Dual GTX 460s SLI has kept my computer current for the latest games, and I'm glad I bought them!

While not hardware this has to be one of, if not the most useful/value rich "PC thingy" I have ever bought. What other PC software/hardware is still on big box store shelves 10+ years after its launch. How many PC games do you play on a semi regular basis after this many years. Answer: not too effin many! This game defines PC gaming and creates/created millions of PC gamers.

A monitor that's bigger than my desk. 'Nuff said.

tt BLACK Element Gaming Mouse. You don't realize how much a good mouse means until you get one. The smooth tracking and high DPS make it a great gaming mouse, while the smooth finish and comfortable design allows for long gaming sessions. This mouse makes all the difference. Go tt esports!

This fifty dollar upgrade got me great build quality,space for a 200mm fan,dust filters,amazing cable management and many of the features previously only found in higher end computer cases. My Computer is also quiet as a whisper since I mounted a top fan that exhausts all of the hot air so my fans don't need to speed up.

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB. I have a computer that’s approaching 5 years age and I’m constantly trying to cover it up with small upgrades: graphics card, PSU, RAM, LED monitor. This most recent purchase ($90) has been the best one yet because it cut my Starcraft II load times in half!

I spent all of my hard-earned cash from working at McDonalds (which I was saving for tuition) so I could play Starcraft 2! Mom's basement FTW!

Have you ever dropped a tiny screw into your computer case? If you have (and who hasn't), you'll understand why this is the best PC component you can buy.

The Best PC thingy I ever spent my hard-earned cash on was the Corsair H50 Liquid Cooler. This cooler helped keep my PC cool and at a good temperature when I'm doing heavy duty stuff or gaming.

This is the case that will house my Bulldozer PC build, and those HDD's you see in there are 3 3TB HDD's.

The first case for the first custom built PC I have ever built only for myself. Built for the fact I am a developer and needed a new platform (officially). Going to be used to play Star Wars: The Old Republic (unofficially). It certainly helps the color of the case is called Darth Vader Black.

Fixing multiple computers at one time TRENDnet TK-802R 120.00 bottle of Aleve priceless I can fix 8 machines at a time and also have a second monitor for watching stuff and reading Reddit.com.

The best PC thingy I ever bought was my mobo and CPU (came together.) Neither of them are the bomb to anyone else (an ASUS M2N-MX SE and Athlon II X2), but they are my first build and I got them for a steal (used): $40! I love reading the magazine and website; you guys gave me the courage to finally build my own PC. Thanks for the great contests and articles, you guys are awesome!

My best PC thingy is my Digital Storm custom-built computer, circa 2007. It's got a TV card, sound card, (newly installed) GTX 460 SC, two hard drives, two DVD drives, a multi-card reader and 4 Gb of RAM all crammed into a Raidmax something-or-other case and powered by 750W of Corsair goodness. A maximum pc indeed.

I recently custom built this desktop for my gaming. Along with it, my laptop, and my Zune, I am able to pass the time when I'm not work.

The best PC thingy I ever spent my hard earned cash on is this 120GB SATA II Phoenix PRO SSD. It increased my PC performance 10x than it used to be. Amazing boot time, applications load quicker than ever, especially the stuff that I use for college, and games load amazingly faster than ever. I would never go back to a regular HDD to use as a boot drive. And it was absolutely worth the money I spent on it.

My Zotac MAG. Its low price, low power consumption, and graphics horsepower make it the perfect HTPC and home server.

Dragon Age Origins is the best thingy I ever spent my hard-earned cash on because I've spent over 300 hours enjoying an enchanting world, expanded upon through numerous mods - all for the low, low price of $50. At under $0.17 per hour played, I challenge anyone to show me a movie (or any other form of entertainment) that can bring that kind of value!

Not counting my PC itself, I would have to say my Razer Imperator mouse. After having the salesperson take it out of its box so I could actually touch it, and get a feel for how well it fit my hand, there was no way I was leaving the store without it! Sure, I don't really need a mouse with lights, onboard memory, or even Firmware. But when you find one that just feels perfect when you hold it, it makes it all the better.

This is a truly amazing PC accessory. It boasts backwards compatibility with devices that was released before you (yes, you!) were born, and can serve up to 7 devices simultaneously, using its advanced "Parallel Wiring" (TM) technology. For about the price of a cup of coffee, you too can own a gadget that will serve you faithfully for years (and PCs) to come. (Picture distribution permission granted by GDFL)

Unfortunately, its not very exciting. It plays SC2 and I can bring it with me when visiting family.

My best purchase was a Sunbeam CCF. Then I could use the stock cooler to fix this crappy Xbox.

Because I have MEGATRON at my fingertips! COME AT ME AUTOBOTS!

I think the best way to describe it would be "I invested in it, and now he returns every penny, whether working or playing and having fun" Computer of work and games, "it is not much, but it is what my hard-earned money can buy".

This is the same system as the previous photo, showing off it's lighting.

My best PC purchase has been my Sidewinder X3, it has improved my gaming and computing experience more than anything.

Definitely Eyefinity. Now I can get those pita spies eyeing up my sentries.

My R.A.T. 7 is the best PC thingy I've ever spent my money on because it's scary enough to keep people (including my wife) from using my computer.

I'm aware this is software but I was still hoping I could enter it..So many hours killed in between classes

As simple as it sounds, my favorite PC related item would be my Microsoft Mobile Wireless Mouse 4000. I am a Marine with several deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. I purchased this on on my third deployment to Iraq and have had ever since. It made it though a deployment to Afghanistan and is now with me in Japan. One of the best features is it's small USB wireless sensor. This mouse works great on all but glass and shiny tiles.

A home network should come with one of these. (how tough is it to amend the constitution anyway?)

