You've already got a computer — now what? Yes, your brand-new laptop does technically have a keyboard, a mouse (or, well, trackpad), and some sort of audio input/output device built in, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't bother looking at standalone peripherals. A well-built, comfortable gaming keyboard, a speedy mouse, and a dedicated set of desktop speakers will all improve your experience drastically — and they're a lot easier to pack up and move over the summer than an entire desktop PC.
Here are some of the best back-to-school deals on peripherals, whether you've got a laptop, a desktop, or something else.
Razer Basilisk V3 Gaming Mouse
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If you're looking for a well-rounded, versatile gaming mouse and you don't mind a cable, Razer's Basilisk V3 wired gaming mouse is currently on sale for $39.99 at Best Buy — 42% off of its MSRP of $69.99. This wired gaming mouse features an ergonomic, right-handed shape with 11 programmable buttons, customizable RGB lighting, and Razer's Focus+ optical sensor, which has a maximum sensitivity of 26,000 DPI and a maximum speed of 650 IPS, and can handle up to 50 G's of force. It's a great all-purpose gaming mouse, with three thumb buttons (two standard, and one sniper button) and a dual-mode tilt wheel that can switch quickly between notched and free scrolling modes via Razer's Synapse software.
The Basilisk V3 is a great back-to-school mouse because of its versatility — you can use it for fast-paced first-person shooters, marathon RPGs and MMOs, and for, you know... actual schoolwork and productivity. It features a contoured, right-handed shape that's comfortable for long sessions and has built-in rubber-gripping on both sides. While the mouse is on the larger side overall, measuring 5.11 inches (129.79mm) long by 2.36 inches (59.94mm) wide by 1.65 inches (41.91mm) high, it's still fairly comfortable for anyone with medium to large hands. It weighs 3.3 ounces (93.55g), so it's not lightweight but it's also not uncomfortably heavy.
This wired, ergonomically-contoured gaming mouse features 11 programmable buttons, a dual-mode tilt wheel, and Razer's FocusPro+ optical sensor with a maximum sensitivity of 26,000 DPI, a maximum speed of 650 IPS, and up to 50 G's of force.
The mouse features a 6-foot (1.8m) non-detachable braided USB-A cable — it's wired-only, so you won't have to worry about it running out of batteries, but you also won't be able to use it with devices that don't have a USB-A input without a converter. The dual-mode scroll wheel is great, especially for when you're scrolling through long documents or papers, but it is software-based — not hardware-based, like you'll see on some of Logitech's mice — and so there's more of a risk of things going wrong (...especially with Razer's Synapse software). The mouse has bright, customizable RGB lighting in the scroll wheel, the logo on the palm rest, and around the bottom of the mouse, with 11 zones in total (scroll wheel, logo, and 9 around the base).
You may have a laptop for school, but that doesn't mean you need to settle for typing on a laptop keyboard when you're not in class. A wireless keyboard like the Cooler Master MK770 will improve your typing experience by a ton — it's roomier, more satisfying, and it even comes in pretty colors. The MK770 is currently on sale for $79.37 at Amazon , which is 34% off its retail price of $119.99, and it's one of the best gaming keyboards we've tested ,
The MK770 is a well-built mechanical keyboard with a gasket mount design, a hot-swappable PCB, and a compact 96-percent layout — meaning it has most of the navigation keys and a 10-key numpad, but will take up less space on your desk than a standard full-size keyboard. The MK770 measures 15 inches (380.9mm) wide by 5.5 inches (140.4mm) deep, and is 1.5 inches (38.7mm) thick — so while it's not the smallest keyboard on the market, it's pretty compact for the amount of keys you get. It weighs a decent 2.3 pounds (1,052g), so while it's not something you'll want to take with you everywhere , it's light enough to travel with. It features three forms of connectivity: low-latency 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and wired (USB-C).
This candy-colored mechanical keyboard has a gasket-mount design, a hot-swappable PCB, and a compact 96-percent layout with a 10-key numpad and a customizable volume roller.
The keyboard comes with Kailh Box V2 switches in white (clicky), red (linear), or brown (tactile); it also has a hot-swappable PCB so you can swap in any switches you want after the fact. It features a comfortable gasket mount design, with just enough flex for typing long papers while still giving you that crisp, mechanical keyboard sound. The layout may take some getting used to, as it does drop a few navigation keys — Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause, Home, and End — in order to fit a programmable volume roller in the upper right corner. The keyboard comes with double-shot PCB keycaps and features a unique, pastel color scheme of mint green, pale yellow, and salmon pink (it also comes in "Space Gray," which is gray and... darker gray, for those who prefer something less cotton-candy-colored). It has per-key RGB, which isn't as bright or as vibrant as it is in other keyboards, but is still a nice touch for gamers. While we didn't love the keyboard's software, it does allow for keymapping, macro creation, and up to four onboard profiles.
SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wired Gaming Keyboard
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If you don't think you can spare any extra deskspace, our favorite wired mini 60-percent keyboard, the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini, is also on sale for $125.99 at SteelSeries — 30% off its list price of $179.99. The Apex Pro Mini is an impressive versatile and well-built mini-keyboard that will (possibly) make you rethink needing arrow keys at all. Measuring just 11.53 inches (293mm) wide by 4.02 inches (103mm) deep by 1.59 inches (40.3mm) thick, this is one of the smallest gaming keyboards you can pick up. It features a 60-percent layout, which means it has alphanumeric keys...and that's it. No function keys, no navigation keys, no numpad, and no arrow keys.
Mini 60-percent wired gaming keyboard with OmniPoint 2.0 magnetic switches. Features adjustable actuation, dual action keys, and Rapid Trigger support.
This might sound like too much of a sacrifice in the name of a smaller footprint, but SteelSeries actually does a pretty good job of implementing it with preset secondary keybinds that are printed on the sides of the keyboards double-shot PBT keycaps. The Apex Pro Mini features SteelSeries OmniPoint 2.0 "adjustable HyperMagnetic switches," which are the same switches as debuted in the original Apex Pro Mini — just with a firmware update and rebranded to be "magnetic" rather than "optical". They're linear optical switches, overall, so they feature smooth, silent keypresses with no audible or tactile bump at any point. Like other optical / magnetic switches on the market, they offer adjustable actuation (0.1mm - 4.0mm), dual 2-in-1 action keys, and Rapid Trigger support. While this isn't and never will be my favorite keyboard for typing, it offers a decent typing experience thanks to textured double-shot PBT keycaps and a hefty (1.34lbs / 610g) case that won't slip around too much on your desk. The wired version comes with a 7-foot (2.1m) braided USB-C to USB-A cable. It also has bright, per-key RGB — of course.
HyperX Alloy Origins 60%
If you're looking for a keyboard that's similarly-sized and not quite as pricey, HyperX's Alloy Origins 60% wired mechanical keyboard is currently $56.90 at HP — 43% off its current retail price of $99.99. This is with HyperX's Aqua (tactile) switches, which aren't optical / magnetic, but feel pretty good and will work for all but the most intensely competitive first-person shooters.
SteelSeries' Arctis Nova series work pretty well as dual-use gaming and lifestyle headsets — they're sleek, lightweight, ultra-comfortable, and feature seamlessly-retractable boom microphones, so you don't have to worry about walking around campus wearing an obvious gaming headset on your head. SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 is the lowest headset in the lineup — wired and ultra-lightweight, and already priced pretty well at just $59.99. But now you can grab it for even cheaper — it's on sale for $39.99 at Best Buy , which is 33% off its current list price.
The Arctis Nova 1 is all plastic and it's extremely lightweight at just 8.3 ounces (235g) — one of the lightest headsets we've ever tested, in fact. It features the Arctis Nova series' design of a rigid headband with a stretchy, adjustable "ski goggle strap" liner, and height-adjustable earcups that swivel and tilt for an extremely comfortable fit. It comes with a 4-foot (1.2m) detachable analog audio cable, so you will need a device with a 3.5mm audio jack in order to plug this headset in. It has the same 40mm custom dynamic drivers as SteelSeries' other Arctis Nova headsets (except for the Arctis Nova Pro), so you get the same solid audio quality on the Arctis Nova 1 as you get on the Arctis Nova 5 or the Arctis Nova 7. The drivers have a frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz, and offer excellent audio for the price — both music and gaming will sound good on this headset, though the bass is a little more restrained than I typically like.
The headset also features the Arctis Nova's signature retractable microphone, which fits so seamlessly into the left earcup that you won't even notice it when it's not extended. The mic is still a headset mic, naturally — you won't get the same high-quality sound you'll get on a standalone USB mic — but it's better than trying to use the tiny mics built into your earbuds.
Turtle Beach Atlas Air Wireless Gaming Headset
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Assuming you can game and listen to music in a place where you won't disturb others (so, maybe not the best for a shared dorm room), an open-back gaming headset can give you an immersive listening experience without forcing you to focus too much on the sounds. In other words, it's perfect for when you want to study with some background music, but you don't want to get too distracted by said background music. Good news: the Turtle Beach Atlas Air wireless open-back gaming headset is currently just $139.95 on Amazon , which is 22% off its list price of $179.99. While this isn't the most premium-feeling headset we've tested, it's one of the most comfortable and lightweight — and it has an excellent, wide soundstage thanks to its open-back design.
A lightweight, comfortable wireless gaming headset with an open-back design and "floating" earcups. Features balanced, immersive sound with an open soundstage and plenty of detail.
The Atlas Air weighs just 10.61 ounces (301g) with its microphone installed, and features a flexible plastic frame, "floating" earcups, and a mesh and adjustable elastic strap to keep the headband "floating" away from your head. It's very comfortable if it fits, but it might be a little too tight on larger heads — so be warned. It features 40mm dynamic drivers with a frequency response range of 20 - 40,000 Hz, and it sounds great for both music and gaming — the open-back design allows the music to filter through the earcups, instead of being contained within the space, which allows for an open, natural sound that's not too oppressive. The drivers also have a pretty balanced sound profile, with powerful lows and slightly restrained highs. Detail and layering is fantastic, especially in rich gaming environments, and the open-back design makes for a wide, immersive soundstage.
