Jump straight to the deals you want...
1. Quick links
2. PCG's top budget products
3. Deal hubs
4. Live updates
Times are tough for a lot of us, and while I too would love to be able to spend a few grand on a shiny new Razer Blade 16, or drop $600 on a Radeon RX 9070, I've got to be realistic about what I can actually spend money on, and how much I can spend. I've got kids, man, money is tight. So, I'm going to spend some time this Prime Day week ('cos it's inevitably expanded beyond a one- or two-day event) tracking down the best PC gaming deals for $100 or less.
👉ALL Amazon's Prime Day deals👈
👉OUR favorite Prime Day PC gaming deals👈
Even though PC gaming is an expensive hobby to set up, there are still a ton of things that will measurably improve both your PC gaming experience and your setup as a whole that don't cost the earth. And, thanks to the ever-onward march of progress, things that were considered premium tech a few years ago are now very much budget options today.
The sort of 1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD you can pick up for ~$60 is unbelievably quick, and will look like night and day next to a PCIe 3.0 or SATA drive, and don't get me started about what it would be like compared to a hard drive. And peripherals, too, such as gaming keyboards and mice, don't have to be super expensive devices anymore, either. We regularly curate the best budget gear here on PC Gamer, and a whole load of them are on sale right now.
Dave's been doing the PC hardware dance since back in 2005, and building gaming PCs since the '90s. You know, when it was difficult. In his time he's tested every type of PC component, peripheral, and accessory you can imagine, and probably some you can't. That makes him perfectly placed to recommend the best deals, and the ones you need to steer clear of this Prime week.
Quick links
- Amazon - All the Prime Day deals
- Dell - Discounts on Alienware PCs, laptops, and 240 Hz gaming monitors
- Newegg - Summer bonanza sale now on. Fantastech sale starts July 7
- Walmart - Money off gaming laptops and PCs
- B&H Photo - Save on full systems and big discounts on storage
- Best Buy - Save on gaming PCs, laptops, peripherals, and more
PC Gamer's favorite budget products
- Best budget gaming headset: Corsair HS55 Stereo | $60
- Best budget wireless gaming mouse: Logitech G305 Lightspeed | $32
- Best budget wired gaming mouse: Logitech G203 Lightsync | $20
- Best budget gaming keyboard: Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 | $50
- Best budget PC controller: GameSir Nova Lite wireless | $25
- Best budget SSD: Lexar NM790 1 TB | $86
- Best budget PCIe 5.0 SSD: Crucial P510 | $100
- Best budget mic: Razer Seiren Mini | $37
Amazon Prime Day deal hubs
Live
Andy cried over this deal, and I think you might too
It's not often I get to celebrate the marriage between a man and his portable charger, but it's 2025 and as a polyamorous pansexual woman I stand with my fellows and their strange love.
Andy Edser, one of our trusty hardware writers, just confessed to me his love of the Charmast Portable Charger, which is currently $18.99 at Amazon. And I can see why.
I'm constantly juggling wires, so this is one deal that would absolutely save me over my summer travels. Along with my wallet, more importantly.
I come to bestow the wisdom that you can buy cat memes and also dog memes in sticker form, as I swiftly descend into a fugue state over the Prime Day trading period.
I am not here to judge you as to how you use this collection of 200 cat and dog meme stickers—stickerbomb your friend's laptop, cover your moms fridge with them, I care not—but do post it on the PC Gamer forum when you enact tomfoolery with them, please.
It's not just graphics card deals and gaming peripherals we're concerned with over here at PC Gamer. We also want to keep you tooled up for when you're building that stack of PC parts you just added to your cart over Prime Day.
Speaking of which, should you be in need of a new screwdriver and don't want to have to give yourself RSI putting your PC together, the HOTO Electric Screwdriver is going to save you a lot of hassle.
Right now it's $40 at Amazon, down from from its usual $60 price tag. And this isn't just any screwdriver. This one has three torque settings and promises to screw 1000 screws on a single charge. I'm not even going to try to calculate how many PCs that would put together, but I bet you it's a lot.
