Best Tech Gifts Under $200 -- Nintendo 3DS, GTX 1050 Ti, Sennheiser HD 598 Headphones
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Best Tech Gifts Under $200
A gift at this price range could be impactful. You want to make sure that you're investing in something that will be appreciated and put to use. With that in mind, we put together this guide for the best tech gifts just under $200.
For all our tech gift guides for different price ranges, follow the links below:
MSI Radeon RX 480 or MSI GTX 1050 Ti
The GTX 1050 Ti performs incredibly well in modern games at 1080p. Most modern games will run well at medium-to-high quality settings with a stable framerate. And there’s a seemingly endless backlog of PC games from the past that will run flawlessly. The 4GB MSI rendition of the card is available for around $150.
The RX 480 is one of AMD’s higher-end cards. MSI’s 4GB version of the card is available for $199 when it’s on sale. If you want to go the extra mile gifting a video card, the RX 480 would be the best performer for this price range.
Video cards are simple to swap and any machine made in the past eight years is going to have a PCI-Express slot.
Sennheiser HD 598 Headphones
The Sennheiser HD 598 is arguably the best consumer-grade headphones. These are open back headphones, which means your ears are not sealed from the outside world and won't do much for noise-cancelling. However, this allows for sound to flow more naturally, creating more clarity and a better soundstage. Locating the source of sound within a game will change the way you play, and the instrumentation of high-quality music will stand out much more.
One would choose the HD 598 over the cheaper HD 558 if the user is equipped with a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) or amplifier. A DAC or amp will bring out the full potential of the HD 598 to provide the most detailed sound possible.
The HD 598 feels solid. It doesn’t have too many moving parts, it doesn’t feel flimsy, it's flexible, and it's very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.
Nintendo 3DS / 3DS XL
The Nintendo 3DS is essentially the same as a 2DS, except this one opens and closes! It’s a better system for ergonomics and portability. The 3DS XL is also an option if you wish for a larger screen or have bigger hands and want a heftier system.
Like we mentioned with the 2DS, having a 3DS will open a great library of games to someone who has yet to delve into this portable system. Games such as Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Super Mario 3D Land, Pokemon Sun and Moon, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Super Smash Bros, and Bravely Default, are some the 3DS’s best.
ASUS ZenPad S 8.0 Tablet
Better known tablets such as the iPad and Galaxy Tab are well above $200 for newer models with significant storage space, but you can still get a decent tablet under 200 bucks.
The 32GB model of the Android-powered ASUS ZenPad S 8.0 goes for well under $200. Compared to most tablets, it’s light and compact. Reviews have noted that the pre-loaded ASUS software makes adjusting the settings on the 8-inch display simple. The ZenPad also has a micro-SD expansion slot for up to an additional 128GB, which is a huge advantage over iPads.
Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum Keyboard
If you want to go all out on gifting a mechanical keyboard, Logitech’s G810 Orion Spectrum is a good way to go.
This keyboard uses the company’s Romer-G switches, which offer a slight tactile bump for keystroke feedback similar to Cherry MX Brown switches, but are more fluid and quiet. It also has full RGB backlighting with customizable effects through Logitech’s software. The luminosity is strong with this keyboard, since the light source is centered directly beneath the keys.
It has a simple clean style, feels great to use, and can almost light up a room if you want it to.
Hubsan X4 H502S Drone
You can get a fun budget-level drone for under $200. Hubsan is one of the more established manufacturers of consumer-level drones and their H502S model is a solid choice.
Reviews on the H502S state that it has flight time of around 12 minutes, maintains full control out to about 200 meters, and flies as fast as 10 meters/second. It also has a 720p camera built into it.
ASUS VS278Q-P 27" 1ms 1080p Monitor
Despite the craze with 4K displays and 144Hz refresh rate panels, a good 1080p monitor can still go a long way, especially a 27 inch display rated with a 1ms response time like the ASUS VS278Q-P. It has a DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, and a VGA / D-Sub port.
This monitor retails for around $300 but can be found for just under $200 on sale.
If someone is in need of a large and high-quality display but doesn’t have the GPU horsepower for a 4K or high refresh rate panel, the ASUS VS278Q-P is a good choice.
Recap on Tech Gifts Under $200
Here's a recap of all the items we recommended in our under-$200 gift guide:
- MSI Radeon RX 480 or MSI GTX 1050 Ti
- Sennsheiser HD 598 Headphones
- Nintendo 3DS or 3DS XL
- ASUS ZenPad S 8.0 Tablet
- Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum Mechanical Keyboard
- Hubsan X4 H502S Drone
- ASUS VS278Q-P 27" 1ms 1080p Monitor
For all our tech gift guides for different price ranges, follow the links below: