October Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 6

Mouse: Logitech MX700 Cordless Optical Mouse

Cost: $49
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Logitech's MX series of optical mouse controllers has been very successful in the market, and with good reason. The Logitech MX700 Cordless Optical Mouse has an 800dpi resolution, and a data rate of 4.7 Megapixels per second which makes it one of the most accurate mice ever devised. The MX700 has a built-in battery and is left in its docking/charging station when not in use. Most importantly however, this mouse is extremely comfortable and fits the hand perfectly, with no strain whatsoever after hours of use.

Make sure you choose an appropriate mousing surface when using any optical mouse, as these work best on dark non-solid color surfaces. Some of the best mouse pads currently on the market are those from fUnc, Ratpadz, and Everglide, and any serious gamer will want to take a look at those pads for one that might fit your tastes.

Keyboard: Microsoft Multimedia Natural Keyboard OEM

Cost: $20
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

There are a few items that we like to carry over from guide to guide, and the Microsoft Multimedia Natural Keyboard is one of them. We're huge fans of the split keyboard design here at SE and after years of using them, it's almost uncomfortable to go back to the standard style. Split design keyboards are much less conducive to fatigue or typing-related strain, making them ideal for people who spend lots of time typing things (such as these guides).

The Multimedia version of the Microsoft Natural Keyboard offers a number of additional, and sometimes useful, multimedia function keys. These are used for accessing and controlling tasks such as windows media player and audio volume, along with launching mail, web and instant messaging programs.

For those of you who would rather use a standard keyboard, we recommend the basic Microsoft Multimedia keyboard. It has all the same functions and features as the Natural keyboard and offers the same durability that we love about the Microsoft keyboards.

Gamepad: Saitek P3000 Wireless Pad & Docking Station

Cost: $39
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

A good controller can be a gamer's best friend, especially when it comes to playing racing or sports games. Unfortunately there are not too many viable choices on the PC game pad market, and most seem to be clones of the Playstation controller (which is not necessarily a bad thing). Saitek has been making gaming controllers for a long time now, and the company certainly knows what they're doing. The Saitek P3000 allows the freedom and that we'd expect from a good wireless pad, is very comfortable to hold, and has a wide array of options and buttons. The pad comes with two power packs and has a convenient docking station that doubles as a recharging station - much like the Logitech MX700 mouse we included in this guide.