Get your Steam Deck travel ready for under $70
JSAUX do some of the best Steam Deck accessories and right now Amazon is selling a bunch of JSAUX goodies off cheap. All of which I've personally had my hands on when testing gear for the best Steam Deck accessories guide, and I can say I was supremely impressed.
If you're looking to kit out your Steam Deck for well under $100, and protect it from the elements as you jet-set this summer, you can now cover your bases with a full safety and utility spread for just $68.47, all-told.
That's including a $7.99 glass screen protector, a handy (and very stylish) $31.99 sling bag, and one of the best Steam Deck docking stations for $28.49. Pair that with the controller we mentioned earlier—the GameSir Nova Lite currently $19.99 at Amazon—and you're laughing.
Look, I get it. I'm also a big 'ol nerd. I'm nerding out all over the place. I'm so nerdy I play board games based on video games, some of which were even based on books. But just because I want to buy video game inspired board games, doesn't mean I have the money for them.
Board games, like video games, are extortionate in price right now. So what better way to get around that than to ride on the coattails of daddy Bezos and nab yourself a video game inspired board game deal for under $100. It's currently the best way to sidestep the industry's recent panic price hike over Trump's China US tariffs, so why not make the most of it?
That way you have even more excuses to stay indoors and hide from the summer heat playing a board game about a new ice age instead.
- Dungeons & Dragons Honor among Thieves Monopoly | 2-5 players | 30-60 mins |
$34.99$29.77 at Amazon (save $5.22) - Bloodborne The Board Game | 1-4 players | 60-90 mins |
$109.99$79.97 at Amazon (save $30.02) - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – The Adventure Game | 1-4 players | 60-120 mins |
$139.99$92.35 at Amazon (save $47.64) - Slay the Spire: The Board Game | 1-4 players | 60-90 minutes per Act |
$114.99$100 at Miniature Market (save $14.99) - Dorfromantik: The Board Game | 1-6 players | 30-60 mins |
$44.99$35.99 at Miniature Market (save $9) - Frostpunk: The Board Game | 1-4 players | 120-150 mins |
$119.99$83.49 at Miniature Market (save $36.50)
Who needs a 200Hz refresh rate when this gaming monitor is less than $100
Gaming monitors are hard to come by at less than $100 but by golly we're looking. We mentioned the Acer Nitro KG251Q that's currently $100 at Amazon earlier. It's still the same price and well worth a look, but for those whose sensibilities lie in features other than just super high refresh rates, consider the MSI Pro MP27IA E2.
Right now this stunning 27-incher is $100 at Amazon for Prime Day. And while it doesn't come with all the bells and whistles of more expensive gaming monitors, it has a lot of the basics covered. It also does so without dropping your refresh too low, because nobody wants to be watching a slideshow.
Plus if you're setting yourself up a fancy new gaming rig, or going the easier route with a gaming PC deal you may have forgotten to nab a speaker. Thankfully this monitor has you covered 🎵 🎶
For anyone whose been following along... I'M BACK BABY! Katie Wickens reporting in for deals shenanigans. I'm here to remind you that it's ok to play the capitalism game sometimes. That's what we do here at PC Gamer. We play games, and we know things.
In particular, I know things about gaming hardware, so keep an eye out here for some succulent tech deals as we move through Prime Day. Plus, maybe my old boss will allow me to bring you some of the bonus junk that's just too weird not to highlight.
One of my favorite gaming mice is now 34% off
I'm about to leave you in the capable hands of another one of our Prime Day deal hunters, but before I go, I had to show you this huge discount on my previous gaming mouse (which I loved) — the Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless.
If not for my (frankly weird) obsession with the idea of owning the Razer Naga, I'd still be using the G502 Lightspeed as my daily driver. After many, many, many mishaps with gaming mice, this was the mouse that restored my faith in, well, mice. I broke way too many mice prior to this one, but this Logitech is a beast. For the record, I'm not sure why I'm so good at breaking my mice; it's not like I throw them around in gaming-fueled fury. Maybe I'm just pressing my buttons too hard.
I digress.
The Logitech G502 is a wireless mouse equipped with a 25K sensor. It comes with adjustable weights, and personally, I liked it best at its heaviest, but then, I don't play MOBAs or FPS games. Logitech also gives you 11 customizable buttons and a hyper fast scroll wheel.
