
  I don't plan on doing much else to my setup besides upgrading those chinese LEDs, new furniture and fixing the paint on the wall that got ripped off by a super strong command strip.
  
  ​
  
  Here's some more photo's
  
  https://imgur.com/a/CdsRuu6

Here's my copy/pasted response to this sort of question because it comes up so damn often.

---

Get a pair of headphones and a mic.

If you want surround sound with your headphones, go for the Asus Xonar DG($24) as your sound card. It is very inexpensive and offers Dolby Headphone(ie, it allows you to have virtual surround sound on any pair of headphones - certain headphones work better with this than others, check out this thread at Head-Fi for a plethora of headphones reviewed with Dolby Headphone in mind).

As for the microphone, the common choice is the Zalman zm-mic1($9). Another great choice if you want a better microphone is the Antlion ModMic($33).

As for the headphones, this is a very personal thing. Do you want to be able to accurately pinpoint the location of footsteps in first person shooters? Go for something that is reviewed well by Mad Lust Envy in his thread. Good choices would be the Audio Technica ATH-AD700, the AKG K701/K702/Q701, the Sennheiser HD558/HD598. All of these are open headphones, which tend to be better if you want positional accuracy, but if you'd prefer a closed pair, the Beyerdynamic DT770/DT880(partially open) are rather good. Keep in mind that the Beyers and the AKGs should not be used without an external amp. The other ones should be fine to run off the sound card.

If you don't need pristine positional accuracy in first person shooters, you could go for a huge number of different headphones to suit your tastes. Here is a great thread on Head-Fi comparing many different headphones.

---

Also,

>USB if possible.

You win all of my why for the day.

Just something I think might be useful after you just bought that sound card: I'm pretty sure USB headsets don't actually use your sound card and instead have a built in one, so that 7H, while nice, wouldn't utilize that $185 sound card you just plunkered down for.

I've heard the AD700s are good, but I've not used them, so I can't testify from experience. Same goes for this mic.

Those would run you a little less than that 7h and, based on my understanding, actually utilize that sound card. Some might also say you'd get better sound since you're not paying a premium for a "Gaming" brand, like Steelseries, but of course, there's a lot of opinion in that.

Like I said, I'm pretty sure about that bit in the first paragraph, but if I'm wrong, I'd love for someone to correct me! (Or let me know if I am right, for sure. Haven't been able to find a definitive source.)

Christ on a bike, buy a cheaper CPU cooler. Something like a Scythe Mugen 5 is almost half the price and probably performs the same.

I'd consider swapping the 1070ti for a (not reference) Vega 56. They're pretty much identical in performance and price, so the main benefit is not being locked into pricey Gsync monitors and Nvidia drivers.

Also, make sure the 450W PSU is enough for the system. It seems low, but hardware has gotten really power efficient!

Edit:

Another area to save a lot on is the motherboard. I'm not sure what you're planning on doing, but if it's gaming all you need is a b-450 motherboard. Consider an MATX form factor if you aren't going to use all the extra slots afforded by pricier ATX sized boards. This MSI MATX board for example.

You could save even more by buying an older b-350 or x370 board and making sure the bios are updated to support your 2000 series ryzen processor.

You would definitely need to get a better PSU if yours is 500w, I would recommend a quality brand 650w PSU, like the Corsair TX650 (If you order from there make sure it's the enthusiast option). A good, brand name PSU will last a long time and will keep your components safer from power surges and fluctuation.

As for your CPU, you can still get around a .2 bump in Ghz with the stock cooler. If you want a good air cooler for cheap then the Hyper 212 can get you to around 4 -- 4.2 Ghz easily. There are bigger and better air coolers and all-in-one water coolers that can take you to 4.5 Ghz for around $80.


What games and resolutions do you plan on using the 770 for? It may be a bit of an overkill for your situation, unless your 550 Ti is really struggling with your monitor resolutions.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002Q4U5DK

If you still want a nice Razer mouse, but with less buttons, there's this DeathAdder. It has blue LEDs, two side buttons, and is extremely comfortable. I've had it for a few months, its extremely nice, very worth the money.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A378L4C

As for a keyboard, this is the one I'll be getting soon. CM Storm Quickfire TK. Its compact, mechanical, blue LED backlit, and has Cherry MX Blue switches, which are supposed to be like heaven.

