Wow, LG really loves robots in its product images. | Image: LG
It’s Saturday, and hopefully that means you get a chance for some R-and-R-and-D: rest, relaxation, and deals. We’ve pooled together some great tech deals to help with those first two parts.
When it comes to relaxing, what puts your mind at-ease more than some twitch-response PC games? If that describes you, you might like this deal on LG’s Ultragear 27-inch QHD monitor with 2560 x 1440 resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. It’s $279.99 ($100 off) at Amazon. That is the lowest price to date for this IPS panel with a one millisecond response time. That combination of a high refresh rate and low response time, along with Nvidia G-Sync compatibility for combating screen tearing makes it ideal for fast-action games like first-person shooters and fighting games. And, since it doesn’t go too hard on the “gamer” looks (at least, the front of the monitor doesn’t), it should look fine on most desks.
So, maybe twitchy games aren’t the most relaxing thing for you. If you need some new earbuds to chill out with some tunes, the Jabra Elite 85t have dropped to a new low price of $144.99 at Woot. That is a whole $85 off the full price, and easily beats the deals you might regularly find.
One of the Elite 85t’s greatest tricks is how they wirelessly pair with up to two devices simultaneously. Add active noise cancellation and easily-accessible physical controls, and you have a great pair of true wireless earbuds for a very fair price. They come equipped with a case that charges wirelessly or via USB-C, and they carry an IPX4 rating for water and sweat resistance. One major downside to consider is that you are limited to the right earbud if you choose to only use one at a time — something a little vexing if you’re used to other earbuds like AirPods that support singular use of either the left or right bud. Read our review.
Jumping back over to PC gaming (I’m sorry, I can’t be stopped), MSI’s GE66 Raider is a unique laptop that is handsomely powerful. This RGB-filled machine has a 15.6-inch screen with a fast 240Hz refresh rate and pixel-dense QHD resolution, and under the chassis there’s a Core i7-11800H CPU and an RTX 3070 GPU powering it. We recognize that the 12th-gen Intel laptops are starting to release, however, it may take some time before any deals follow them.
Normally $2,299.99, Amazon currently has the GE66 Raider for $1,999.99, its lowest price to date. If you’re into the gaming laptop aesthetic, or even just a bit RGB-curious, it’s a slick-looking option.
Speaking of PCs and gaming, the SteelSeries Apex Pro is a solid, full-size mechanical keyboard that is currently selling for its best price to date on Amazon. This version of the Apex Pro, which comes with OmniPoint adjustable key switches, is just $149.99 ($50 off).
In general, SteelSeries boards don’t come cheap, but they’re well-made with customizable software for both Windows and macOS. The adjustable switches allow users to set the actuation point for each key from 0.4mm to 3.6mm, so you can choose just how far you press the key to make it register. Imagine having a feather-touch on your WASD keys for first-person shooters like Valorant. Oh, and the tiny OLED screen near the volume knob can be programmed with little graphics. I put a pixelated Verge logo on one, and it was easy and fun to do.
Some more deals for you to vibe with:
Apple’s black leather, MagSafe-compatible case for the standard iPhone 13 is currently $39.99 (about $19 off) in black at Amazon. We don’t often see big discounts on the first-party cases for the most recent iPhones, which makes the current discount all the more rare.
The first-gen Apple Pencil — yes, the one that awkwardly charges via the Lightning connector, but it otherwise a great stylus — is $76.99 ($22 off) at Amazon. That’s about $7 shy of the lowest price to date for the stylus that’s compatible with the latest iPad and some older models.
Apple’s Leather AirTag Loop is $20.79 (about $18 off) at Amazon in the red colorway. Like other items featured in our gift guide, it might make for a nice present for Valentine’s Day. Just don’t be a creep, ok?
Hori’s Split Pad Pro for the Nintendo Switch is larger and more comfortable than using stock the Joy-Cons in handheld mode, and it’s currently $43 ($7 off) at Amazon. Read our hands-on.
You can preorder Elden Ring on PC for about $10 off at Green Man Gaming and Newegg. Use promo code EMCBPAA34 at Newegg.