Honestly though, if you want a dependable gaming mouse, this is it. If I didn't break it, nothing can.
Forgive me for potentially stating the obvious, but if you want to build a brand new PC (or give your current rig a major overhaul), Prime Day time is a jolly good time to do so.
Not only are we finally seeing some GPUs at MSRP (not for long, I bet), but the rest of it is all majorly discounted, too.
I'm not going to give you a whole PC build, simply because you can't find every component under $100 (wouldn't it be nice if you could, eh...), but I'm going to give you a couple of options to consider.
Want a whole build? Look no further than our best gaming PC builds guide.
Cooler Master Master Liquid 360L | 1,750 RPM | AM5/AM4, LGA 1851/LGA 1700 | $85 at Amazon (15% off)
Let's start with an all-in-one (AIO) cooler, and one of our favorites happens to be on sale. The Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360L is a 360mm close-loop liquid cooler with all the RGB bling you could ever wish for. It's huge, so you probably won't be able to squeeze it into your small-form factor PC case, but the dynamic PWM of 650 to 1,750 RPM is bound to keep even the best gaming CPUs nice and cool.
Thermaltake View 380 TG ARGB | ATX | Dual tempered glass panel | Mid-tower | 4x 120mm fans included | $91.99 at Amazon (save 20%)
Now, a case. If you've been following along with my Prime Day adventures here at PC Gamer, you probably know by now that I'm a completely lost cause when it comes to all kinds of RGB and colorful hardware. Give me all the ARGB, give me all the fun designs. Make my PC shine brighter than my future could ever hope to.
This Thermaltake case has some ARGB in the way of fans, which kind of satisfies my need for bling. It's also available in pink, which has me rethinking my entire PC build right now.
Anyway.
Beyond that, it's a regular-looking case, but it's massive. It will fit that huge AIO cooler I just showed you, and it's spacious enough to fit a massive GPU.
I just realized that I've been neglecting RAM. Silly me. Prime Day is truly the best time to give your PC some extra memory juice, and there's no such thing as too much, so you might as well go for it.
I spotted some of the best RAM for gaming currently on sale as part of Amazon's Prime Day deals. While I don't fully recommend going for tiny upgrades along the likes of DDR5-6000 to DDR5-6400, this is a good time to increase capacity and/or aim for higher memory speeds or tighter timings.
It all depends on how much you want to min-max your PC -- one way or another, it's not going to be any cheaper to achieve than it is now.
DDR5
DDR4
Time to look at some so-called bits and bobs.
PC gaming is not always all about buying the best graphics card; sometimes, all you need is a little upgrade not to your PC as such, but to your gaming setup. It doesn't even have to be an upgrade -- it can just be something useful that's bound to come in handy.
Here are some of my favorite Prime Day deals on things every PC owner can use every now and then.
Portable storage
- SSK Portable SSD 1TB, up to 1,050MB/s:
$76.99$63.74 at Amazon (save $13.25) - Samsung Type-C USB Flash drive, 256GB:
$34.99$21.84 at Amazon (save $13.15) - SSK USB drive 1TB 550MB/s:
$69.99$59.49 at Amazon (save $10.50) - SanDisk 1TB Ultra Dual Drive Go flash drive:
$109.49$64.99 at Amazon (save $44.50)
Mouse & keyboard pads
- EooCoo ergonomic mouse pad w/ wrist support:
$10.99$6.29 at Amazon (save $4.70) - Hokafenle ergonomic mouse pad w/ massage design:
$24.99$19.99 at Amazon (save $5) - RGB LED large mouse pad:
$9.99$8.49 at Amazon (save $1.50) - Jikiou cloud keyboard wrist rest:
$16.96$12.66 at Amazon (save $4.30) - Ergonomic wrist rest for keyboard & mouse:
$19.95$15.96 at Amazon (save $3.99)
Routers
- TP-Link AC1200 dual-band 5GHz router:
$49.99$39.99 at Amazon (save $10) - Asus RT-AX1800S dual-band Wi-Fi 6 5GHz router:
$89.99$54.99 at Amazon (save $35) - TP-Link AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 5GHz router:
$99.99$54.99 at Amazon (save $45)
I just spent $45, and I couldn't be happier about it.
