Back to Uni – The Overclockers UK Way

• Back to School: A Student’s Guide to the Latest Tech 
• Get Ready for University with Overclockers UK and UNiDAYS!  
• Back to Uni – The Overclockers UK Way  
• The best Laptops to take Back to School in 2020  
• The Top Five Asus laptops to take back to school! 

When it comes to your desk, you have no idea just how many people before you have used it. With all those notches and ink stains, it’s good to start with a fresh surface and represent your favourite computer hardware store. Oh yeah, brace yourself for some shameless plugging.

The Overclockers UK Mega Mat is designed to dominate your desk. The 3XL model is simply huge and will easily cover the whole surface of your desk. Not only will this premium gaming surface grant you smooth performance from your mouse, but the stitched edges grant it enhanced durability. This mouse mat, or desk mat if you will, is going to last throughout your university career and beyond.

Plus, being so large, you can always double up its function. Brain flagging mid-essay? Have a cheeky nap under your OcUK Mega Mat! OK, so your bed is right there. Yoga mat? Perhaps it should just stay on your desk…

Want to touch up even more on your mousepad knowledge? Here’s why you need an XXL one for your university study set up.

Equipping yourself with a TKL keyboard is a great place to start. Usually, they are 75% of the standard-sized keyboard, removing the numpad and Fn row. However, you can get even more compact keyboards, such as the Ducky One 3 SF Yellow. This keyboard removes all unnecessary negative space and sports a bold yellow aesthetic. As with the rest of the Ducky One 3 series, this mechanical keyboard is built on the principle of Quack Mechanics. These are a solid stance with redistributed weight, authentic acoustics thanks to the EVA foam pad and Q-Bounce pads, balanced tuning due to premium in-house stabiliser, and true PBT keycaps. 

With its detachable USB-C cable, this will be great for taking on campus and will easily fit in your backpack, thanks to its smaller size. Plus, as it is armed with Cherry MX Black switches, you won’t be the one typing obnoxiously loud in the library or lectures. What’s more, you can assign macros using Macro 2.0 for added control, just make sure your firmware is up to date for the best results. 

Speaking from experience, whenever I had an assignment to do, I had a minimum of three textbooks open as well as a myriad of notes strewn about the desk. (Not to mention all the snacks.) Having a smaller keyboard is going to be a real benefit, if only so your keys don’t get buried under a mountain of notes.

Whether you’re writing endless essays or using complex software, you’re going to want a reliable and accurate mouse under your hand. One with great gaming potential too. You’ll want something with a large CPI range, high acceleration and tracking, as well as durable switches.

No software is needed for customising this gaming mouse, either. Polling rate, lift-off distance, and sensitivity can all be adjusted directly on the mouse with a simple push of a button. Want to change the RGB lighting? This, too, can be sorted directly on the mouse. Thanks to the transparent shell, whichever of the range of colours and effects you go for will shine brilliantly.

Look no further than the Cherry Xtrfy MZ1-ZY’s Rail, in stunning white. This comes with the approval of one of the world’s top mouse reviewers, Zy “Rocket Jump Ninja” Rykoa. We can see why, with a PixArt 3389 sensor, up to 16,000 CPI, and a stunning style it truly is a worthy addition to your set-up. For learning, it is ultra-light, making it ideal to take with you on campus. This mouse will not hog bag space.

To ensure you’re top of the class, be sure to read through our complete guide to gaming mice for all the information you need!

At just 250g, this headset is going to barely make an impact on your head. Equipped with Razer Triforce 40mm drivers, the audio is crisp and clear thanks to its three-part architecture. Harmonic melodies and deep bass play with resonating clarity. The plush ear cups are padded with breathable memory foam, and there are on-the-fly controls embedded into the framework.

The microphone utilises a cardioid pattern for a wider pick-up range, whilst still suppressing background noise. When keeping up with friends from home, they will be able to hear your wild university stories as if you were in the room. What’s more, it is fully detachable, meaning you only need to equip it for gaming sessions and not library sessions.

Whether you’re in the library, on a group call, or just vibing to your tunes while you study, a decent headset is a must. Plus, if it’s lightweight and wireless, all the better. Oh, would you look at that, the Razer Barracuda X has that exact specification! Tasty.

Hear me out on this one, a light is absolutely a must-have. You don’t need to be TikTok famous or stream every night to have decent lighting in your room. Plus, if these are ventures you want to explore, then you’re one step ahead of the game.

Having a ring light is going to ensure you have plenty of light to study by, with additional functionality over a basic desk lamp. Glamming up for a night out, lighting up your stream, or illuminating the textbook you’re currently reading, these ring lights are going to brighten up your desk.

The Streamplify LIGHT 10 and LIGHT 14 are both ring lights, perfect for video calls home or making content. There are some key differences between the two, but both produce natural yet vivid lighting, able to replicate up to 90% of the colour spectrum produced by the sun. Each light can be adjusted over a number of brightness and warmth levels. Their key difference is size. The LIGHT 10 is designed to rest on your desk and connects to your PC via USB. The LIGHT 14 plugs directly into the mains can be extended to 170cm tall. 

Today I am going to focus on the EPIC model. Recently reviewed by Men’s Fitness, the full noblechairs range has a variety of ergonomic options and amazing designs to choose from. My focus on the EPIC is down to the fact they now have the EPIC Compact. Designed for gamers between 4’1 and 5’7, the premium features of the EPIC have been adapted and brought down to a smaller size. With a new synchronous mechanism alongside the durable framework and plush padding, this is a throne fit for all half-pints out there. Or women! Our average height is 5’3 after all.

One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to look after your posture. An easy way to do that is to equip your desk with a proper chair that is going to offer a wide and varied range of comfort and lumbar support. We all know where I am going with this, of course, I am talking about noblechairs.

There are so many benefits to having a noblechairs at your desk. You are going to be spending long hours writing assignments, so having a chair specifically designed to provide support and comfort, whilst staying breathable, during long stints is imperative. Whether you opt for the Compact or something in the original size, the EPIC is going to have your back. Propped up with a lumbar pillow and everything.

Ensure you get A* comfort by reading up on all the key facts about gaming chairs in our complete guide.

University is a big change. No matter how ready you feel for it, you are still moving away for the first time, perhaps living in a new city – or country! – and it’s ok to need some emotional support. In the form of a talking point desk buddy. The perfect icebreaker when meeting your new housemates.

At Overclockers UK, we have a whole range of gaming merch that could fit the bill, but personally, I would go for the Glorious Vinyl Panda. It may only be 3” tall, but that fierce little expression would remind me to be brave on the daily. (For context, my emotional support figure was WWE’s Matt Hardy, so I clearly know what I am talking about.)

With its conical feet helping it to stand, this little panda will lead by example, showing you how to keep a firm footing in this new and challenging environment. Its overwhelming cuteness will let those first awkward conversations flow. Most importantly, that fierce expression will make your enemies tremble in their boots when you game. Tiny, but mighty.