Holiday Gifts: Top Computer Gifts for Guys

Computer geeks are among the hardest people to buy for. They often seem to have everything they need for their computers. And even though they understand computers backwards and forwards and up and down, chances are that you don't understand them at all. It's also likely that computer guys won't like the same gifts that a girl would be glad to receive. Still, if the guy on your holiday shopping list is into computers, you can buy him a great holiday gift without driving yourself crazy. You just need to know what all computer enthusiasts need and crave.

High Capacity USB Flash Drives

High capacity flash drives are essential for any guy who loves computers. It doesn't matter how many he has; he always needs more. They're also the perfect cheap holiday gift for computer geeks. USB flash drives also come in cool and unusual designs, with a wide variety of different fun decorations and accessories. For example, you could get him a flash drive shaped like a LEGO block or a key, or with a Star Wars, skateboard, race car, surfboard or ninja design. To make sure that the drive has enough storage space for his computer files, buy him a drive with between 1GB and 64GB of storage capacity.

External Hard Drive

External hard drives are great for backing up computer files. Many computer guys would also be glad to have more than one, especially if they have multiple computers. Buy an external hard drive that has multiple connection options, such as FireWire, USB 2.0 and eSATA. You'll also want to look for a drive with a lot of storage space; between 250GB and 1TB is best. If your computer geek has a home network, look for an external drive with networking capabilities.

Memory Upgrade

Computer geeks love memory, but they don't always have enough money for an upgrade. Memory upgrades make great holiday gifts for teenagers, college students, guys who are just starting their career and any other guy who's struggling financially. Memory is also relatively cheap compared to other computer gifts. Make sure that you get the make and model of his computer before shopping for memory. Also find out how much memory he already has installed. In many cases, you can search the computer manufacturer's website to find out what type of memory the computer takes and how much memory can be installed. Both brick-and-mortar and online shops that sell memory also have lists of computer models and can tell you which type of memory to buy if you get confused.

Other Computer Upgrades and Accessories

Computer upgrades make excellent holiday gifts if you know he needs them. Graphics cards, sound cards, speakers, LCD monitors, optical mice, wireless mice and keyboards, laptop accessories, networking adapters and routers are among the best gifts you can choose. However, be sure to check his current computer configuration before buying these computer gifts. If you're not familiar with his computer or if you want to keep the gift a surprise, you're better off sticking with computer accessories he could use more than one of.

Printers

There are all kinds of printers available these days; laser printers, inkjet printers, all-in-one printers, networking printers, photo printers. Before buying your computer geek a printer, make sure you know what type of printer he needs and can use. If he needs to send faxes and scan documents as well as print them, the all-in-one printer is your best bet. If he has a digital camera or video camera, a photo printer would make a fun holiday gift. If he has multiple computers networked together with a wireless router, get him a wireless or networking printer. If he needs to print high quality documents for business or needs to store documents for the long term, a laser printer will meet his needs. However, if he just needs to do everyday printing, an inkjet printer would make the perfect gift.

Computer Store Gift Cards

If you're frustrated by all the things you have to keep track of, you can get him a gift card. Before buying the gift card, ask him what his favorite computer store is. If you'd like to keep your gift a surprise, just pretend you want to buy something for yourself at the computer store.

For more ideas on this topic, read Best Cheap Christmas Presents for Men and Great Inexpensive Christmas Presents for Your Boyfriend.