Can it be tomorrow already? Because that's when I'll get my new Razer Seiren V3 Mini standalone microphone, and it's the perfect shade to match my Razer BlackWidow V3 Quartz keyboard. (Psst, we have more stylish Prime Day gaming deals right here, because hardware doesn't need to be all black and red.)
I was just sent a link to this microphone, and it took all of 30 seconds for me to be convinced to buy it. Thanks, Dave.
The matching color played a part, sure, but what truly convinced me is that this budget-friendly mic has the same internals as its more expensive counterparts. Compared to the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma, the Mini is also a condenser microphone, with a supercardioid pickup pattern, a 24-bit depth, and a high sample rate of up to 96kHz. Both mics sport a frequency response range of 20Hz to 20kHz.
The difference between the two lies in condenser capsule size, where the Mini is smaller (understandably so), and the Mini dials back on various extra buttons. Tap to mute and that's it. But really, what else do you need?
We loved the old version back in the day, and I know I'm going to love the V3 once it arrives tomorrow. I'm seriously hyped. I'll let you know how it fares once I have it.
Don't fancy the pink color or want something even more affordable? You got it.
That Razer Seiren Mini mic we praised so highly in our review is not currently on sale, but you can grab it for just $37.
Years later, we still consider it one of the best microphones for gaming, and that's saying something.
Finding a cheap monitor isn't easy, but I just did. You're welcome.
Let's talk monitors.
I'm not going to pull wool over your eyes and tell you that you're gonna get one of the best gaming monitors under $100. Even our favorite budget pick, the AOC Gaming C27G4ZXE, is not currently on sale for Prime Day (but who knows, anything could happen, seeing as Prime Day lasts for, well, days -- plural).
Those top-shelf picks often sell not just for over $100, but for over $300. But, there are still some decent monitor deals up for grabs this Prime Day, and it's not all non-fancy stuff. I found a 24-inch curved monitor that's currently 27% off.
I'm half-tempted to get a third monitor, although I'm not sure how I'd force it to fit on my desk.
The screen I'm talking about is the Sceptre C248W-1920RN, and it's a 24-inch display with a 1800R curvature.
It's 1080p, which is all we can expect at $87 (previosly $119, now 27% off), comes with a VA panel, and decent viewing angles of 178° horizontally and vertically. The 75Hz refresh rate isn't much of a boost over 60Hz, but this one will do just fine if you usually play RPGs as opposed to fast-paced shooters.
D'you know what I'm always up for buying, other than Pokémon merch and overpriced iced tea that I could make at home at a fraction of the cost?
Keyboards. I don't need more keyboards, but I always have the urge to buy another one to test. My current keyboard is mechanical and delightfully pink and I love it, but man, the temptation to cheat is strong.
Anyway, Prime Day keyboard deals , let's go!
I remember when mechanical keyboards were seen as this expensive, enthusiast thing, but they're really getting better (at least when on sale). I just spotted one under $25 -- check it out.
Mechanical keyboards with Hall effect switches are on sale, too, for just $40, so check them out if these don't appeal to your tastes. I won't be offended.
Maybe.
Prime Day, take two -- let's gooo!
Good morning, friends and strangers worldwide! It's me, Monica, back for another round of Prime Day deal-hunting madness.
After I signed off from here yesterday, I went ahead and got myself that Lexar NM790 SSD that I told you about. Couldn't pass up on a 24% sale, and the neglected parts of my Steam library are going to thank me. I hope.
So, what comes next? I'm seeing lots of snazzy Prime Day deals under $100. Stay tuned.
My SSD and I don't see eye to eye. I just want to fit all my games onto it, but it has something called a "maximum capacity".
Gross, I know. But such is life.
Thankfully, I have the ability to add extra storage onto my motherboard. So that's what I'll do, instead of actually clearing out my recycle bin or uninstalling games I haven't played for three years.
And you can do the same! In fact, consider some of those below, because these are ones we've been recommending on our best Prime Day SSD deals page.
Check out these bad boys, and forget about your old flame.
This SSD that'll fit inside my Steam Deck has also had a little discount since last we looked. It's now $83.99 at Amazon where it was $90 before. That means our mini handheld PCs can get the same treatment. Hoora!