In my experience the Corsair Vengeance series are not a good buy. They don't sound any good at all compared with other headsets of that range at stock and even after you play around with the EQ settings for hours they're still lacking behind quite a way.

I had a pair of SteelSeries Serbia V2's as my last headset and they sounded very nice, and the mic was crystal clear. Unfortunately they broke after about 5 months (probably be just being heavy handed, though). But they're way below your price range.

I know you said you don't want a clip-on mic and if you really don't then don't read on, but there is simply no possible way to get the same ratio of quality/price with headsets. A very good and very common combination is the Audio Technica ATH AD700's with the Zalman mic. If you're still massively against clip-ons, the ModMic may interest you. Probably the best mic you've ever used in terms of quality and you can simply ziptie or sheath the cables together.

Hope it helps.

Big Picture is just an interface - a different way to view the same list of games. If you are running the Big Picture steam client beta, you can access Big Picture on your desktop PC by launching steam and clicking the Big Picture logo in the corner. So yes, you need a dedicated PC attached to your TV if you want to use Big Picture on your TV. The performance of the games accessed via the Big Picture interface should only vary if your tv or cabling has greater latency than your PC monitor.

Personally, I bought a 50 foot HDMI cable to connect my PC to my TV when they were in separate rooms and it worked great. This is the first I've heard of HDMI over ethernet - that sounds pretty cool! I suppose it's really only useful if you plan on exceeding 50 feet of HDMI or if you have in wall Ethernet cabling already installed in your home. No idea how it would effect latency.

As for controllers, if you are exceeding 10 feet, going through walls, etc, then you are going to have trouble with many bluetooth devices. This is a problem I was never able to fully solve, and now my PC is next to my TV so it's no longer an issue for me. When it was, I usually used my 360 controller as my primary input device while on the couch, as I typically only played on the couch when I wanted to kick back and mash some buttons. I'd recommend getting a wireless 360 controller receiver. Mine worked fine traveling about 20 feet through 2 walls with no noticeable performance issues.

I was going through one headset every 6-8 months. The mic would either crap out or snap off or the headband would break, etc.

I'm about 3-4 years into my AD700 + dedicated mic combo and don't see any signs of failure/wear on either. Most people opt for a clip-on mic like these Zalmans instead of the bulkier type I got, but that's just user preference speaking.

EDIT: The AD700 actually sounds like a good fit for you. They're both light on the head and have HUGE enclosures for your ears. The large headphone cups are amazing for positional audio in games.

I have a big head and stretched ears. So finding a comfortable set of headphones is a challenge. About a year ago I picked up a refurbished pair of Sennheiser HD558s on Amazon for 100 dollars. They are perfect. Open ear, comfortable and great for gaming.

Here is a link if you are interested: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004FEEY9A/ref=dp_olp_refurbished?ie=UTF8&condition=refurbished

Buying yourself some stand alone headphones and a mic like the Zalman Mic1 would be a good idea. It's the path I have taken.

I am getting myself some HD558s and I have heard some good things about the ATH-M50s if you like the closed back style. A good friend of mine went with the Audio-Technicas and the Zalman Mic, he says he is really happy with the choice

why USB connected?
this type of post gets repeated OVER and OVER again, here's what i've learned.
Generally, the best "gaming" headset would be to get a regular set of reliable headphones from sennheiser, anywhere but bose really.
then add either a zalman external mic or get a modmic.
unfortunately modmic is going through some updates at the time apparently, so you can't really buy them until July 10th, they say.
In addition, it's a good point to add that like gokudude said below, headphones are only as good as the sound output. your best bet would be to invest in a sound card.

Definitely get a cheap 3rd party cooler for that CPU my dude. An H7 would do just fine.

Edit: On second thought, Cryorig must be going out of business because the cooler I paid under around $30 is now well over $100. Another great option would be the budget king H212 Evo and step-ups include Noctua's offering or the Scythe Mugen, BeQuiet's, all are great budget coolers.

