Best Holiday Gift Ideas for Gamers Under $500 in 2023
Graphics Cards ,
Peripherals ,
Case & Components ,
Networking
As the jingle bells ring and snowflakes fall from the sky, it’s time to unlock the next level of holiday cheer for the gamers in your life. Forget the traditional socks and sweaters – this year, you can load up on gifts that will instantly earn you the title of ‘best gift giver’ of all time!
We’ve gathered a treasure trove of ideas that will make Santa’s elves jealous, with prices ranging from under $100 to all the way above $1000!
Best Gift Ideas for Gamers Under $100
hen it comes to buying gifts for your favorite gamers, spending more doesn’t always mean better, especially if they’ve recently upgraded their setup. Thankfully, you can get a ton of cool gifts under $100 that will be a noticeable upgrade for gamers already rocking brand-new Gaming PCs this holiday season.
AX1800 WiFi 6 USB Adapter ($49.99)
The MSI AX1800 WiFi USB Adapter, priced at $49.99, is a prime upgrade for gamers who want to unshackle themselves from wires or hop to a modern Wi-Fi standard. It upgrades any PC or laptop to WiFi 6 – enabling lightning-fast speeds up to 1800 Mbps and enhanced stability for uninterrupted gaming, streaming, and discord sessions. Its beamforming technology further reduces latency and improves speed and reliability, especially when paired with MSI gaming routers.
Not only does the AX1800 WiFi USB Adapter offer dual-band support and easy installation across various operating systems, but it also boasts the latest WPA3 encryption for enhanced network security. Its adjustable antenna and included cradle grant you the flexibility to place it for optimal signal coverage.
Agility GD72 Gleam Edition Gaming Mouse Pad ($49.99)
The AGILITY GD72 Gleam Edition Gaming Mouse Pad is a superb upgrade for gamers at $49.99, blending functionality with a sleek and gorgeous design. Its premium cloth surface delivers a near-zero-friction experience – perfect for ultra-smooth mouse movements and precise flicks.
It’s also more durable than standard fabric mouse pads, and its splash-proof surface makes it easy to clean up any accidental spills, while its stitched edges further enhance its durability. We’ve also engineered a fast-cooling surface to keep hands more comfortable during extended gaming sessions. It’s not only about performance, though.
The AGILITY GD72 Mouse Pad’s gorgeous reflective surface adds a unique aesthetic to any gaming setup – elevating gaming spaces with its presence. Featuring an anti-slip and shock-absorbing base, it ensures stability in those intense gaming sessions, while its stitched edges further enhance its durability.
VIGOR GK50 Elite TKL Kailh Blue/Red ($64.99)
The VIGOR GK50 ELITE TKL KAILH BLUE, priced at $64.99, is an excellent upgrade for gamers still using an old keyboard. It offers top-notch performance in a compact tenkeyless form factor. You can pick between the Blue/Red mechanical switch variants to choose between audible feedback and a precise, clicky feel for each keystroke or a smooth, lightning-fast linear keypress.
With two adjustable feet offering 3 tilt angles, the VIGOR GK50 TKL keyboard maximizes comfort during long gaming sessions. The high-low keycap design further aids in maintaining natural hand and wrist posture, reducing strain. Its detachable USB Type-C cable enhances portability, minimizes wear and tear, and gives gamers an easy off-the-shelf replacement when they need a new cable.
IMMERSE GH50 Wireless Headphones ($79.99)
The IMMERSE GH50 Wireless headset offers a blend of high-quality sound and user-friendly features, making it a great gift for gamers this Christmas. Its 40mm Neodymium drivers and virtual 7.1 surround sound system deliver a fantastic, immersive audio experience that elevates gaming sessions like never before. It also features a vibration system for more realistic sounds and bass.
In addition to excellent sound, the IMMERSE GH50 also comes equipped with a detachable omnidirectional mic for crisp, high-quality discord sessions. It then blends a snug over-ear design with fluffy ear cups for unparalleled comfort. The IMMERSE GH50 is designed for durability and portability, with a sturdy metal construction, a foldable design, and a tailor-made pouch to carry it around easily.
CLUTCH GM51 Lightweight Wireless ($99.99)
The MSI Clutch GM51 Lightweight Wireless Gaming Mouse, at $99.99, redefines gaming precision. It features the advanced PixArt PAW-3395 optical sensor and an 8000 Hz polling rate, reducing click latency to just a fraction of a millisecond. Its blend of top-notch components, solid construction, and lightweight design make it the perfect companion for any competitive gamer.
Weighing only 75g, its ergonomic design and MSI Diamond LightGrips ensure comfort and control – further enhanced by customizable RGB lighting. Key features include the FriXion-Free cable for smooth movement and durable switches rated for over 60 million clicks, making the GM51 an excellent Christmas gift for gamers who prioritize performance and ergonomic design.