Alienware, yet so familiar
I bid you, do not snooze on this gaming laptop deal. It's out of this world (I said sorry in advance, just scroll down).
Let's be frank. Alienware is a known entity, despite the name. That's because the name is synonymous with quality and speed. So the idea of an RTX 5060-powered 16-inch Alienware gaming laptop—complete with an Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 240H CPU—for just over $1,000 is a very stellar prospect.
Right now, the Alienware Aurora 16 is going for $1,100 at Newegg, and frankly that ain't bad for a Blackwell lappy, especially when topped with 32GB of memory and a 1TB SSD. With $400 saved, you can put that money toward an actual space ship, too.
Yummm. In my search for gaming mice I've spotted my current gaming mouse, the Logitech G502 X, which is currently $55 for Amazon Prime members. Or 45% off, against it's standard $100 price tag.
It's the updated version of the original G502, and this time it's even more impeccably ergonomic than it was before. Plus, it's blooming gorgeous in white.
Sure it's wired, and sure the white version gets dirty easier, but if you're going for that chic snowy aesthetic, it's certainly not the ugliest mouse around. And as for the wire, it's super lightweight and unobtrusive. It's never gotten in the way for me, at least.
Snakes on a game
*Swish*
That's the sound of your new gaming mouse as it snakes its way onto your desktop.
If you're unsure, or afeared of snakes perhaps, let me ease your worry. The DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is no venomous foe. It's our current king of the best wireless gaming mouse guide. And he's a harmless little fellow.
Not meek, but humble. And right now very cheap.
Just $75.99 at Amazon against it's usual (and already good) $100 pricing, the Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed comes with our highest recommendation thanks to its fast and accurate clicks and a supremely comfortable fit in the hand.
"Dude, speak up. I can't hear you at all."
"You sound like you're underwater."
"Seriously, what microphone are you using?"
If you've been subject to any variation of these phrases recently while in a Discord or work call, I've got just the thing for you. With the few gaming mic deals we've found below, you can do your pals a favor and save them badgering you to get a new gaming mic. Plus, they then won't have to hear the crackly mess that is your comms every time you chime in.
Right now, some of our favorite gaming mics are on offer, and for well under $100, too!
- Razer Seiren V3 Mini | $50 at Amazon
- NZXT Capsule Elite | $70 at Amazon
- HyperX Quadcast | $80 at Amazon
We already mentioned the Razer Seiren V3 Mini earlier in the live blog, but it's still a great price for the updated version of our favorite budget gaming microphone, the Razer Seiren Mini.
If you're after something a little more full-featured, the NZXT Capsule Elite is an intense little mic with a lot going on. But it does a smashing job of filtering out background noise if you've got a lot going on.
The more extreme option, and one that looks pretty rad too, is the HyperX QuadCast. It may be a little more expensive than the other two, but man does this thing work magic. We often recommend it's RGB sister mic, the Quadcast S. It's basically the same mic, but with more 🌈🌈🌈.
Stay in control of your funds
Sometimes, paying through the nose for an official console controller just isn't worth it. We've all been there. Some chump accidentally left your lovely new $74 DualSense or $64 Xbox controller on the arm of the couch, knocked it off, and now it doesn't seem to work just right.
What if you could get a controller just as good as those mentioned above, but for under $20? Then people could knock it around all they liked and you wouldn't need to ban them from game night!
Well, right now the GameSir Nova Lite (our favorite budget gaming controller) is just $19.99 at Amazon. Not only are you getting a lightweight asymmetric controller, but also one that comes with Hall effect and superb connectivity. Besides, it doesn't look terrible either, unlike many budget controllers (seriously, ew).
Hey, *psst* remember that Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 gaming keyboard we keep bashing on about? Well we've just seen it drop from $50 to $40 at Amazon. Which puts it even closer to the price of our beloved but here-no-more Mountain Everest 60.
Sure the sound dampening isn't as snazzy, but that's not too much of an issue if you're packing a noise cancelling gaming headset.
And would you look at that, our pick for the best noise cancelling gaming headset, the Acezone A-Spire, is also coming in with an incredible discount of 53% right now. That's $149 at Amazon, as opposed to the usual $319 price tag.