I've heard nothing but good about the deathadder and the naga. The naga is great for the sheer fact of its size and the number of buttons. Price wise the naga is about 75 bucks after shipping and the Deathadder is about 55. Both go for the allegiance to razer and are around 75.

IF you're willing to stray from razer I personally have the logitech mx518. I've had it for years and it's one of the best mice I've ever had the chance of holding. It works well for large hands and has most all of the same buttons as that of the death adder. It's been replaced with the g500 which also had weight control (something neither razers have). It too runs around 50 or so dollars.


Links to all 3:

Razer Naga

Razer Deathadder

G500

Never used the Razer gamepad but I can vouch for the xbox 360 controller. The build quality is time tested and Windows has excellent support for it... most games have all the controls mapped correctly by default.

I already had wireless xbox controllers so I just picked up one of these and it has performed perfectly

http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wireless-Gaming-Receiver-Windows/dp/B000HZFCT2

love the colors. could definitely run those cables tighter to keep them hidden more - those smaller cabled for the fans. try to run them behind the mobo if possible, or as flat along the natural route of the mobo. Also a nice black and green cable extension kit would look awesome with it - https://www.amazon.com/Antec-Supply-Sleeved-Extension-Length/dp/B07C54FW25

Thanks for the quick answer. I'm definitely going to look into those ATH-AD700, the review sounds very promising. Which microphone do you use?


http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ ?

I've already got the Xonar DG and it is amazing, thank you!

It was a bit of a crude process and I wish I had the tools to do it more effectively but basically what I did was take a high density RGB LED light strip and connect it to a four pin strap connector (link below). I then took out the white led and reflector from the inside of the card and replaced the whole reflector with the light strip. Next I took the GTX logo out of the card and sanded off the green outer coat on the lettering and placed it back inside, I put a few pieces of printer paper between the lights and the logo to help with light dissipation and routed the cable out through a small hole next to the IO shield on the front of the card. sorry that this isn't the best step by step guide on how to do it (I honestly got into it without a clue what I was doing) but hopefully this helps just a little bit with your process. Thanks for asking!

​

https://www.amazon.com/iCreating-Connector-Conductor-Controller-Solderless/dp/B074G48LWQ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=rgb+strip+connector&qid=1550632831&s=gateway&sr=8-5

If you don't mind testing out Steelseries' new lines, I used the Kana for about a year before I switched over to the Razer Deathadder 13. Before either, I was using a ThermalTake Black mouse. I have larger hands, and the smallest mouse out of the three had to have been the Kana. My favorite out of the three has to be the Deathadder, but that's mainly because it's what I'm using every day currently.


I switched over to the Deathadder mainly for FPS gameplay from the Kana, but could say that the Kana was a better for me when playing RTS games/Mapping/3D Modelling. I tried out the Kana, and the Deathadder both before buying my own, so feeling it before you buy it might be your best option. I have larger hands, so most of the gaming mice these days do not fit well for me no matter the playstyle, and I think that's the most important part about choosing what your personal mouse would be.

If you want to buy a set be happy and not have to buy another set of cans I recommend the Sennheiser HD 598 for gaming. You can get a microphone to attach to the set of cans. Here is a decent list of reviews on the subject. I currently use the 598's for mine and the sound stage on these things is beyond amazing. Currently I am using crap onboard (limitation of current build) and the sound is stellar so you using a decent Xonar card with the dac/amps on those will sound even better. I can't wait to build my other ring and get the STX pumping out the audio to my cans.

I use a SteelSeries QcK Heavy and it's relatively huge. 40x45cm

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SteelSeries-Surface-QcK-Heavy-PC/dp/B000V7ARAU/

And a pic for comparison with my Steelseries 6Gv2 and Logitech G400. It's as big as a full size keyboard.

http://imgur.com/gSgpJ

It's a cloth top and quite comfortable to use and the adjustable DPI on the mouse makes it easy to take advantage of the size when needed. The G400 is a lighter mouse without the addable weights of the G500.

I needed to get a new mic and I searched around forums and people talking about headsets. Many said it may be a bit more expensive, but getting a nice headset with a clip on mic or desktop mic is the best quality you may ever get.

http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333573436&sr=8-1-spell

the zalman zm-mic1 will be perfect for your needs. it clips on to the cable of your current headphones, and has clips all along the microphone cable so you don't have a messy tangle of wires. i use it all the time when playing bc2 and killing floor, works perfectly. best $5 i've spent on a mic ever.

Buying a gaming mouse is all dependent on what you are playing. RTS? FPS? RPG? MMORPG? There are different things about each mouse that tailors to a certain type of game. On-the-fly DPI switching is mostly for RTS or FPS games. Also, gaming mice are more geared towards the super high DPI ~5000. Even then, if you aren't that competitive, I would stick with a regular $5-10 laser mouse. As long as it's accurate, it shouldn't matter. Just turn up the sensitivity in control panel->mouse. If you are going to be serious, then maybe you should save up more serious money. Personally I have a G9x, but I also really like the G500.

I used sticky tac to mount this to the top of my monitor http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ and the sound quality was awesome. Convinced a couple friends to get one and they all sound crystal clear when we chat on teamspeak

Unfortunately mine seems to be giving everyone some strange buzzing noise. I want to blame my sound card or something but I can't figure it out. I was looking for a good USB replacement...possibly with noise-cancelling. My ears have never really been able to deal with a headset

If you get headphones you can get a cheap mic like this that will provide audio quality that is good for skype/vent/ts3/game chat

edit: modmic is awesome

Haha. I got this one http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00029MTMQ/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

And it works surprisingly well. Just as good if not better than those on the previous headsets I've owned

I've previously owned a wide variety of headsets and in the end have given up on them.

• Cheaper logitech sets: broke in various ways
  
  
• Razer carcharias: mic started cutting out, then left earcup, then the thin cord split
  
  
• Tritton set (can't remember which, $50): Cracked bridge with light use
  
  
• The G930s burned batteries so fast, then after a few months the right earcup started cutting out.
  
  Overall the headsets build quality was low, across all the brands. Finally decided on a pair of JVC HARX-900 cans and this Zalman clip-on mic. The wires can be annoying but the difference in sound/build quality was pretty staggering. I started hearing details in games that I never heard before, on any headset, for me it added a new level of detail to games. I've been using this pair for about a year and had no issues at all. Total cost is about $65 + shipping, wish I would have just done that from the start =(
  
  As far as your cord fetish, the JVC cans have a pretty thick cord that would be very difficult to pinch. The mic is thin but it's only $9 so if you have to buy one a year I still think you're coming out on the winning side.

Samson SR850s + Zalman Mic. The samsons are amazing and blow every other headset I've heard out of the water. They are the same headphones as the Superlux 668Bs, so perhaps you can find them on ebay more cheaply than amazon.
Here's a head-fi review of the SR850s.

If you want something more expensive, see this Head-fi thread.

Something like this would be great

Headset come with microphone already and also some advertise 5.1 or 7.1 surround. Most of the time, I'm pretty sure the 5.1 and 7.1 isn't true 5.1 or 7.1(where there are multiple speakers) but artificial surround sound.

I have the ATH-M50s as well. I bought a Zalman Clip and use them for TF2. They work fine.

Please, at least tell us your budget. Also, headphones + standalone mic (this zalman or the modmic) is almost always the best option.

If your 360 controller is wired, just plug in and go. They're excellent PC gamepads. If it's wireless, you'll need something like this.

I'd personally get a set of Sennheisers/AKG/Panasonic headphones for about $100 - $150 and then buy a Zalman Clip on Mic. You'll get much better audio performance from a good set of cans than any "gaming" headset.

Just have to throw this in after seeing a yellow dot...

I'm playing Alice Madness Returns right now... It's pretty linear (brings back memories of crash bandicoot) and the puzzles aren't really brain busters, but the visuals are STUNNING, and the storyline is kinda an odd, freaky but somehow intriguing mystery as to who killed your family. The game is obviously aimed at giving you these phenomenal views and scenes, as there are places where you could easily walk right by a gorgeous vantage point, but there will be a little icon that shows up. Press the required button and the camera changes to frame the scene. And boy, are there scenes. Every level has places where you'll stop to do a double take without the aforementioned camera-button-thing. The detail that goes into each level is incredible.

The fighting system seems repetitive at first, but that's purely because as the game goes on you get hit with much harder combinations of baddies and the early encounters are there to prepare you for fighting certain combinations of enemies. The game uses physX so there's some nifty effects, for instance when you use your ranged weapon, a pepper grinder, there's pepper smoke that come out of the barrel and there's cracked pepper shells that disperse all over the ground. There's a lot of enemies who appear out of this black ooze that leave a big puddle of black when you kill them - a big puddle that you can kick around. PHYSX! Oh yeah, and when you die, you explode into butterflies.

Not exactly the hardest game, but It will take you a surprising amount of time to get through the game - its pretty long and some of the fights are just plain tough. It's no BF3, but it is a good game to play if you're looking for a trippy/pretty/steampunk/asian-y/dark creep-out fest.

This game has 360 controller support, so I suggest if you want to get the full experience to find one of these. I really enjoy using the 360 controller for games like Alice, Batman and Red Faction: Guerilla.

Good luck!

I love the keys on the keyboard. I personally couldnt give up the numeric pad so went with quickfire TK: http://www.amazon.com/CM-Storm-QuickFire-TK-Mechanical/dp/B00A378L4C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381461169&sr=8-1&keywords=coolermaster+storm+quickfire+tk

It's comfortable, you can also use it to play card games on. I've been using a Xtrac XXL for a couple years now. Even though it sounds dumb, it isn't as cold as a glass tabletop which is nice.

http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408301184&sr=8-1&keywords=Zalman+clip+mic

Zalman makes a great clip mic for under 10 bucks. I have a audio technica set of headphones and use the Zalman clip mic

Dude buy this now: CLICK ME

Seriously dude, don't stop and think about it. THAT is the headphone you want. Buy any cheap microphone to hook up to it. But trust me, for sub $100, there is NO BETTER HEADPHONE.

Zalman Clip-On Mic. This little thing is amazing.

Antlion Modmic, $30, or a Zalman Clip-on $10. Slap one of em on your nice headphones and you've got a gaming headset with much higher quality than anything for a similar price.

For that price you could buy some ridiculously good audiophile headphones that would likely blow these away. Pair that with an awesome $10 mic and you'd be good to go.

What switches do you want, If you want some tactile feedback than Cherry MX Blues or Browns are a good bet. This CM Storm QuickFire might be the perfect board for you. I would definitely head over to /r/MechanicalKeyboards, but be warned: Wallets that enter that place seldom return full.

I just got the G500 and I absolutely love it. I moved to it from an mx518, same feel but customized weight.

You can always Get something like this and it should run with your wireless controller without much fuss at all.

Someone recommended the XTrac Pads Ripper XXL here once. Had it for a while now with zero regrets, its nice to have all that space!

http://www.amazon.com/XTracPads-Ripper-XXL-Desktop-Gaming/dp/B000HTDBWI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1372647898&sr=1-1&keywords=xtrac+pads+ripper+xxl

I swear this question comes up everyday. The advice that is always given with regards to headsets is to buy some headphones and a cheap clip on mic. For your price range I would recommend these Sennheiser headphones and this clip on mic.

I've got a CM Storm QuickFire TK, looks very similar to this and I love it.
$92 on Amazon.

Just ordered blue! CM Storm QuickFire TK - Compact Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with CHERRY MX BLUE Switches and Fully LED Backlit by Cooler Master http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A378L4C/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_2uM0tb1SDGZAR

So I will be able to compare red and blue tomorrow!

This PSU is much higher build quality, I'd consider it if I were you.

For a graphics card in that price range I'd look at this one

That comes very close to a GTX 560 Ti in performance while still saving you some money.

Logitech G500

Logitech G500 or Logitech MX 518 There's also a less expensive plastic model. (It's the one I use, got it for about $35 on sale) But I couldn't find it.

Most people go with this. http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320962407&sr=8-1

Oh, right. Sorry.
You'll need a wireless gaming receiver.
Drivers can be downloaded from here.

http://www.amazon.com/Zalman-Zm-Mic1-Sensitivity-Headphone-Microphone/dp/B00029MTMQ

It is under $10. So far no one has complained about it when I am on vent so I guess its not bad?