Best Gift Ideas for Gamers Under $300
While the under $100 mark has several decent gift options for gamers, you’ll start finding more impactful upgrades at around the $300 price point. From a complete overhaul of a Wi-Fi network to the latest mid-range graphics cards for a great gaming experience – this category has it all.
SPATIUM M461 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 4TB ($229.99)
While speed is important, capacity can often trump it when gamers need a relatively fast SSD with enough free space to store the scores of games they might want to play at a moment’s notice. Gamers lacking too many free M.2 slots on their motherboards (likely if they haven’t upgraded their PC in the past couple of years) will get more value out of a product like the SPATIUM M461 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 4TB SSD.
At $229.99, it offers fantastic value to any gamer needing additional storage. What’s more, it still boasts PCIe 4.0 support with speeds of up to 5000MB/s while offering a whopping 4 Terabytes of capacity. Much like its faster sibling above, the SPATIUM M461 NVMe also offers a 5-year warranty*, so you can store your valuable data on it without worry.
Here to learn why you should upgrade your PC with the high capacity SSDs!
RadiX AXE6600 WiFi 6E Tri-Band Gaming Router ($249.99)
First up, is the impressive RadiX AXE6600 WiFi 6E Gaming Router! If you constantly hear complaints from your gamers about lag, being tethered to a wire, or the Wi-Fi never working, this is the perfect gift for them. The RadiX AXE6600 WiFi 6E Gaming Router from MSI comes equipped with Wi-Fi 6E – supercharged with the power of the 6 GHz frequency band.
This new 6 GHz band delivers interference-free, high-speed connectivity with speeds up to 6600 Mbps – perfect for seamless online gaming and UHD video streaming. The RadiX AXE6600 also boasts a built-in AI engine that can prioritize the delivery and reception of real-time gaming packets. Not only does this ensure seamless connectivity without wires, but it also reduces latency and improves the online gaming experience by leaps and bounds.
MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 2X BLACK 8G OC ($399.99)
If you want to give your favorite gamer the gift of modern gaming without any bells and whistles, the RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 2X BLACK 8G OC is an enticing proposition. Not only does it deliver the latest RTX 40-series technologies to gamers, but it also features a sleek, all-black design that adds class to any gaming PC.
The MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti VENTUS 2X Black 8G OC also comes equipped with dual TORX Fan 4.0 for unparalleled cooling performance without pushing noise levels to uncomfortably high levels.
Best Gift Ideas for Gamers Under $500
Although the $300 gifts are excellent upgrades for most gamers, upping the budget to $500 gets you much more. At this price point, we’re now dealing primarily with graphics cards. If you want to spend under $500 on a gift this Christmas, the MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti would be the perfect choice. Like its younger sibling, it too supports all the new technologies that NVIDIA introduced with its Ada Lovelace architecture – like DLSS 3.0 Frame Generation, 3rd Gen Ray Tracing cores, and more!
MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GAMING X SLIM 16G ($499.99)
On the other hand, if you can stretch your budget all the way up to $500, you can grab the RTX 4060 Ti GAMING X SLIM with 16 GB VRAM instead of 8 GB above. Gamers who prefer playing the latest games (and maybe also want to dabble in Stable Diffusion?) will value the additional VRAM more than other gamers. You can find more details about performance and the importance of 16 GB VRAM in Stable Diffusion in our article here.
In addition to the gaming performance on offer, the MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GAMING X SLIM stays true to its name and is truly ‘SLIM.’ It breaks away from the norm of hefty graphics cards on shelves today to offer a compact design that looks gorgeous and doesn’t compromise performance. If you’re not sure about case compatibility, this graphics card is a super safe bet. It’ll fit in nearly any case on the market without any hassle!
It’s Fun and Games: Wrapping it All Up
And just like that, we’ve reached the end of our quest to find the best gifts for gamers under $500. From peripherals to graphics cards, you’ve seen it all! We hope this guide has equipped you with an arsenal of perfect presents to satisfy the gaming enthusiasts in your life without breaking the bank. Remember, it’s not the price tag that makes a gift memorable.
As we close this chapter and gear up for even more thrilling gift ideas in our next segment (spoiler alert: we’re going up to $2000!), let’s appreciate the smiles and joy that these gifts will bring. Gaming is more than just a hobby; it’s a passion that connects and creates unforgettable moments. Here’s to getting a new high score in gifting this holiday season!
Learn more about Best Holiday Gift Ideas for Gamers Under $2,000 in 2023 here:
https://www.msi.com/blog/2023-best-holiday-gift-guide-for-gamer-under-2000
https://www.msi.com/blog/2023-best-holiday-gift-guide-for-gamer-under-2000