It's not quite under $100, but it's over $100 off, so I thought I'd mention it.
So cometh the hour of Katie Wickens, former Hardware Writer of three years with this abominable bunch. Fear me, for I am a deals hound, dredged from the depths of peak trading hell to bring you the most brutal price cuts imaginable....
Sorry, not sure what happened there.
Hey. I'm Katie and I'll be taking over the live blog for the afternoon. Sorry in advance.
- Logitech G305: $29 on Amazon (43% off)
- Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite: $55 on Amazon (39% off)
- SteelSeries Aerox 3: $60 on Amazon (50% off)
Much like headsets, I've tested a stupid amount of the best gaming mice before settling on one.
I had a little look, and unfortunately, my current mouse doesn't fit in the under $100 bracket, and it's not even discounted. No, this isn't a flex — it's more of a reflection on my questionable shopping habits. That said, I do love that mouse, and I'll show you a suitable alternative that fits neatly in our $100 budget.
The Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite is that "suitable alternative" to the Razer Naga V2 Pro. It gives you 12 programmable side buttons (and a total of 17 buttons) and an optical sensor with a DPI of 18,000. If it wasn't wired, it'd be even better.
That said, not all of us need a 12-button mouse, and in many games, those extra buttons just add weight for no reason. If you just want a solid mouse without any bells and whistles, check out the Logitech G305 — an older favourite of mine that I still own and love. Wireless, easy to grip, and responsive (12,000 DPI), this mouse is now a lot cheaper for Prime Day.
Lastly, if you're into MOBAs and FPS games, check out the SteelSeries Aerox 3 wireless. It's a whopping 50% off for Prime Day, and with a 200-hour battery life and an 18K DPI sensor, you're going to make good use of this one.
I promised you Prime Day SSD deals, and SSD deals I shall deliver. I'm nice like that.
The good thing about Prime Day is that there are lots and lots of deals on storage. My Steam Library is finally going to love me once I install all of these games.
No, I'm not going to play them, I'll just install them. Why do you ask?
The Samsung 990 Evo Plus is brilliant, but if that doesn't strike your fancy, check out one that's even cheaper.
Any streamers in the house?
Or at least people who frequently need to "hop on a call quickly"?
I just spotted a snazzy deal on the Razer Kiyo streaming webcam. It's now just $45 (down from $100), making this one of the best Prime Day PC gaming deals you can score, because hey, who doesn't love a 55% discount?
Whether you're a streamer (in which case, send a link!) or simply someone who constantly needs to attend various calls that could've been emails, a solid webcam never hurts to have. I love that this one has a built-in 5600K ring light around the camera, so even if you're like me and you enjoy mood lighting too much to invest in a proper lamp, you can now fool your viewers into thinking that your room's super bright at all hours of the day.
I grew up in the era of Ventrilo and TeamSpeak (guess my age). This means that I've grown used to terrible microphones, all kinds of background noise, and eardrum-damaging levels of static when some of my gaming friends tried to speak.
These days, I have limited patience for terrible headsets and mics. I've gone through way too many before settling on something I liked. I'm not kidding — I have a disturbing amount of headsets stowed away somewhere.
Luckily, the headsets I'm about to show you aren't going to end up in the bin, and they're all massively discounted during Prime Day.
Sweet, our favorite micro-ATX PC case is now 25% off during Prime Day
If you're in the market for a micro-ATX PC case, this Prime Day is a good time to shop. I just spotted a sweet deal on one of the best PC cases, and our favorite micro-ATX chassis, the NZXT H3 Flow.
This case, now just $60 on Amazon (down from $80), scored 84% in our review. We reviewed the black model, but you can buy either black or white for the same price during this sale.
We loved the airflow, the clean aesthetic, and the improvements that NZXT made to this case, which is a redesign of the H210 line from 2019. Our final verdict on the case was: "Very pretty, very cool, and a huge improvement over its now ancient predecessor."
Although this is an ITX/micro-ATX case, it can actually fit the RTX 5090, so chonky GPUs are welcome. It measures 40.0 x 22.5 x 38.9 cm, supports ITX and mATX motherboards and up to seven fans, and it can fit an up to 280mm AIO in the front, or a 240mm up top.
