PC peripherals can be categorized in a number of ways—so many that the situation can be confusing for even the most hard-core computer enthusiast. Depending on the source, the market for add-ons and internal components for PCs in the US alone ranged from $8.72 billion to $12 billion in 2024. But no matter how you tabulate, hardware such as input devices and displays is a big business—one sure to be impacted by the tariff situation.
Since 2022, we have asked PCMag readers about their favorite PC peripherals as part of our desktop computer survey. This year, we spun monitor, keyboard, and mouse brands their own more detailed survey. We hope this change yields results that make your purchasing decisions that much easier.
For more top PC add-on brand picks, read our survey results for the top PC component brands for upgraders and DIY builders, including graphics cards, CPUs, storage, motherboards, and cases.
The Top Monitor Brands for 2025
Over the 13 years we’ve been asking readers about their favorite monitor brands overall, six companies have come to the top on multiple occasions: Apple, Asus, BenQ, LG, Samsung, and ViewSonic. This is the first year MSI takes the main prize.
(Note: Click the arrows in our interactive charts to view various elements of our survey results.)
Buoyed by the stellar scores it earns for its gaming monitors—where it traditionally shines—MSI also wins for displays overall. “MSI has proven itself as a dependable brand for gaming monitors,” PCMag analyst Zackery Cuevas says. “MSI’s recent OLED offerings have found clever ways of differentiating themselves from leading brands, while still delivering top-of-the-line performance.”
Readers are effusive about MSI. “Best vibrant colors I have ever seen on a monitor,” one says. “I would say this is my endgame,” offers another, adding, “The QD-OLED quality is amazing!” (If you didn’t know, QD-OLED screens use quantum dots to replace color filters.)
Meanwhile, AOC—another display brand focused on gaming—equals MSI for overall satisfaction. Acer ties with MSI for ease of use and triumphs over all competitors for setup, reliability, and ease of use. But Acer falters a bit when it comes to the all-important satisfaction and recommendation scores.
MSI’s strength is its gaming-specific monitors, which support Nvidia’s proprietary G-Sync tech and AMD’s similar FreeSync, both of which prevent stutters and latency. MSI wins across all gaming displays, thanks to high overall satisfaction scores. But Acer and Dell both hold their own in this arena.
Likewise, when it comes to G-Sync and FreeSync-capable displays, MSI is ahead of Asus and LG, but narrowly. MSI scores highest for display quality and gaming performance—what really matters on a G-Sync or FreeSync screen.
“Although MSI tops our reader survey as best overall monitor brand and wins in two additional categories on the strength of its gaming expertise,” PCMag senior analyst Tony Hoffman says, “it should not be forgotten that it also makes fine productivity and portable displays as well as a smart monitor that integrates Google TV. MSI may rule gaming, but their monitor offerings go well beyond it.”
In terms of extra-large-scale displays—ultrawides with aspect ratios 21:9 or larger—LG overtakes last year’s winner, Dell, to earn the 2025 Readers’ Choice award. Dell and LG tie for overall satisfaction, display quality, and likelihood to recommend, but LG takes home the prize thanks to higher scores for cost and reliability.
One reader calls LG’s ultrawide “excellent for panorama photos and landscapes, widescreen video, too.” PCMag’s Cuevas says that LG’s ultrawides “have been consistently great performers.” He adds, “The LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B is one of my favorite ultrawide monitors of 2025.”
As for curved screens, Dell rules or is tied for the top in every subcategory except reliability, which goes to Samsung. The Dell curved monitors, which win in overall satisfaction and cost, also have an excellent rating for display quality. Despite the fact that most of LG’s winning ultrawides are curved, LG scores in the middle of the pack for curved displays.
To see which monitors currently lead with our experts, read our roundups of The Best Monitors, The Best Gaming Monitors, and The Best Ultrawide Monitors.
The Top Keyboard Brands for 2025
This survey asked respondents only to rate their keyboards if they purchased them separately from their desktop or laptop. This year, game-centric Razer steals the top spot overall. (Last year’s winner, SteelSeries, didn’t have enough responses to make the list.)
Razer sells a number of premium keyboards with names like Huntsman and BlackWidow, primarily mechanical devices with full key customization and RGB lighting options. Readers give the brand high ratings for setup, ease of use, comfort, and customization options.
Razer’s on top for overall satisfaction, but doesn’t win every subcategory. Dell, while low down on the overall list, triumphs when it comes to cost. Apple has the top ratings for both reliability and performance, but only beats Razer by a tenth of a point in each. Meanwhile, Apple and Logitech are the two brands people recommend the most.
“Razer’s keyboards are pricey, sure, but I can’t deny that it delivers some of the best keyboard experiences available,” PCMag’s Cuevas says. “Ever since I laid my paws on the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75%, I’ve never looked back.” One survey respondent says they purchased their Razer keyboard (also a BlackWidow) over a decade ago and the “thing still works phenomenally.”
