While everyone would like to set themselves up with top-of-the-range hardware to crack the world of competitive eSports, not all of us have the budgets to do this.
But that’s no reason to give up on the dream. Fortunately, many competitive eSports games don’t need cutting-edge hardware to be played. If you shop around wisely, you can set yourself up for PC gaming for under $1,000 and still have some cash leftover at the end of it. Sure, you won’t be able to treat yourself to the higher-spec hardware, but all these suggestions will more than do the job.
Gaming PC – around $550
Obviously, the most expensive element will be the PC itself, but there’s no reason why that should break the bank. Set yourself up with something like the highly regarded MXZ Entry Level Gaming PC and it comes with 8GB of memory, a 500GB SSD hard drive, and an Athlon 3000G 3.5Ghz CPU running on Windows 10 64-bit. It doesn’t just perform well, it looks great too with a clear glass side panel. Plus, it’s easily upgradeable and comes with plenty of ports for connecting with peripherals. This should have enough power for you to player Overwatch or Counter-Strike.
Gaming Monitor – around $250
Next, you’re going to need a good gaming monitor. While the sky’s virtually the limit when it comes to the price of these if you choose one from a name like Acer you’ll still get quite a bang for your buck. Try the 27HC5R and you’ll be getting a 27” curved screen with a 165Hz refresh rate plus full HD display. It also comes with a single display port plus two HDMI ports which should be all you need to get started.
Headset with microphone – around $25
“MonstarGear HeyBro Gaming Headset” (CC BY-ND 2.0) by TheBetterDay
Another important tool is a great set of headphones, ideally with a microphone attached. But it might come as a surprise that noise-canceling tech can be yours for under $25 when you go for a pair like the Pacrate Gaming Headset. Ergonomically designed to be super comfortable, however long the gaming session, they also feature audio drivers that capture where exactly the sound is coming from when you play – handy if the action is all coming from behind when you play the game. When it comes to a game like Counter-Strike, sound does matter as it helps you pinpoint the position of your enemies.
Once you really start getting into eSports, whether it’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, or any other of the competitive games, you’ll also discover that there is a betting market associated with them all. This is one more sign of how eSports is now firmly in the mainstream. You can also read more about everything it involves on any of the leading sites on the subject as well as really begin to understand the ways that the big players approach the games and their opinions on key topics. With various tournaments available, like The International for League of Legends, there’s plenty of opportunities to watch your favorite teams compete for the top title. Gaming mouse – around $10
The standard computer mouse just won’t cut it for a gamer. That’s why you need a model like the GTRacing gaming mouse. Designed to fit nicely in your hand, it also has 7 separate programmable buttons that can be customized however you want them to be.
Gaming chair – around $100
Finally, a good gaming chair might seem like a bit of an indulgence. But it’s well worth checking out what makes a good one and going for a model that meets all the criteria. Worst comes to worst, if you’re struggling to hit your budget, then the gaming chair can be delayed for another time as it’s not a key component to ensure your PC works – although it will make your experience generally more comfortable.
With this and the rest of your setup, you’ll be sitting pretty and ready to launch yourself into the competitive gaming world.