Right-o, let's check out some Prime Day PC hardware deals under $100. There's actually a lot out there, so unless you're desperate for a GPU, you'll be just fine. (Hint: We have found some GPU Prime Day deals, so if you've got a bigger budget, have a look.)
I dug up quite a lot of interesting hardware, some of it hugely discounted. There's an actual AMD Ryzen CPU for $66 (at a 58% discount, no less), for example. These things will help you upgrade your PC without spending a fortune.
So, since my last recommendation stretched our budget to the max, let's dial it back a little and check out one of the best SSDs out there.
When I built my current PC around a year ago, I told myself that a 2TB SSD would give me more than enough storage. I'm not sure why I thought that, but in any case, it wasn't enough. It's time to buy a second SSD to store all the games I'm never going to play as I inevitably sink hours into the upcoming Mists of Pandaria expansion in WoW Classic.
I'll show you a few Prime Day deals for SSDs under $100 a bit later today, but I just want to give a quick shoutout to the Lexar NM790, which we loved in our review -- it scored 90%, and with good reason. It's speedy, reliable, and now, it's more affordable than ever.
We tested the 4TB version, which obviously costs more than $100, but the 1TB variant is currently on sale for just $68 (down from $90). This is an NVMe M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD with up to 7,400MB/s in sequential read speeds and 6,500MB/s in write speeds. Check out how it fared in our benchmarks below.
Good morning, gamers! I'm Monica, here to join you on our budget-friendly shopping spree.
I'm a huge believer in being able to game for less, which is why you'll find me ranting about GPU prices pretty much constantly. It won't surprise you, then, that I won't be showing you RTX 50-series laptop deals, even though they're pretty sweet -- I'll stick to things that won't make you cry when you check your bank account in a few days. Promise.
I'll start you off with something that just barely makes the cut, but is genuinely so solid that it's worth recommending. I'm talking about the Acer Nitro 24.5-inch gaming monitor, or more precisely, the KG251Q P3biip model. Don't you just love how that rolls off the tongue so easily?
Anyway, I used an older model of this monitor for a very long time, and honestly, at that price point, I was super happy with it. This one comes with 180Hz refresh rates, which is great for all you FPS lovers out there. It's a standard 1080p display with a VA panel, and at $99, it makes for a good daily driver, second monitor, or your new gaming best friend.
One thing that doesn't have to cost a ton inside your PC is the cooling. Sure, you can build a hyper-expensive liquid-cooling loop that's bespoke to your rig, or grab a massive all-in-one chip chiller for a couple hundred dollars, but all you really need to keep your CPU running effectively is a simple air cooler.
And the Arctic Freezer 36 is one such simple cooler. It's effective and easy to fit even if it does look a bit basic. It's one of our highest scoring products we've reviewed this year, scoring an impressive 95% in our review.
If you want something that looks a bit fancier, though, even without myriad RGB LEDs adorning it, then this CoolerMaster Hyper 612 Apex chiller is a great-looking option for your rig, and will still only set you back $65.
You can see how these two coolers fared in our testing. And we really put them through the ringing, forcing them to cool the monstrous Intel Core i7 14700K. That's a hot chip...
Good morning! It's the first day of Prime Day proper, and there are going to be three more after that. So, yes, the 'Prime Day' thing is a bit of a misnomer these days, but hey, fingers crossed that means there'll be a ton of great budget deals rolling around this week.
My team and I are going to be keeping our eyes peeled for the best deals, and I'll be bringing the best budget , sub-$100 ones to light right here.
If you're after a simple upgrade for your gaming PC shoving in some extra RAM isn't a bad place to start. Sure, 16 GB is enough for most PC gaming needs, but really for comfort you should start considering switching to 32 GB for your machine.
And if you're rocking a modern PC with DDR5 memory in it, then chances are you probably think that means spending a fortune on new RAM. But you can actually get very fast, very low latency DDR5 for very little today. This 32 GB DDR5-6000 kit sports impressively low latency, and is just $87 at Amazon today.