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However, when it comes to the gaming and mechanical keyboard categories, Razer isn’t in the running. For gaming keyboards, Logitech wins handily over Corsair. Readers call their Logitech gaming keyboards “solid,” “simple,” and “reliable.”
Logitech and Corsair compete with Alienware (Dell’s gaming brand) for mechanical keyboards. Alienware and Logitech tie for overall satisfaction. “I type all day, and mechanical keyboards like the Logitech G Pro X TKL, give me the satisfying feedback and typing feel I need to write up blurbs like these,” Cuevas says. Still, Alienware leads against Logitech in almost every other measure, taking home the Reader’s Choice for gaming keyboards.
Meanwhile, some users seek out ergonomic keyboards to avoid repetitive stress injuries. Many specialty manufacturers offer split keyboards, but among mainstream companies, Logitech and Microsoft are the main brands embracing such designs.
Readers give Logitech the edge regarding performance, customization options, and cost, but Microsoft wins this heat thanks to higher overall satisfaction, reliability, and ease of use. Plus, Microsoft earns a near-perfect 9.8 out of 10 for setup. One reader writes that Microsoft ergonomic keyboards “perform flawlessly.” However, a number complain that the letters on the keys wear off too fast.
Finally, we come to wireless keyboards. “I love ports, which you can find on plug-in keyboards, but sometimes you just don’t have room for all your stuff,” Cuevas says. “Wireless compatibility is more important than ever before, so it’s vital that when you cut the cord, you don’t cut the connection to your device as well.”
Three prominent brands competed for wireless keyboard supremacy. In the end, Apple defeats both Logitech and Microsoft to take the Readers’ Choice award.
Apple has the top rating in every subcategory for wireless keyboards where there are enough responses to score. Stand-out numbers include setup, reliability, and performance. Logitech, which ties with Apple for ease of use, comes in second place.
Recommended by Our Editors
To see which keyboards our analysts prefer, read The Best Keyboards, The Best Gaming Keyboards, The Best Mechanical Keyboards, and The Best Ergonomic Keyboards.
The Top Mice Brands for 2025
Today’s computer mice are far more than just a single button on top of a mobile puck, though plenty like that still exist. When it comes to more sophisticated pointing devices, Logitech and Razer tie for overall satisfaction, our most important measure. However, Logitech outperforms Razer across subcategories like setup, reliability, ease of use, comfort, and most importantly, the likelihood of earning a recommendation. Those high scores are more than enough to give Logitech its fourth-in-a-row Readers’ Choice award for mice.
One reader praises his Logitech as the “best mouse I’ve ever owned by a mile.” Another offers, “Logitech has been a solid brand over the decades for input devices, and it is usually where I start when looking for new devices.”
“Sometimes you want a simple mouse that works—and works well,” PCMag’s Cuevas says. “That’s exactly what Logitech provides. The Logitech MX Master 3S mouse, for example, is comfortable, lightweight, and comes with enough buttons to use the excellent LogiOptions+ software.”
Logitech—which markets some products, including select mice, under the name Logi—earns the Readers’ Choice nod in several other mouse subcategories this year, including budget mice, where it easily bests Dell on every measure.
For gaming-specific mice, our choices narrow to Logitech and Razer, and the battle here is very close. The two tie for overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend, our two most important measures. Razer has the edge, so to speak, in comfort and customization, which is important in gaming, but Logitech remains the best brand choice for a gaming mouse.
In the wireless mouse category, Logitech competes with two of the biggest names in tech—Apple and Microsoft—and emerges the winner. Microsoft wins for cost and ties with Logitech for performance and customization, but otherwise, Logitech rules our survey’s subcategories.
Though it’s a beloved brand among our readership, Apple comes in last place for wireless mice. One reader refers to Apple’s latest model as “slow and not comfortable.”
Finally, we have ergonomic mice. Though Microsoft ties with Logitech for likelihood to recommend, Microsoft is far ahead enough in the majority of subcategories—especially cost—to win the Readers’ Choice award.
So if you’re ready to go ergonomic, whether it’s a keyboard or a mouse, Microsoft is the clear choice. “Accessibility is a human right, and Microsoft does a great job at championing the effort, whether it’s their ergonomic keyboards or their more specific Microsoft Adaptive Mouse,” Cuevas says. “Microsoft is a safe bet for great ergonomics.”
To see which mice are the leaders in our lab testing, read The Best Computer Mice and The Best Ergonomic Mice.
The PCMag Readers’ Choice survey for PC Peripherals was in the field from Jan. 20, 2025 to April 14, 2025. For more information on how we conduct surveys, read the survey methodology.
About Eric Griffith
Senior Editor, Features
