Collection: Gaming Accessories

Which gaming accessories do you actually need?

Most PC builders treat gaming accessories as an afterthought, then wonder why a strong rig runs hot, loud or laggy. The add-ons around your core parts decide how the system feels day to day, so the tiers are worth understanding. In fans and Fans, Heatsinks & Cooling gear, entry-level units use sleeve bearings and basic blade designs. They're fine at low RPM but get noisy and wear faster as lubricant migrates. The sweet spot is fluid dynamic or magnetic-levitation bearings, which hold quiet operation for years. Enthusiast fans add tighter tolerances, better static pressure for radiators and dust filters, and more refined PWM curves. Past that point you're mostly paying for a few decibels and a few degrees.

Cables follow the same logic. A sleeved extension kit doesn't change electrical performance, since the copper gauge and connector quality do the work. Where Cables & Connectors matter is a proper 16 AWG 12V-2x6 lead on a high-draw GPU, where cheap thin wire runs warm under sustained load.

Networking is where many gamers leave the most on the table. Wired 2.5GbE gives you consistent latency, while Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 is a solid second best. Past a decent router, the gains are mostly about stability and bufferbloat control, not raw speed.

Upgrading and technical nuances

Platform generation matters more than people expect. AM5 and Intel Core Ultra LGA1851 both expect DDR5, PCIe 5.0 on the primary slots and modern power delivery. AM5 coolers use the familiar AM4-style bracket, and most LGA1851 boards keep the LGA1700 hole spacing. Your existing air cooler may carry over, but check the manufacturer's compatibility list. On cooling, the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 is the benchmark sweet-spot tower. It has dual towers, heat pipes and a thick fin stack, and it competes with coolers triple its price. At the enthusiast end, the Noctua NH-D15 G2 improves on that with better fan pressure and mounting. Among CPU Cooling AIOs, the Arctic Liquid Freezer series is the value pick, and its thicker radiator and VRM fan help the board stay cooler.

For fans, look at the Arctic P12 and P14 for budget airflow, Corsair iCUE Link and Lian Li UNI FAN for daisy-chained lighting, and Noctua NF-A12x25 when you want the best pressure per decibel.

On power, an ATX 3.1 unit with native 12V-2x6 is the right call for current Graphics Cards / GPU options. The Seasonic Focus and Corsair RMx families are dependable, and the ATX 3.1 spec handles brief power excursions better. If you're browsing Power Supplies or the ATX Power Supply range, go for 80 Plus Gold with a long warranty. Platinum and Titanium save a few watts, not a meaningful amount for most gaming loads.

Monitors are an accessory decision too. IPS panels give accurate colour, VA gives much higher native contrast but can smear in dark scenes, and OLED gives near-instant response with the trade-off of burn-in management. A fast panel on a slow GPU is wasted, so match your Monitors choice to the frame rates you actually hit.

Practical things to check before clicking buy

Measure first. Tower coolers need clearance against your side panel, so check the cooler height spec against your Computer Cases listing. Large air coolers can also block the first RAM slot, particularly with tall heat-spreader kits, so pair them with low-profile Desktop Memory if the fit looks tight. For radiators, confirm both the length and the combined thickness of radiator plus fans. A 360mm AIO with 25mm fans can clash with top-mounted motherboard components.

Lighting is a classic trap. Addressable ARGB uses a 3-pin 5V header, while older RGB uses a 4-pin 12V header, and plugging one into the other can damage LEDs. Proprietary ecosystems like iCUE Link and Lian Li connectors work best when kept to one brand. Count your motherboard fan headers too, because a hub may be needed once you add more than five or six fans.

For power cabling, never reuse modular cables from another PSU brand, since pinouts differ and can fry components. With 12V-2x6, seat the plug fully and avoid sharp bends within about 35mm of the connector. Check your case width before buying a right-angle adapter if the side panel is tight.

If you're upgrading storage as part of the same job, look at Solid State Drives (SSD) from Samsung 990, Crucial T500 or WD_BLACK ranges, and check your Motherboards for M.2 heatsink space. Boards like the ASUS TUF, MSI Tomahawk and Gigabyte AORUS lines usually have good thermal pads on the main slots. For networking, confirm the router or adapter supports the standard you want before assuming the speeds will appear. Networking gear from TP-Link is a common sweet-spot choice.

Brands and local warranty

Reputable names in this space include Corsair, Noctua, Arctic, Thermalright, Lian Li, Seasonic, ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte and TP-Link. Each has a different strength. Noctua and Arctic lead on cooling value, Seasonic on PSU build quality, and Corsair on ecosystem and software.

Genuine Australian warranty matters because Australian Consumer Law guarantees acceptable quality and durability, but enforcing it is far easier when the product came through a local channel. Parallel imports and overseas marketplace stock can leave you posting a dead PSU or fan to another country, or finding the brand refuses the claim. A PSU with a 7 to 10 year warranty is only valuable if you can actually redeem it. Keep your invoice and serial numbers, and buy from a seller that handles the RMA locally.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to spend more on fans if my case already has some?

Not always. Stock fans are usually sleeve or basic bearings designed to meet a price. If your temperatures are fine and the noise is acceptable, leave them. If you hear bearing whirr or can't keep the GPU cool, upgrade to fluid dynamic bearing fans first, since the cost-to-benefit ratio is best there.

Is a 12V-2x6 cable really different from the old 12VHPWR?

Electrically they carry the same power, but 12V-2x6 shortens the sense pins and lengthens the power pins to ensure proper seating. That makes partial insertion less likely. It's still sensible to avoid tight bends and make sure the plug clicks fully home.

Will my old cooler fit AM5 or LGA1851?

Often yes, but check. AM5 largely reuses AM4-style brackets, and LGA1851 mostly reuses LGA1700 mounting. Some older coolers may need a new bracket, and contact pressure on modern CPUs can differ, so check the manufacturer's compatibility page.

Is Wi-Fi 7 worth it for gaming?

It helps if your router supports it and your home is congested, mainly through lower latency and better stability. If you can run Ethernet, wired still wins for consistency, and a good 2.5GbE connection is cheaper than a top-tier wireless setup.

Does RGB affect performance?

No, but poor controller choices can cause software conflicts and background CPU usage. Stick to one ecosystem where possible and use motherboard sync if you want fewer apps running.