It’s that time of year again when we all start to prepare for another academic year. The back to school buying panic is coming upon us, and we’re faced with an almost impossible task of choosing what products we should buy, and which we should avoid. As a student, you’re going to be working with a pretty tight budget, which means you need to make sure the tech you buy is worth its weight in gold.
And, if you need to convince anyone *cough* Mom and Dad *cough* then just show them this page because we’ve got the best back to school tech deals around. Every single item on this list is perfect for schoolwork; and, you know, gaming of course.
iBUYPOWER Trace 062A
This powerful prebuild can not only be your ticket to an A on your next paper, but it can also run some of the best games around – once you’re finished studying, of course. But, seriously. This is one high-powered build that even has the chops to handle VR games. It comes with AMD’s 2700x CPU, 16GB of rapid RAM, and houses an RTX graphics card for real-time ray-tracing.
It also comes with its own keyboard and mouse, helping you to save time and money looking for your own. Although, they aren’t the best keyboard and mouse combination around, so we’d still recommend looking for something a little more high-end.
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Supreme
If you have a few more pennies to spend, then we can’t recommend this high-end pre-build enough. Equipped with one of the new Ryzen 3000 chips from AMD and the best GPU around in the form of the Nvidia RTX 2080i, you’re really going to struggle to find another pre-build that can measure up.
This easily has all the system requirements needed to play whatever your favorite game is, which also means faster homework, right?
ASUS TUF Gaming Laptop
If you prefer having a portable workstation, then you can’t go wrong with a gaming laptop. And, this ASUS TUF is right up there with the best of them. It comes with a 2.3 GHz Ryzen 7 – 3750H paired with a 1660Ti GPU meaning that for a laptop, it really packs a punch. You get 256GB SSD storage for your OS and all your games, and this is then supplemented with a 1TB HDD for all those pesky school assignments.
One of the cool features with this gaming laptop is the anti-dust cooling system. This helps to stop your laptop from overheating, as well as extending its lifespan by clearing it of dust. So, for those of you who shove your laptop in a dirty backpack as you run late for class – you’ll find this super helpful.
ASUS ROG Strix Scar III
One of the great things about this gaming laptop is a big plus for both school and gaming – the keyboard. As they have done with previous ROG models, ASUS has included what they call the “NumPad”. The touchpad transforms into a digital numeric keypad, freeing up space on the laptop for the keyboard. This helps to stop the squishing of keys you usually see.
You also have a pretty impressive screen with the ASUS ROG Strix Scar III. Able to handle 4K, the monitor has a 240Hz refresh rate, almost unheard of when it comes to laptops.
Logitech G Pro Wireless Mouse
Having a wireless mouse means you can study or game from anywhere, without too many cables getting in the way. And, if you’re going to go wireless, then you can’t go wrong with the Logitech G Pro.
The mouse comes with a HERO sensor, which allows for a higher level of accuracy than many other wireless mice, and allows it stay more energy efficient – great for those all-night study (read: gaming) sessions.
BenQ Zowie EC2-B Divina Mouse
A mouse that’s ready to go right out the box, no software or syncing required is the BenQ Zowie EC2-B Divina. That’s not all it has going for it though. It comes with an impressive PWM 3360 sensor, helping to make sure every movement you make is captured in record time. It has been designed with esports players in mind, so you know that it’s going to be able to keep up with you, no matter what.
It also comes in two color options – baby blue and baby pink. While these may not be the first colors that come to mind when designing your gaming set up, they can make a nice change to the all-black design we usually see.
Corsair K70 MK.2 Low Profile Keyboard
Corsair has long been a firm favorite of ours when it comes to keyboards. Their new and improved K70 now comes in a Low Profile for even more enhanced performance and comfort. It also comes with a full-length, detachable wrist rest to help minimize wrist strain and avoid injury from overuse.
The customizable RGB backlighting makes this a stylish choice as well, which will surely brighten up any student accommodation. The Cherry MX Speed switches make it highly responsive and easy to use, so you can type up those reports in record time.
Redragon K552 Kumara Keyboard
This fully mechanical keyboard is an awesome budget pick for students looking to save a bit of cash. For around $35, you can get a really great keyboard in the Redragon K552 Kumara. While it doesn’t have the Cherry MX switches that we all know and love, the Greetech Blue switches it does use do a great job for such a budget price.
This is a great option for someone who wants to try out a mechanical keyboard for the first time without breaking the bank. The red backlighting looks cool, even though we’d prefer more options. All in all, a great option for the budget-conscious student.
SteelSeries Arctis 7 Headset
One of our favorite gaming headsets, the SteelSeries Arctis 7 delivers exceptional audio quality, especially for a wireless headset. It has can hold 20 hours of charge, and you’re able to top it up while gaming, so you’ll never be cut off from the action.
The microphone is also of impressive quality, and it all comes at a great price. This headset really allows you to fully immerse yourself in the game, or concentrate with more focus on your assignments.
Corsair HS70 SE Wireless Headset
While Corsair might not have the most stellar reputation when it comes to quality headsets, the HS70 SE is a definite exception to that. This wireless headset comes in at a much more affordable price than many of its competitors, making it a great choice for students on a budget.
It’s a comfortable fitting headset with a good quality microphone to boot. So, whether you’re using it for skyping back home, multiplayer modes, or study focusing – this is a great choice.
ASUS ROG Swift Monitor
Here at WePC, we’ve had the chance to really put the ASUS ROG Swift Monitor through its paces, and we’ve all be impressed. Its impressive specs make it perfect for competitive gamers thanks to 165Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and G-Sync technology to make sure you get the best out of your build.
The design is also pretty epic. The ergonomic stand allows the screen to rotate and comes with built-in red LED illuminating the center. You’ll definitely be the envy of your dorm with this sitting on your desk.
Acer Predator Gaming X34 Curved Monitor
Not only does this monitor look amazing, but its specs are pretty impressive too. The 34” curved ultra-wide display means you won’t have to miss a thing and will provide the perfect setting for dorm room movie nights.
Just like the ASUS, the Acer Predator also has G-sync technology, adapting your refresh rate to match your GPU. The colors are vivid and the stand helps to make this look even more impressive on your desk. It would definitely make your gaming setup look epic.