Due to the amount of threads that are generated on this forum asking for help in their quest for the best hardware, I have decided to make a list of the most commonly used peripherals.
All positive and negative points have been taken from online reviews of the product as it would be impossible to know everything about every bit of hardware.
A key thing to remember is that it is all personal preference, especially on mousegrip. If you need further information on a product then I recommend you search the product you liked into Google, with review added to the end.
This is a guide, not a comprehensive review of every bit of decent hardware available on the market.
You can find said list below:
MICE
Intelli 1.1 (also see more up-to-date 3.0 version)
Versatile ambidextrous design
Award winning optical technology
Doesn't work on reflective surfaces
Razer Deathadder
Nice, comfortable shape
Looks great
Superb glide and accuracy
A lot of professional gamers use this mice (including me! :D)
Logitech MX518
Amazing performance
Good weight and feel
A lot of professional gamers use this mice
The looks may not appeal to some
Steelseries XAI
Great Performance
Ergonomical shape
On-board memory
Ambidextrous
Expensive
Sensor has ~5% positive acceleration
Logitech G500
Customization
Scroll Wheel (ratcheted or free spin)
Comfortable
Side buttons quite close together
Keyboards
Microsoft Sidewinder X6
Thirty programmable keys
Removeable Keypad
Ergonomical
Not very comfortable for everyday typing
Wrist pad isn't soft and can't detach from keyboard
Read more:
reviews.cnet.com/keyboards/microsoft-sidewinder-x6-keyboard/4505-3134_7-33238269.html#ixzz1754d7uB5
ThermalTake Challenger Pro
64Kb onboard memory to store the 4 profiles and macro key settings
Cooling fan for your hands
Protective storage bags for keyboard, cables and spare keys
Rear USB Ports
Logitech G15 Version 2
Robust
LCD Screen
Rear USB Ports
Razer Lycosa
Impressive macro capabilites
Stylish
Keys hard to read during the day
Rear USB Ports
Filco Majestouch
Mechanical
Very sturdy
Selection of key switches to make it more personal to you
Amazing for rts
Loud keys
Very expensive
Rare
No lighting etc (not important though)
Saitek Eclipse
Sturdy and Comfortable
Backlit
Moderatly Inexpensive
Headsets
Seinheiser PC350
Superb Microphone
Excellent spatial awareness and audio placement
Excellent noise cancellation
Limited Bass
Expensive
Steelseries Sibiera v2
Decent sound quality for cost
Stylish and sleek
Comfortable
Microphone
Logitech G35
Comfortable when worn for extended periods
Build quality is very good
Jack of all trades
Volume range is limited
Slightly mushy when outputting stereo sound
Awkwardly-placed buttons may cause problems
Plantronics GAMECOM 377
VERY comfortable after worn for a week or so
Good sound quality, especially the bass
EXTREMELY cheap (£25)
Long cable
Feels like it could outlast the cockroaches
Looks are like marmite
Doesn't have any surround sound capabilities
Crushes head on first few wears
Sound can be "muddy" at times, treble not as good as the bass on this headset
Razer Carcharias
Comfortable
Long Cable
Relativly Cheap
Decent Noise Cancellation
Not the best for gaming
Astro a40
Good sound quality
Comfortable
5.1 Surround Sound when used with mixamp
Comes with eccessories
Incredibly Expensive
Hair can easily get trapped
Creative Fatality
Price
Poor noise cancellation
Only in here due to the price
Steelseries 7H
Amazing audio quality
Good sound isolation
Not ideal for people with large heads
Roccat Kave
Great sound quality
Top notch clarity at higher volumes
Looks good
Bass frequencies not as pronounced as others
Mousemats
Steelseries QCK+ Range (recommend qck+heavy)
Reasonable Price
Great surface with strong rubber base
Foldable or roll able
Steelseries Experience I-1/2 (Icemat)
Smooth finish
Dosn't loose traction or slip
Wears down mice skates quickly
Additional:
All about mice - Provided by Slowking
spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0AosJbEwEG9GpdEpBMGc1ZXo0S3BLQm1YQ09jeVZ6bEE&w=100&h=650
If you have any other suggestions, feel free to post suggestions below.
Also, take the time to check http://www.hardwareheaven.com.
edited 2011-09-07 02:29:22 
E: People could make more comprehensive reviews of the peripherals they've either used or are using and then they would be added to the list?
edited 2010-12-03 19:57:34
Thank you for you time,
Alan
i have one pretty good
www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/12068873/SPEEDLINK-SL-8691-SBK-Spes-Clip-O
n-Microphone/Product.html?searchstring=speedlink+mic&searchty
pe=allproducts&searchsource=0&urlrefer=search
www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/12068873/SPEEDLINK-SL-8691-SBK-Spes-Clip-O
n-Microphone/Product.html?searchstring=Speedlink+Clip&searcht
ype=allproducts&searchsource=0&urlrefer=search
I heard it on some youtube video and it was pretty good.
EDIT: kvH, ahahaha :D You were 39 seconds quicker than me.
edited 2010-12-03 20:01:08
The quality is good, but they break far too easy
Nice thread btw.
steelseries 7g,saitek cyborg should be added to keyboards
maybe add a mousemats bit with: the qck range, the razer mats, qpad ct, mionix alioth
gj
I have a Razer Lycosa tho, can't say i've ever had trouble reading the keys during the day!!!!
Dunno if steelseries sell the clip on mic from the siberia v1 on its own, but if so i'd recommend. Had mine for years now and never had issue and the sound quality has always been really good.
However, in my opinion (and I'm sorry to be negative while being too lazy to do anything about it), the pros and cons are way too brief. I understand that this isn't a full on review of each peripheral but each of them should have a bit more righting and slightly more negative points (some of these don't even have cons). For example, Xai has been known to have some dodgy tracking in a shitload of cases.
srs x6 is SICK
Razer Lycosa, no anti ghosting.
edited 2010-12-03 20:06:40
though dunno why you'd want an expensive keyboard, i got some 15 euro very simple one, no probs
this.
Dell keyboard with mediaplayer keys what more could you want :D
You could put that as a negative point to any mouse/keyboard...
IT SOLDIERS ON
Also a lot of the + and - things u posted are based on personal experience (like u posted the deathadder has a comfortable shape, which I think is completely horrible)
This mouse, is the best mouse ever made, It has no faults, its simply fantastic in every way, Its a limited edition robotical mouse, only one was ever made.
Unfortunately nobody but me will ever find real name of said mouse making it impossible to add to the list.
edited 2010-12-03 21:28:03
Perfect Control = 3.92m/s
Malfunction = 4.5m/s
No mouse prediction
+ Tracking is superb (you'll never hit 3.9 m/s when in-game, even on the lowest sensitivity)
+/- Right handed mouse (ergonomic)
+/- Slightly heavy (~110g)
- No on-board memory
- Very little customization via software (450/900/1800/3500 are the only DPI choices)
MX518:
Perfect Control = 2.05 m/s
Malfunction = 4.5+ m/s
Has mouse prediction
+ Superb tracking (almost nobody will hit 2.05m/s)
+ Ridiculous malfunction speed
+ Customization via software is decent (increments of 100 DPI)
+/- Slightly heavy (~105g)
- No onboard memory
- Default polling rate @ 125hz
Xai:
Perfect Control = ~1.5m/s
Malfunction = 3.5m/s
Mouse prediction is configurable via hardware
+ Customization is ridiculous (CPI in increments of 1, polling rate in increments of 1, customizable mouse prediction/correction, etc)
+ On-board memory
+ Malfunction speed is great
- Perfect control is decent at best, most low sensitivity players will hit the postiive acceleration curve, however luckily the acceleration is rather minor
- Driver bugs and scroll wheel bug is disappointing for a $90 mouse
Feel free to call me a nerd.
edited 2010-12-04 07:23:00
Keyboard SteelSeries 7G
Headset Speelink Medusa NX
+ Mechanical Keys
+ Compact (Much more so than Logitech keyboards)
+ Record macros on the fly
+ Proper UK layout (No retarded enter or backspace keys)
- No backlighting
- No dedicated media keys
- Heavy
- Font is rather 'unprofessional' (Looks gimicky)
+/- Price - Cheaper than the majority of mechanical keyboards, but still quite expensive for a keyboard.
+/- - Loud keys, however the sound may appeal to some.
Roccat Apuri
+ More freedom (Compares to that of a wireless mouse)
+ 4 Powered USB 2.0 ports (Only when plugged into mains)
- Price - It's a pretty useless product unless your mouse cord snags
- Backlighting NEVER turns off (Have to unplug it fully every night)
- Although the feet are texturised rubber, it still slides about sometimes
Couple to possibly add on. :)
edited 2010-12-04 03:31:43
Changed Mx518 for Roccat Kone[+] It's amazing - Basicaly the same shape as Mx518 and nice smooth feel like a deathadder Best combo ever :D and sexy as fuck.
Pic of mine with my sexy colours :D
edited 2010-12-04 05:13:32
left from top to bottom is red to pink and right is pink to red just my shitty camera :D
edited 2010-12-04 04:05:24
They bought me thunderbirds wallpaper when iw as like 7 / 8 and i didnt even like the shit then lol
Creative Labs Sound Blaster HS-1100
+ Awesome sound, can use as speakers they're so loud
+ Comfy on the ears
+ Not that expensive
+ Sexy
- Don't feel all that solid
- The top bit hurts my head if I wear it for a long time
Razer Megalodon
+ 7.1 surround sound
+ switching from 7.1 to 2.0 or vice versa easily
+ great sound quality
+ great noise cancellation
- price