Some Holiday picks

The holiday time is quickly approaching. So are the super shopping days that come just before the gift giving holiday time. It's not a definitive end all list of lists (I'm not that arrogant) but it is a list I would personally share and make recommendations off of.

This is just a little compilation of different price range items that I use on a daily basis, and what I would recommend depending on respective budgets:

I chose fans for under $50

I chose to go with some of the fans I reviewed for this category. Really, for no greater reason than to inspire new and evolving builders. They are low cost, pretty RGB lights, and doing work to install them and make them look good (a rewarding part of building/upgrading!). I could suggest good keyboard and mice (like Redragon K557/K551), and sure they are great, but (and maybe this is wrong of me) I want to give the gift of having someone do some work, earn an accomplished feeling, and love the way their rig looks every time they turn it on.

Specifically the upHere fans are my choice. I liked the EZDIY fans also, but I'm a larger "fan" of upHere with slightly more quiet fans. I'll drop a link and my video for them:

I chose "Classic Consoles" for under $100

We all hope (at least I assume we all hope) that the N64 Classic will be released soon. In which case WOOHOO (Nintendo did trade mark N64Mini 11/13/2018 after all). In the meantime my recommendation is the SNES Classic.

Now, there are some other great classic consoles and titles including a Genisis Flashback, PS1 Classic, NES Classic. I just tend to like SNES over those options.

I chose "A2+ Speakers" by Audioengine for under $300

These speakers are speakers I am very fond of. From bookshelf listening to computer speakers to (unofficial) reference speakers, to small concealed theater room setups, they have my vote.

Very nice quality, very nice sound. These were a difficult buy for me for a long time. I flipped back and forth before I finally pulled the trigger and purchased them. Despite some nay-sayers, I am glad I did. The speakers look fantastic, and they sound even better than they look. It's a big recommendation from me.

Audio is very subjective. We don't all hear the same.

I chose the "Epson 2150" for the $700 range

This has been one of my favorite purchases. In the process of transforming the area I am using it in I required some functionality that a lot of projectors DO NOT offer. I needed a decent zoom, and I needed a great lens shift. The 2150 provided both of these and much more. I watch movies on it regularly and it's been a great addition to the home.

NOW this projector MSRP is closer to just under $1K, but as a lot of people like to point out; It is frequently on sale across multiple vendors for $700 or less.

If you don't feel like waiting on sales for the 2150, the 2100 is a great choice as well. Biggest difference will be found in dynamic contrast range.

I chose the "Acer Aspire 7 (A717-72G-700J)" for $1k+ range

Check the video if you haven't already. I'll keep this one pretty short. Acer (in my past experience and now) has always had a way of mixing pretty awesome hardware in to their Aspire models for a low cost. This model follows suit. Business on the outside, gamer-party under the hood.

Originally a Newegg exclusive, (check it there too for best prices!) Also on Amazon now.

That is pretty much it! Maybe this was helpful, maybe not! Happy holiday shopping and I hope everyone has a safe and happy holidays!

-Matt