ARTICLE – As with many folks, when COVID hit, we went remote. Thankfully, my setup at home was ready for it, since the laptop the school issued me was not up to snuff when it came to remote work. I ended up using my personal computer for an all-in-one work and gaming station.
When you’re done reading this article, please go check out the rest of the Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear of 2022 articles.
Here’s a list of what I use on a day to day basis:
Monitors: Both monitors are made by Dell, which in my opinion have some of the easiest plug and play graphics. The one on the right is a 27″ G-Sync capable monitor (Dell S2716DG) that runs at 144 Hz with a 2560×1440 display which was my main display until I upgraded, so it’s solid for both gaming and just tossing Word, Powerpoint, or a video on. The one on the left is a curved 32″ Freesync capable monitor (Dell S3220DGF) that also works with G-Sync. This one runs at 165 Hz with a 2560×1440 display as well and is overkill for work, but a workhorse for gaming.
Microphone: It might not be meant for Zoom calls, but the Blue Yeti X works great for both remote work and gaming. My coworkers got a kick out of the first time my camera was on and they saw the mic hanging down. I am pretty sure I was the only one with HD quality vocal audio during conference calls.
Keyboard / Mouse: I have been using a Logitech mouse for years, so I still stay steadfast with my tried and true Logitech Hero G502 mouse. It doesn’t have a crazy amount of buttons, but it has just enough. The one thing I upgraded because of remote work was to the Logitech G910 Spectrum keyboard. For the past year that I’ve had it, I have no complaints whatsoever. The keys are programmable with the same software as the mouse and I enjoy the RGB lighting.
Camera: Another Logitech product? The Logitech Streamcam was a review item back before we went remote and it came in handy when webcam prices shot through the roof after COVID hit. It is very plug and play and worked well with the Teams software we used. I did not use the Logi software included for the camera for Teams. Having an extra piece of software open just to run the camera seemed pointless.
Headset: I have gone back to using the Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero headset until I can find a headset to replace it. I’ve noticed that all three Turtle Beach headsets that I have reviewed have a design flaw on each side that cracks and breaks. Sadly, while I love the sound quality and comfort, I will not be using these for too much longer as I’ve resorted to taping the cracked areas to prevent it from getting worse. Before this, I was using the Hyper X Cloud Flight S headset daily, but after a few years of use, those started to break down as well. It’s crazy how when you use something for hours on end that it wears down so quickly!
Wireless Charger: My mother got me an Anker wireless charger and it is super useful as it keeps my phone upright in case I get important notifications that I need to see right away. Not only that, it keeps my phone charged up while being a stand. Nifty!
I have other bits and pieces, but these gadgets above are the meat and bones for daily use for someone who works remotely and is a heavy gamer. I will say one thing about writing this up; It gave me an excuse I desperately needed to clean up my desk!
When you’re done reading this article, please go check out the rest of the Gadgeteer team’s favorite gear of 2022 articles.