The R.A.T. 7 gaming mouse is without a doubt the greatest object one's hand could ever grasp onto.

The best computer I've ever made is the Mac Pro. It makes for a great footrest!

The sole reason I own high end PC components, peripherals and subscribe to Maximum PC, THE GAMES! So have a look at my PC games collection. Unfortunately due to space issues in the past I had to ditch the big boxes of the 90s but I did keep the covers. Steam vs Retail Box? I think you know where I stand. I love the eye candy.

It's not just "Flash Memory;" It captures life memories and helps me stay creative.

I was using my family's Dell computer speakers when a friend of mine told me to buy these. I still thank my friend to this day after years of use for these speakers.

Straight up ice, keeps the comp looking and feeling Icy fresh ;)

The NZXT Phantom with orange trim, it is without a doubt the favorite due to pure style. What better case to run my new PC out of (i5 2600k sandy, 8gb cosair vengence, gigabyte Z68XP-UD3-iSSD, Radeon 6970 1gb and corsair 650 xt v2. Not the most amazing pc but pretty powerful for under 1k) and christen with my Augmented Edition of Deus Ex: Human Revolution on?

This is my Northgate Omnikey Evolution keyboard and without a doubt is the best PC purchase I EVER made. Over the years I have upgraded mobos, mice, cases, processors, video cards, monitors, modems,... you name it, I have upgraded. But, in my 49 years of life have yet to find a better keyboard! If that aint the pinnacle of best spent coin I'll be damned if I know what is!!

The Macbook air I recently bought is fantastic. I use it almost twice a week to cut my cakes and pies! The kids sure do love some Apple pie.

Best PC thingy I ever spent money on? My last PC upgrade: Phenom x6 and OCZ Vertex 2! With 6 cores pinned there it still has plenty of flexibility to keep working on the system like nothing is happening. Plus the system boats (including post and full user login) in under 30 seconds. I still love to boot my machine and start launching apps because it feels foreign and strange. Nothing should be that fast... Try doing that upgrade on your Mac... yeah, that's what I thought.

Who doesn't want the full experience of controlling and moving portals with this awesome looking controller with the glowing green orb in the middle. This is taking Aperture Science to the next level!

The USB Humping dog has got to be the best computer related thing I've spent my money on. After all, it's BONERific! *cheesy smile*

The BEST computer related thing I have bought, is without adoubt, is a subscription to the MAXIMUM PC magazine!!!! I love the magazine and the podcast- one is informative, and the other is funny! (But if I don't win this, I'll end my subscription! Just kidding)

The best PC thingy I ever spent my hard-earned cash on is my laptop: Dell Studio XPS 1647. A power and design for every one with any purposes. It was made to stand on the top.

The attached picture is a picture of my most dearly departed headphones. I loved my Triton AXPC headphones like they were my own son (I'm a college student though, so I don't have a son, but if I did have a son...).

Not Much You Can Do Without It

The Winner! Best money I spent on a PC thingy will be on the cyborg r.a.t 7 - 'cause let's face it, if optimus prime was a mouse it will be this one move it and shape it to get the perfect match for your hand. improved my FPS experience greatly.

The storm sniper is the best case I have ever built a computer in, and I tried them all. This is the roomiest and easy to use tool free design... Gets my kick ass reward.

My first Gaming PC Build. The only thing holding me back from putting this thing together: video cards. Bought those about one month after this picture was taken. 2 EVGA NVidia GeForce GTX 275's. Saving now to get one of the 580 Classified's when they get released. Also, you can see I had the Cooler Master Cosmos 1100S Powder coated (inside glossy black - handles and feet, candy blue)

A Tuniq Tower 120 when I put together a new build in 2007. Excellent thermal performance, added overclocking allowance, and near silence easily compensated for the fact that it was the size and weight of a newborn baby and threatened the structural stability of both my motherboard and the floor directly beneath my case. Best fifty-dollar value I've ever purchased.

At a second-hand store, I noticed a vintage pc on the bottom shelf. A vintage Commodore SX-64 marked for $35! I knew how rare they were and after convincing myself it was worth it, I bought it. After getting it back to my dorm room and hooking it up it worked like new! I bought a Centipede cartridge off eBay and found a compatible sega controller for a dollar at a yard sale.

The Logitech G930 headset is certainly the best PC thingy I ever spent my hard-earned cash on. The sound might have some hiccups, the battery life might be a wee less than advertised, but being able to watch/listen a movie while doing the dishes in the other room AND (with some minor C++ work) being able to pause and skip forward/back using the buttons on the headset is just magical. Even if I won that ThermalTake headset, I wouldn't use it, because wireless is the way to go.

Geforce GTX 580: I’ve got two of them in SLI. there’s just nothing like installing the newest game, cranking up the settings, and watch it only use 40% of your GPU’s power.

The DeathAdder by Razer works about 1000 times better than a regular optical mouse or a wireless mouse. The reaction time is much much better than anything else I've ever used. I really feel like I have the unfair advantage on everyone else with the DeathAdder. If you are serious about PC gaming you need to have the DeathAdder. It is extremely worth the 50-60 dollars you spend on it.

This was my first personal build, with parts that I picked out and that weren't already four or five years out of date. Best Day Ever!

"Enter the dream, to the 10th power!" This is by far the best PC thingy I have spent my hard-earned cash on because I have been dreaming about this case since I first discovered it and now that I have it, I feel I have it I feel this is a achievement worth showing to MaximumPC.

Best case I've ever had because the airflow is excellent and I can put many HDDs and fans in it.

I purchase the Astrogaming MIXAMP and continue to be amazed at the clarity and 5.1 Dolby and Dolby Surround Headphone to hear enemies from every direction. Connected by a TOSlink optical cable enables regular stereo headphones to produce Dolby 5.1.