6 killer Prime Day deals on PC gear I own, use, and love

If you’re surfing the internet today, you might notice that Amazon is having a sale. A big sale. It’s a Big Deal, as it were. And we’ve got tons of deal roundups for you to check out. This stuff keeps the lights on for tech websites. But allow me to take a moment to give you some more personal recommendations: the stuff I use every day.

Each one of the following items is something I’ve purchased for myself, not a review unit. I can (and have) recommended them for people at full price. Now you can get ’em at a discount. It’s a win-win. Hey, why don’t I prove it to you — I’ll snap a photo of this stuff sitting around my desk! Um, pardon the dust.

A perfect speaker upgrade: Edifier R1280T bookshelf speakers, $83.99 ($36 off)

Michael Crider/Foundry

Michael Crider/Foundry

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    </div></figure><p class="imageCredit">Michael Crider/Foundry</p></div>

These babies have been sitting on my desk for years. There’s a reason this affordable, powerful set of speakers is so popular: they sound great and they’ll rattle your bones in a small office. There are fancier speakers out there, but you won’t find anything with this combination of quality and value. If you’re still using the teeny-tiny speakers in your monitor, for the love of Pete just get these already.

View Deal on Amazon

Big deskpad energy: A big, wide mouse pad for just $10.39 ($9 off)

Michael Crider/Foundry

            <div class="lightbox-image-container foundry-lightbox"><div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large enlarged-image"><img data-wp-bind--src="selectors.core.image.enlargedImgSrc" data-wp-style--object-fit="selectors.core.image.lightboxObjectFit" alt="Amazon topographical desk pad" class="wp-image-2482578" width="1200" height="676" loading="lazy" /></figure><p class="imageCredit">Michael Crider/Foundry</p></div>

    </div></figure><p class="imageCredit">Michael Crider/Foundry</p></div>

To be honest, I bought this thing just to take photos of it in my keyboard reviews — I needed something dark and interesting to sit under all-white boards. But it’s since become a regular in my setup. I dig the topographical pattern, the stitched edges (on such a cheap mat!) and the big size, just over 700mm wide. If this style doesn’t strike your fancy, look around, there are tons of these desk mats on deeply discounted today.

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A wireless headset that lasts months on a charge: HyperX Cloud Alpha, $134.43 ($65 off)

Michael Crider/Foundry

            <div class="lightbox-image-container foundry-lightbox"><div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large enlarged-image"><img data-wp-bind--src="selectors.core.image.enlargedImgSrc" data-wp-style--object-fit="selectors.core.image.lightboxObjectFit" alt="Hyper X Alpha Cloud Wireless headeset" class="wp-image-2482576" width="1200" height="676" loading="lazy" /></figure><p class="imageCredit">Michael Crider/Foundry</p></div>

    </div></figure><p class="imageCredit">Michael Crider/Foundry</p></div>

This isn’t the fanciest headset in the world, but it does everything I need it to, with a removable boom mic for gaming and a wireless USB dongle to let me wander around and do chores while I listen to YouTube videos. And here’s what makes it worth the price: it lasts for literally hundreds of hours on a charge. I think I’ve charged this headset up maybe three times since I bought it more than two years ago.

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An easy tablet kickstand that disappears in your bag: MOFT Snap Tablet Stand, $31.99 ($8 off)