The downside to this headset is its detachable boom microphone. While the microphone does implement Turtle Beach's famous flip-to-mute feature, it sits at the end of a flexible gooseneck that makes actually flipping to mute somewhat of a chore. The mic itself sounds just okay, and suffers from some aggressive noise gate and software-based audio "enhancements" that, unfortunately, do more to hurt the sound than help it. But microphone aside, this is one of the most comfortable headsets I've ever worn — both physically and audibly, thanks to the open-back design.
HyperX QuadCast Microphone
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Picking up a standalone USB microphone is one of the easiest ways to improve your setup — whether it's for chatting with friends and family, gaming and streaming, or creating voice-based content. HyperX's original QuadCast microphone isn't exactly new — it came out in 2019, so it's been around for a few years — but microphones are the one category where you really don't need the most recent product for a great experience. The original QuadCast was and still is an excellent USB microphone, and it's currently on sale for $68 at HyperX — down from the retail price of $139.99 (you'll need to use the code HXFAM to get an extra 15% off and bring the sale price down to $69).
The QuadCast is a well-built, versatile condenser microphone that comes with its own built-in shock mount, which can be attached to the included sturdy desktop stand or to a standard microphone boom arm. It features four polar patterns (hence, "quad"): cardioid, omnidirectional, bidirectional, and stereo. Most standalone USB gaming microphones only have one polar pattern, which is usually cardioid (or supercardioid), as they're designed for one person to speak directly into. While you still should have multiple microphones for multiple speakers, the QuadCast's variety of polar patterns can help in a pinch if you're streaming with a friend or you've got multiple people chiming in on a video call. The QuadCast records at a 48 kHz / 16-bit sample rate / bit depth, which isn't nearly as high as the brand's new QuadCast 2 S's 192 kHz / 32-bit resolution, but should be plenty for typical college student activities, such as chatting with friends or gaming. The QuadCast also has a built-in pop filter and does a great job of capturing the range of your voice — you'll sound full and warm over this mic, not tinny or like you're in a tunnel, like you might over lower-quality mics or (heaven forbid) on-headset mics.
An excellent condenser microphone with four polar patterns, a built-in shock mount and pop filter, and our favorite tap-to-mute feature. This may not be the newest iteration, but it's still a great buy. Be sure to use code HXFAM to get an extra 15% off the sale price, bringing it down to $68.
The QuadCast also has our favorite tap-to-mute feature, which allows you to mute the mic easily by simply tapping the top (the mic's all-red lighting will light up — in red — to let you know when the mic is muted. Finally, the mic also has a 3.5mm headphone jack for direct, zero-latency monitoring, and on-mic volume control (by rotating the bottom) for adjusting gain.
Drop BMR1 V2 Nearfield Monitors (Speakers)
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Drop's BMR1 V2 Nearfield Monitors are the perfect set of back-to-school speakers, and they're currently on sale for $99 at Drop's website — down from $129. These sleek, customizable desktop speakers are easy to fit into any setup thanks to their adjustable orientation and optional interchangeable magnetic grills. Each speaker has a single 2-inch full-range Balanced Mode Radiator (BMR driver) and dual force-cancelling passive radiators for moderately loud, decent-sounding audio. They're primarily designed for an analog (3.5mm stereo) connection, but they also feature built-in Bluetooth 5.0 for when you don't want to be tied to your computer. They also have a headphone output (with mic passthrough) and an auxiliary/subwoofer output.
We haven't tested the BMR1 V2 Nearfield Monitors, but we did test the original BMR1 Nearfield Monitors when they first came out in January 2023. The BMR1 V2 Nearfield Monitors appear to have the same audio drivers as the original launch, with a frequency response range of 80 - 24,000 Hz and a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of >95 dB (typical A-weighted). While the BMR1 Nearfield Monitors were (expectedly, given their size) on the quieter side, they did an excellent job of minimizing distortion and sounded nearly as good at maximum volume as they did at 50% volume. They also performed well as gaming speakers, thanks to a detailed high range and a "holographic soundstage," which sounded wider than your typical stereo setup. The BMR1 V2's are close to the same size as the original BMR1's, measuring 11.5 inches (293mm) high by 3.9 inches (100mm) wide by 2.6 inches (66mm) deep in their vertical orientation; they can also be set up horizontally, in case you'd like to place them under a monitor.
We had some issues with the original BMR1's — namely, how hot they ran during normal use. The stand was also a little wobbly, especially when the speakers were in vertical orientation. Drop says it's fixed these issues in this newest version — the BMR1 V2's run 25% cooler than the original speakers, and has increased the stand tolerances "to accommodate a more secure connection." The speakers' Bluetooth connectivity now supports multiple devices, and the speakers now come with more than one cable length to better accommodate a variety of setups. These slim, versatile, and solid-sounding speakers were already a practically perfect dorm room pick — and now they're even better.
Sarah Jacobsson Purewal is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware covering peripherals, software, and custom builds. You can find more of her work in PCWorld, Macworld, TechHive, CNET, Gizmodo, Tom's Guide, PC Gamer, Men's Health, Men's Fitness, SHAPE, Cosmopolitan, and just about everywhere else.
