It's that time of year again, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when family and friends ask me: "What's on your wish list?" They ask me for the same reason you might ask any tech-savvy person you're planning to gift this holiday season: they know I already have a lot of the core tech I need and don't want to get me things I already have or can't use.
As editor-in-chief of Tom's Hardware, I have the best job in the world and part of it is that I get to try and learn about all the latest gear. It leads me to recommend the best products to our readers and helps me decide what to buy for myself.
If I didn't already own a high-end desktop PC, four 4K monitors, a comfy mechanical keyboard and the best wireless mouse for productivity, any of those things would make a great gift. However, when shopping for the tech enthusiast in your life, you may not know what parts of their setup need an upgrade. For example, if my well-intentioned family members handed me a 32GB RAM kit, I'd have to return it, because all of my DIMM slots are full (assuming it was the right kind of RAM in the first place).
To help you shop for tech-obsessed loved ones, I present the wish list I'm sharing with my own family. Some items on this list reflect my tastes and individual needs, but they should give you an idea of what to buy the people in your life. Most of these cost less than $50.
Quick Links: My Holiday Wish List
- Storage: Buffalo SSD-PUT USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive for $69
- Keycaps: Drop + TomB3ry SA Carbon Keycaps for $25 and up
- Keycaps: Drop + Cocobrais SA Handarbeit Custom Keycap Set for $79
- Keycaps: Owpkeenthy Abyss ASA Keycaps for $29
- Portable Monitor: Elecrow CrowView (14-inch) for $129
- Portable Monitor: ViewSonic VG1655 for $179
- Soldering Iron: Pinecil V2 Soldering Iron: for $39
- 3D Printer: Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro for $299
- Filament: Sunlu multicolor, 8-pack of PLA for $44
- Macropad: Epomaker EK21 Gasket Pad for $39
- Desktop charger: Breeket 165W USB-C, 6-Port Charger for $36
- Screws: Computer Screws and Standoffs Set for $8
Fast External Storage
Most tech enthusiasts don't have an external SSD or a USB Flash drive suitable for serious backup. Yes, most of us have drawers full of Flash drives, and maybe we even have some old USB hard drives lying around, but not enough of us have a really good external drive. And, even if we do, we can always use another one for more or faster storage.
These two drives are speedy and compact, a great choice for anyone on your gift list.
Fancy Keycaps
Even if your giftee has a keyboard they love, they can always use new keycaps. Having multiple sets of keycaps is like having various winter coats or pairs of glasses. Sure, you can get by with just one, but it's fun to have a change of look and feel sometimes.
I'm absolutely in love with my current keycap set, the Drop Dasher keycaps, which were on my holiday gift wish list last year (and someone thankfully got for me). And I haven't taken them off, even to wash them for a year. However, I'd love to try on a different set for a while; I also could change out the keycaps on my keyboard at work.
By the way, pretty much any mechanical keyboard (and hopefully your giftee has one), can take the same kinds of keycaps as they all have standard "Cherry MX compatible" switches underneath.
Which keycaps your giftee likes will vary based on their taste, but many tech enthusiasts have just stuck with the keycaps their keyboards came with and would really appreciate something new. Here are the keycaps I put on my list.
Portable Monitor
After several years of staying home, in 2024, I'll finally go back to in-person conventions, starting with CES in January. When I'm at home, I have four monitors and, at the office, I have two. But on the road, I'm stuck with just my laptop's 14-inch screen. That's not enough desktop real estate.
I need a lightweight, portable monitor to take on trips and use as a second display. When I'm home, I'll use it to help with Raspberry Pi projects or to test PCs that I'm building before I drag them over to my desk and connect them to the main screens.
The key features I want from a portable monitor are a built-in kickstand and HDMI connectivity. Many portable monitors only have USB-C for video-in. While that's great for working with a laptop with USB-C, it's very limiting because I can't connect it to a Raspberry Pi or many other devices with only HDMI.
Several portable monitors don't have built-in kickstands; instead, they rely on you to use a flimsy origami case or magnetic attachment to make them stand up. I don't want to have to deal with those hassles.
Smart Soldering Iron
Anyone who works with hobby electronics (makers, people fixing things) needs a good soldering iron. I have a working soldering iron that I've been using for years, but I could really use a better one that takes up less space, is more precise, and is easier to grip.
Of the best soldering irons, the Pinecil V2 is a great choice and one of the most affordable, currently costing only $39. The Pinecil has a RISC-V CPU inside, so you can actually program it to do things. However, the primary function of this device is soldering, not being programmed. Thankfully, it does that amazingly, heating up quickly and reaching temperatures as high as 450 degrees in seconds.
You can set the exact temperature, it comes with a wide variety of tips, and you can power it via a USB-C power adapter.
3D Printing Filament
Everyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy 3D printing, everything from toys for my kids to helpful plastic tools. My 3D printer has an AMS (automatic material switcher) capable of outputting models in up to four different colors at once. However, I don't own that many different colors of filament to choose from.
Even if I could only output one color at a time, I would still want more colors and filament choices. Really, if you own an FDM-style 3D printer, the most common type, you can never have too much filament.
How do you know if your giftee has an FDM-style 3D printer? If their printer uses reels of filament to make models, it's FDM-style. If it uses vats of resin, it's an SLA or resin 3D printer.
If your giftee doesn't have a 3D printer, the Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro is a great and affordable choice. It goes for $299 right now and is fast and easy to use. Want something less expensive? The AnyCubic Kobra Neo is just $159. The top-of-the-line option is the Bambu Lab P1S, which is $949 with an AMS (automatic material switcher) included.
I have put some multi-color packs of filaments on my list to fill out my collection. That way, I have a wide range of hues I can use. I've also asked for filaments in several different materials: PLA (the most common and easiest to print with), PETG (more durable than PLA but can output as stringy if you're not careful), and TPU (rubbery output is excellent for printing things like tires for robot cars).
Macropad
There's a good chance that, like me, the serious tech enthusiasts on your list already have great keyboards that they love. But do they have a second keypad for launching macros or favorite apps with the press of a button?
I love my Akko 3098B keyboard (if your giftee doesn't have a mechanical keyboard, consider the 3098B or the Hexgears GK735) and its 96-percent layout. But I need more buttons to press to enter frequently typed Linux commands or open Notepad++ with a single tap.
A secondary keypad with several more buttons could make my macro dreams come true. For a macro pad, there are several choices. You could get one that's sold and marked as a numeric keypad, but then remap the keys (possibly changing the keycaps), get one that has a few blank keys, or go for Stream Deck / Loupe Deck which has customizable LED screens under each key. The Stream Deck option looks cool, but it's pricey, and the keys don't have mechanical switches.
6-Port Desktop Charger
I have plenty of charging ports and outlets available in my home and work office, but when I move into my living room with my laptop, I don't have a convenient place to plug in while I sit on the couch. We have a multi-port USB charger on a side table, but its USB Type-A ports can't juice a laptop.
So getting a more powerful, multi-port charger -- one with the ability to output at least 65W from a single USB-C connection -- would solve the problem for me and allow my family to charge their tablets and phones simultaneously.
Spare Screws for PC Building
This is a cheap gift that anyone who builds PCs will greatly appreciate. It's a set of all the common screws you need when putting together your computer, from motherboard standoffs to NVMe SSD mounting screws and thumb screws for the case.
Yes, your motherboard and case should come with the proper screws and standoffs, but how often do we find ourselves without one?
