Help me revamp my setup on the cheap!? (Primarily need good cheap headset) :D

[bmichaels556]

TLDR: I have $50 to burn at GameStop (gift card) and want to make the best overall upgrades to my setup for the money. Priority is a half-decent headset for Tarkov (or anything else, but Tarkov is the biggest deal obviously for that kind of item). Also thinking about keyboard and mouse upgrades. My keyboard right now is Amazon Basics poopy low-profile one, but I have a much nicer (older) also membrane keyboard I could just use a PS/2 adapter with, and something like Razer Cynoza V2 may not be ALL that much of an upgrade. Same issue with mouse - I'm on a Logitech M170 and extra side buttons would be nice and all, but at GameStop, the cheapest wireless gaming mice are still very expensive, and even at Amazon, who knows how decent a cheaper wireless one will even be... My desk setup just isn't conducive to properly using a wireless mouse tbh. Help me spend this $50 wisely! It's find if I spend a little more, but I definitely don't want to match it and spend $100 either. Help me out, folks!  

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Got a $50 Gamestop gift card for my birthday and I'm looking to upgrade the old battlestation.

 

Right now, I'm looking at trying to get a "good but cheap" gaming headset. A friend of mine is obsessed with Tarkov and it's cool and all, but my current setup is NOT conducive to a good experience. Solo? Yeah, fine. But then I use my phone as a mic but then can't hear him because of the damn headphones! Even if I use Discord on PC, it won't matter because it kicks me out on my phone anyway, so I can't even use my phone as my mic. It's too complicated and I think it's time for a proper all-in-one headset. 

 

My only requirement is they sound "decent enough" and the mic is decent enough if I want to do maybe commentary or anything IF I decide to do that. Not gonna' be listening to music or anything, although I will say that my current main proper headphones are Audio Technica M20X's. Not the best, but certainly decent. I don't want to get anything and it's a muffled mess, defeating the purpose of the headset in the first place.

 

I'm looking at the Turtle Beach Recon series, but a lot of the low-priced ones look like they're refurb, although some of them were under $30 and not showing refurb, unless GameStop is lying to me, which I fully expect LMAO. The mic on the PDP LVL40 isn't all that great, but for the price, it's hard to complain too much, as it's similar to other cheap headsets I've had in the past. Corsair HS50 would be great, EXCEPT...

 

I kind of wonder if I should also look at changing keyboards. After my new PC, I didn't have any PS/2 ports or anything for my old (but gold) office-style keyboard from god knows when (probably late 90's, early 2000's). Even though it was membrane, it was a pleasure to use. Now I'm back on my Amazon Basics low-profile keyboard and I'm not a huge fan. It's fine, and the shortcuts I need are there unlike my old HP keyboard, although I could probably set that stuff up and all. Was looking at Razer Cynoza V2 which I don't mind TOO much getting refurbished, but then I have to ask "Is this really even a proper upgrade?" It's also membrane. Maybe a better upgrade would be a better mouse. I have a Logitech M170 and it's also fine, but side buttons and a few extra things like that would be great. But since I'm stuck at GameStop.com, the wireless mice you're going to get there are ALL expensive. And who knows how decent an individual cheaper wireless mouse is at Amazon anyway...

 

I'm trying to spend this $50 in the best way possible lol.  

[SorryBella]

33 minutes ago, bmichaels556 said:

TLDR: I have $50 to burn at GameStop

In priority of peripheral swaps, i highly recommend in this figure of priority. But of course this isnt a hard rules, just a fast and loose rule of thumb:

1. Monitor
2. Mouse
3. Audio Equipment
4. Mousepad
5. Keyboards
6. Aftersales Modifications

At 50$, Something i could do is a preowned G102 with a Razer Strider Large. I wouldve put a good audio solution to this but there's none that isnt just an ewaste youll need to replace the second you get the money, all of them would be inferior to your m20x. For microphone wise there's a Seiren Mini for 28$, but its refurbs. There's also CyberPowerPC OEM mechanical keyboards at rock bottom 17$ price point on sale right now too, brand new.

 

 

[bmichaels556]

1 hour ago, SorryClaire said:

In priority of peripheral swaps, i highly recommend in this figure of priority. But of course this isnt a hard rules, just a fast and loose rule of thumb:

1. Monitor
2. Mouse
3. Audio Equipment
4. Mousepad
5. Keyboards
6. Aftersales Modifications

At 50$, Something i could do is a preowned G102 with a Razer Strider Large. I wouldve put a good audio solution to this but there's none that isnt just an ewaste youll need to replace the second you get the money, all of them would be inferior to your m20x. For microphone wise there's a Seiren Mini for 28$, but its refurbs. There's also CyberPowerPC OEM mechanical keyboards at rock bottom 17$ price point on sale right now too, brand new.

Thanks so much for these suggestions! My monitor is an MSI Optix (forget model) 1080p 144hz and I've been pretty happy with it. Can't get a ton more performance than that with my setup anyway lol.

 

Mouse is looking like a good contender but wired will be a pain with my corner desk setup and my tower being a good distance on my side with a complicated path between. However, I think the CyberPowerPC keyboards you mentioned are TOO good to pass up IMO. What switch type should I be looking at? If I'm used to using membrane, would red (linear?) switches be best for me? Just if you had to give quick and dirty recommendation without me having hands on experience with the different types.. (Edit: I'm thinking Brown seems like best for me overall, but not sure.)

 

My mousepad is a good size (as much as I can fit in my setup comfortably) and doesn't seem to really need upgrading IMO. 

 

For mic, the Seiren Mini actually seems really good... I'd definitely get that over the mousepad and mouse overall and just use M20x for audio. That seems like a pretty sick setup actually. And then with the keyboard, that ends me up just a little over, which is totally fine...

[bmichaels556]

Bump.  

[LogicalDrm]

Honestly, at $50, there are no good gaming headsets. Audio quality might be fine, and better since I last was shopping at that range. But they are mainly uncomfortable and break easily. LTT made video some time ago for Amazon's listings, recommending Sennheisers headset for cheap option. Ofc, thats not available on GrameStop.

 

The two gaming headsets I've owned were that sub-€50 Razer (which was trash, but better than sub-€20 headsets), and SteelSeries Siberia V2 which I won from giveaway. And that SteelSeries wasn't really good either.