Seriously, look at the size of that thing. It's a bona fide 4K webcam, and it's super dinky and comes in a range of funky colors. Its stand may be a bit lightweight, but its 4K sensor certainly is not. If you're after an affordable 4K webcam they don't get much better than the Meet 2, our pick as the best 4K webcam outright.
I'm a bit sad that my beloved Mountain Everest 60 keyboard is no longer. It was a great compact gaming keyboard, with a gorgeous sound and outstanding build quality, but after BeQuiet bought out the company (and released almost silent new keebs) the old Mountain board has disappeared from sale.
It's a real shame because at times it was just $30 for an incredibly good gaming keyboard.
Thankfully there's a new kid in town, in the shape of the Gamakay x NaughShark NS68 keyboard. It's a mouthful, but it's also an excellent budget Hall effect gaming keyboard with side-glowing PBT keycaps. And it's just $50 at Amazon right now. That's a bargain price for a Hall effect gaming keyboard.
Now, it's a little hollow-sounding, and could do with some extra damping in the chassis, but otherwise it's an excellent budget board.
While not necessarily a piece of PC gaming hardware itself, a good screwdriver can be an incredibly useful tool if you're in the habit of pulling apart your PC or laptop on a regular basis. It's something, as a committed PC tweaker, that is important to me at least.
And it's evidently important to our Andy as well, because he's got his heart set on this ace little electric screwdriver set from Best Buy. And it's a bit of a bargain at just $30.
I made Andy wear one of the best-selling super-budget gaming headsets on Amazon, using it as his daily driver for an entire week. He now hates me, and the Bengoo G9000. It's a $19 gaming headset and proves that sometimes you get what you pay for. But he's also dug out a pair of Sony earbuds that also cost the same amount that are actually good, so I'm calling it a win for consumer advice.
But he's also found a Razer headset on sale for a still pretty budget price of $40 at Amazon that outshines the Bengoo G9000 in every single facet of gaming headset-ery.
- One of the best: Razer BlackShark V2 X | $40 @ Amazon
- One of the worst: Bengoo G9000 | $19 @ Amazon
You know it's possible to get a proper 2 TB SSD for less than $100, right?
Yup, here's an excellent, high-capacity SSD for just $93. It's not the fastest PCIe 4.0 SSD you'll find right now, but it's way quicker than any SATA drive or hard drive, and you get a whole lot of pretty quick storage for that price, too. It will make an excellent boot drive, or just a secondary storage SSD.
You definitely couldn't get the best gaming mouse for under $100, could you? Especially not if it's a Razer gaming mouse, right? Well, while we're not currently recommending the DeathAdder V3 Pro as the actual best gaming mouse right now, that's only because outside of sales time the thing retails for more like $120, with an MSRP of $150. That's normally too rich for our blood, which is why the Razer DeathAdder V3 Hyperspeed is our current favorite instead; it's cheaper and packs in almost the same level of top-end performance.
But while that's $85 at Amazon right now, the V3 Pro being just 98c more at GameStop makes it an easy choice.
Fast external SSDs don't have to cost a ton of cash, and the Crucial X9 is the perfect example of that. This is why it's our pick as the best budget external SSD you can buy today. Even more so now it's rocking a tasty discount, too.
I love that monitor technology has grown to a point where you can get a proper high refresh rate panel for less than $100. Not too long ago you would have to suffer a rubbish TN panel, with poor colors and dreadful viewing angles to squeeze under the $100 mark, yet today you can pick up a 180 Hz screen, with a VA panel, and 1 ms response for that price. Bargain.
I will shout about this li'l guy as often as I can, because I love this microphone. While I am most definitely into audio when it comes to headphones, I'm not nearly so fussed about how I might come across in-game or in meetings. So I've never spent a ton of cash on a fancy microphone, but the Razer Seiren Mini is a great budget mic and is just $37 at Amazon.
It's got the same internals as Razer's more expensive microphones, so its supercardioid pickup will sound the same, you're just missing out on the smarter stands or controls. Yeah, the Seiren Mini has no controls, whatsoever. Not even a mute. To be honest, that's a plus for me; I'll only end up messing the sound up if I'm given knobs to twiddle.
If you want a cheap, good-sounding gaming mic that's literally just plug-and-play, the Seiren Mini is a fantastic shout. I love mine.
