Grab these PC gaming accessories

Whether you've purchased a new computer to fulfil your gaming needs or would like to add some functionality to an aging PC, it's a good time to invest in a few fun accessories.

Perhaps you're itching for a new controller, mouse or keyboard, or maybe a better monitor, wireless router or headset?

Many hundreds of hardware add-ons exist for computer gamers -- each promising to enhance your interactive entertainment experience -- so how do you know which ones are worthy of your time and money?

The following are a half-dozen gaming accessory recommendations for a laptop or desktop. And don't forget to suggest you own favorites in the Comments section.

Not mousing around

Turtle Beach may be best known for its headsets, but the gaming accessory giant is expanding into other categories, as well. Fans of first-person shooters, strategy and role-playing games might consider the Grip 500 Laser Gaming Mouse ($69.95), an ergonomically engineered and illuminated mouse with seven programmable buttons and a middle scroll-wheel. In fact, you can assigned up to 50 complex "macros" – each with up to 100 in-game commands – and then assign them to any button. The premium laser sensor yields instant response and precise tracking with up to 8200 dots-per-inch sensitivity.

Keys, please

Dubbed the world's fastest mechanical gaming keyboard, Logitech's new G910 Orion Spark ($179.99) boasts a number of features including: exclusive Romer-G mechanical switches, for fast response times and added durability; nine programmable buttons that yield up to 27 custom commands; support for the Arx Control app, which shows extra in-game information on a smartphone or tablet (for supported titles); and customizable multi-colored keyboard illumination, which looks sweet in a dimly lit room. Outside of gaming, this keyboard also houses dedicated media controls to play audio and video.

Control freak

Sometimes a keyboard and mouse just don't cut it. As the name suggests, Microsoft's new Xbox One Controller for Windows ($59.95) is a cross-platform game controller that works with both personal computers and the Xbox One video game console. The smooth, black controller offers a familiar and comfortable raised-button layout, D-pad, analog sticks and shoulder/trigger buttons to play with your favorite Windows games – via the included USB cable for power (read: no batteries to replace) – though this versatile controller can also be used wirelessly on your Xbox One, if desired.

Wild about Wi-Fi

In multiplayer shooters, a millisecond can mean the difference between virtual life and death. Resembling a giant red spider on its back, the D-Link Wireless AC3200 Tri-Band Gigabit Router (model # DIR-890L; $299.99) offers superfast and reliable Wi-Fi speeds of up to 3200Mbps (600Mbps on 2.4GHz + 1300Mbps + 1300Mbps on 5GHz), plus it houses a powerful amplifier with six high-gain antennas coupled with D-Link's "SmartBeam" technology to deliver broad coverage and focused beams of bandwidth to individual devices in your home. As many gamers prefer a wired connection, the back of this router exposes four 10/100/1000 Gigabit LAN ports and one 10/100/1000 Gigabit WAN port.

A view to a kill

There are regular computer monitors and then there's the Samsung SE790C ($699.99), which fuses two display trends: curved and ultra-widescreen aspect ratio. With the former, it's slightly concave like a few high-end Samsung televisions (and movie theaters), while the 21:9 ultra-widescreen presentation (with 3000: 1 contrast ratio) fills up much of your field of vision – perfect for games and video and even as a productivity boon by having multiple windows open for multitasking. Other features of this classy monitor: 2560 x 1080 resolution, 4-millisecond response time, two HDMI and one DisplayPort interfaces, and an integrated 7-watt speaker system.

Sounding off

A "Best Gaming Headset" winner from PC Gamer, the Kingston HyperX Cloud ($69.99) is a soft and lightweight over-the-ear gaming headset with leatherette memory foam ear cups (and an extra set of velour ear cups), detachable microphone and tangle-free braided cables with inline volume and microphone mute controls. Designed in Sweden and available in black and white, these headphones boast 53-millmeter Hi-Fi-capable drivers (15-25khz frequency response), passive noise-cancellation to block out ambient noise and compatibility not just with all Windows and Macs but also PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (though an Xbox One Stereo Adapter is required).

Follow Marc on Twitter: @marc_saltzman. E-mail him at techcomments@usatoday.com.