The Best Hardware Add-Ons for Your PC
Computers are great, but they often seem to be made for a species other than humanity. Each additional cord you plug in adds a new cord that you can manipulate and unravel. They can be customized, but it’s scary to open one and start pulling out its guts. This big old display on your desk takes up a lot of space. Luckily, you can free up space on your desk, replace the clutter of cables with a one-stop connect store, and put everything back in place to improve your quality of life (and that crack in your neck) with these indispensable tools. accessories to your workplace.
Extension cables
Don’t get on all fours to turn on the USB powered mug heater. Get a male to female USB extension cable , plug it into your computer, plug the female end into whatever you’re trying to connect, and live your life knowing you’ll never have to reach for another USB port again. It is ideal for connecting USB storage devices or chargers such as batteries with built-in USB headers.
Headphone stand
Leaving headphones on the table (or lying around at home) is mostly asking for trouble. Have you ever suppressed the screams of rage when your dog chewed on a non-replaceable 3.5mm cable soldered into your favorite pair of cans? Yes, me too. Anyway.
A headphone stand, whether on a table , attached to the edge or glued to the underside , not only protects your headphones from unexpected accidents, but also creates an exclusive place so you don’t have to look for them again (because everything has to be in place .). If you really want to improve your life, get a powered USB multi- port headphone stand to easily charge your Bluetooth headphones, portable DAC, or smartphone.
USB-C (and USB-A!) Adapters
Having at least one USB-C to USB-A adapter for your PC can solve a whole world of problems if you buy a device that relies on a universal port (or your friend comes with a dead smartphone). This allows you to keep your workspace up-to-date without the need to replace USB ports inside your PC or buy a brand new computer to connect to newly manufactured devices. They’re cheap, so grab two. In addition to the C-to-A adapter, you should get a USB-A-USB-C adapter to cover all your bases in case you purchase a USB-C device that needs to be connected to your computer with USB-A. …
Table lamp with wireless charger
Table lamps are ideal for lighting up your table. Having more than one light source in your office will reduce eye strain and, depending on the lamp, illuminate your surroundings with a warm yellow light (ideal for late evening work) or cooler blue light for work during the day.
If you really want to splurge, get a desk lamp with built-in wireless charging pad or multiple USB charging ports . You can then leave your phone on the table, away from the bed, and force yourself to start the day right when its alarm starts ringing.
Monitor arm
If you have a monitor on your desk, then the best decision you’ve ever made might be to lift it off the desk. Aside from freeing up that space for other items (like pictures of your loved ones or some shrine of your favorite pop group), the monitor arm essentially adds a giraffe-like neck to your screen. Improved ergonomics will improve your posture and can alleviate problems like lower back pain as you don’t bend over your desk looking at the screen and its poorly calibrated height.
You can move the monitor in almost any direction, point up or down depending on the viewing angle, and easily rotate it to portrait mode when you need more vertical space. Some monitor brackets also include cable controls or mounting options so you can place your laptop on them instead of the screen.
Powered USB Hub
Whether your computer is under a desk, behind a monitor, or in an all-in-one form factor in which they are combined into one wicked machine, connecting something becomes annoying. It’s even worse if you can’t reach the ports without bending under the table.
A powered USB hub not only gives you easy access to ports that can quickly charge your devices, but you can use all of those ports to connect devices like your smartphone or DSLR to your computer. Combined with a few short cables, this USB hub can be functional and pleasing to the eye.