Have a PC fanatic in your life but don't know what they need? We bet these five accessories will make a great gift for even the hardest geek to shop for.

UPDATE: 08/14/2023

We've reviewed our recommendations and refreshed some of our picks. Take a look!

A Surge Protector

A Tripp Lite surge protector in use beneath a desk.
Tripp Lite

When it comes to a PC, a proper surge protector isn't just nice to have–it's essential. The last thing you want is to have your expensive tower and monitors fried by a power surge. But you can't just get any old power strip and call it a day. You need to make sure your choice will properly protect your electronics, and not end up causing harm itself.

That's why you will want to go with a surge protector from a well-known brand that has enough outlets to plug all of your PC electronics in, such as the Tripp Lite Surge Protector. With 12 outlets, you won't be left choosing what is 'most important' to plug into the surge protector–you'll be able to plug it all in.

If you're tight on floor or desk space, though, a wall wart might be a better bet. Lvetek's wall wart offers room to plug in five devices that require a wall outlet, as well as three USB-A and one USB-C outlet. Given how little space it takes up, it's a great purchase!

Tripp Lite TLP1208TELTV Surge Protector
Best Surge Protector

An all-purpose surge suppressor that ticks all the boxes as far as protection, versatility, price, and warranty goes.

LVETEK Surge Protector
Best Wall Wart

A budget-friendly surge protector that mounts firmly on your wall and gets the job done.

The NZXT Puck or a Headphone Stand

Red NZXT Puck on pink and yellow background
NZXT

Chances are that you spend a good chunk of your PC time with headphones or a headset on. The trouble is, there's never a great place for headphones to sit when they're not in use. If you put them on the desk, they're likely to fall off–the same goes for when they rest on top of the PC tower.

One way to counter this is NZXT's Puck. At first glance, it seems ridiculous to spend $20 on, but it's money surprisingly well spent. In addition to providing a convenient spot to hang up your headphones, it can also easily gather up and hold any excess cables.

The Puck also doesn't take up any extra space but instead uses a spot on your PC tower that typically has nothing on it, getting those cans out of the way when they're not needed.

Another option is a more traditional headphone stand. It's certainly cheaper, but it takes up some extra desk space.

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NZXT Puck Headset Mount
A Home For Your Headset

The NZXT Puck is a convenient headset mount that attaches to your PC case with magnets. It has a place to store the cable, too.

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New Bee Headphone Stand
If You Have the Desk Space

If you want to save a little money and have the desk space, a traditional headphone stand also works.

An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

APC UPS on desk
APC

Even in the age of auto-saving desktop programs, you can still lose your work due to a power outage on a desktop PC. That's where an uninterruptible power supply (or UPS) comes in. These units contain large batteries and are equipped with multiple standard power outlets for your desktop PC, monitor, printer, and other equipment.

A UPS is an often-overlooked piece of equipment that every desktop PC user needs. It's one of those accessories you won't appreciate until that fateful storm hits or the demands of a hot summer day overload the local grid.

There are all kinds of UPS devices, but popular choices are brands like APC and CyberPower. Many users also prefer the more expensive types that provide pure sinewave output.

That said, a UPS is not meant to act like a portable power station, so it won't keep your PC on for hours into a blackout. The idea is for the battery to keep your PC running long enough to save your work and safely shut down during a power outage.

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APC UPS Battery Backup
Backup Power for Your PC

When your power goes down, this power supply will keep your desktop PC running.

A USB Hub

Anker hub lineup
Anker

Depending on your PC's configuration, a USB hub can be a very helpful addition. These small, rectangular devices are loaded with USB ports that connect to a single port on the PC, thereby turning one USB connection into many.

A USB hub can be very useful if you have a laptop limited in its number of USB ports or if your desktop tower only has one or two on the front. While desktops typically have a ton of USB ports on the back, they are a pain to access and use. A USB hub prevents you from having to fiddle with the ports on the rear of the machine except when it's necessary.

You can also find USB hubs at quite a wide price range. Anker tends to be a solid choice, and the brand provides various options at affordable prices.

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Anker 7-Port USB 3.0 Data Hub
More USB Ports

This hub gives you seven easily accessed USB ports for plugging in peripherals and charging your gadgets.

A Big Mouse Pad

Corsair MM300 on desk
Corsair

Sure, you've probably had a mouse pad before, but what about a nice, big desk mat that covers most of your desk? It might seem extraneous, but a desk mat feels great and keeps your keyboard from sliding around, as well.

The best part? A great desk mat doesn't need to cost a lot. While you can spend the extra and get something truly fantastic like Orbitkey's desk mat, but Corsair's MM300 is only $30 and offers great, low-friction coverage.

You can even get a mouse pad with LED lights if you want to take your setup to the next level!

Corsair MM300
A Big Desk Mat

If you're not interested in Razer's RGB, Corsair also has a great, big mouse mat you can use to spruce up your desk space.