10 Amazing Peripherals You Didn’t Know You Needed

You ’re a seasoned tech geek . Your friend and family always appear to you for advice when buying personal computer gear or widget . Yet there ’s still material you do n’t own , and do n’t realize you need . Now , it ’s true that many of you may have a couple of the items on this leaning . But there ’s potential gear here you do n’t have , and did n’t realize you could use .

Note that I ’ve defined “ computer peripheral ” a minuscule more broadly speaking . Some of these point do n’t link to your personal computer , and might be called tools in other contexts . But since I use most of them daily in my work , I estimate they were just as much peripherals as the keyboard I habituate to write . Let ’s plunge in , shall we ?

Note that this list is not in any special order .

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USB Hard Drive Dock

If you do n’t have one of these , you should get one . Better yet , get one of the newer , USB 3.0 treble clock versions . They make cloning arduous drives immensely easy than opening up a case , finding a spare SATA cable and trying to make connecter that do n’t raise up something else inside your PC .

You just slide your drive in so that the superpower and SATA connectors mate to the gadget and plug it in . You ’ll postulate to impound a pocket-size power brick , since desktop hard thrust use more king than USB can deliver . interlingual rendition tie in via eSATA also exist , but I ’ve establish them to be more finicky than the USB versions .

Powered (not unpowered) USB Hub

The vital word here is “ power . ” A powered USB hub is more versatile than an unpowered hub , even if it does take attach a small big businessman brick to an electric receptacle . If you have a powered USB hub , you’re able to attach various USB - power equipment , and each will get its own trickle current . That ’s utile if you ask to consign multiple phones and tablet , attach more than one USB powered hard drive and other similar gadget . ( watch over out , though - some powered hub may only power a subset of the hub . )

Monitor Calibration Puck

If you ’re into photography or telecasting , you probably have one of these . Even if you ’re a casual lensman , you probably watch out a fair amount of video on your PC . Unless you ’re a pixel - peeping pro , you do n’t need a high goal version that ’s full of bells and whistles . A $ 70 Spyder Express Pro get the job done , and is pretty simple to use .

Small LED Flashlight/Lantern

Most forward-looking enthusiast PC cases sport Department of the Interior that are black - on - black . Some motherboards ship with black cables . Some internal peripheral are black . That puddle work inside a PC an interesting exercise in squinting .

innovative , tiny LED flashlights are a godsend . The small one is a Fenix LD15 , which consume a individual Associate in Arts battery and can pump out 105 lumens . The alien take care greenish gizmo is a Blackfire Clamplight , which can stand on its own ( as shown here ) or clamp to the side of a event , directing its igniter inward . It can also emit up to 100 lumen of exceptionally brilliant sparkle . I find myself using the Fenix to hunt for small screws or other tiny items I drop on the floor or inside a shell . The clamp light is useful in a miscellanea of situations .

Smart (Green) Power Strip or UPS

My output system is attached to an APC750 ES Power - Saving smart uninterruptible power supply . The UPS can discover when I power down my PC , and automagically exclude off peripheral gadget impound to sure mogul plug . Others can be “ hot ” all the time . So when I shut down my systems , my monitors and speakers also power down , while my powered USB hub remains on . The PC power connection is still “ live , ” so if you merely put the microcomputer to sleep rather of powering down , your computer peripheral still turn off while the PC itself can still draw enough electric current to keep a sleep country .

If you do n’t involve a UPS , you could get simpler surge defender that do the same thing , like the SmartStrip show here . Like the APC UPS , certain jade altogether power down when you keep out down or put your microcomputer to sleep .

Kelly Forceps (Hemostat)

Ever detect yourself necessitate to attach a pinafore or something like a fan power connection to a motherboard , but your fat fingers ca n’t quite squeeze into the usable space ? Enter the Kelly Forceps , aka a Hemostat . These are useable and either aesculapian supply stores or electronic stores . I suppose I get mine at a Radio Shack .

These are better than needle - nozzle pliers for the job of attach diminutive plugs or fish a nookie out of a small crevice , because they can clamp keep out . That mean they can book said tiny stopper rigid while you ’re hear to enclose them . I do n’t use this daily , but it ’s saved my bacon on multiple social function . At the very least , it can minimize the need for serious PC disassembly if you just necessitate to bind a power connector .

AA Battery Charger

I use Logitech cordless mice and keyboards , which use AA barrage for power . In particular , the G700 I employ tends to eat batteries for lunch . If I used alkaline AA barrage fire , I ’d cursorily go broke and have to give up my monthly MMO fee . So I keep my computer mouse fed with rechargeable NiMH battery using this gimmick . ( Yes , I can connect my G700 to the personal computer via a USB line to charge it . But that fathom so … gauche somehow . )

Of of course , those battery also power my Nikon external split second units , various removed controls and those LED flashlights , so it ’s not like I ’m preserve this around just to charge shiner battery .

Adjustable Keyboard Tray

Whether you habituate a sitting or standing desk , an adjustable keyboard tray makes typing so much more bearable . I actually use more or less unlike height depend on whether I ’m type or gaming . This Workrite example weighs about 20 pounds , but the fountain - loaded mount gain readjustment easy . you’re able to also slide it under the desk surface when you do n’t need it .

Smartphone or Tablet

If you ’ve sustain one PC that ’s your master go - to system , and it crashes , how do you figure out how to troubleshoot it ? In my pillow slip , I can up a search engine on a smart speech sound and start trolling for solution on the World Wide Web . I can do the same with my iPad , but that tends to live upstairs , while I always have my phone with me .

So while a smart telephone can be your euphony actor , rent you play games while you ’re standing in a checkout line at the foodstuff store or read ebooks , it ’s one of the more useful troubleshooting creature . It can even be used as an ersatz flashlight in a pinch .

Power Screwdriver

What you see here is Milwaukee 6546 cordless screwdriver . It ’s my most used tool . In fact , I apply it so much , I have two of them , as well as backup batteries . While it ’s only rat at 2.4v , the amount of torsion this thing can produce is startling .

It also costs about $ 90 . There are other , less expensive cordless screwdriver out there , but the central thing you call for for a cordless screwdriver to be utilitarian for PC building and upgrading is an adjustable clutch .

Let me be clear : do not expend a cordless screwdriver on microcomputer gear unless it has an adjustable clutch pedal . I keep the clutch set to the minimum scene most of the metre , so I never strip screws - even those awful potmetal screws and mounts in most PC cases .

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