Ali “SypherPK” Hassan is a household name within the Fortnite community.
Though his channels skyrocketed to fame with Fortnite’s release in 2017, SypherPK has been creating content for various games since 2012. He started his journey on YouTube by uploading Runescape videos and then moved onto other MMORPGs like Elder Scrolls Online and shooters like Overwatch. Despite playing games in different genres throughout his career, SypherPK succeeded in transitioning his natural talents for gaming to each title he tried out.
Once SypherPK’s skills were combined with his comedic approach and willingness to test out new strategies, his Twitch and YouTube started growing exponentially. His Fortnite video series with Ninja and DrLupo has been the seasonal highlight of most Fortnite fans, and the talented content creator became a part of Luminosity Gaming in 2018.
Each piece of content SypherPK produces tends to be top-notch in terms of both audio and visual quality. You’ll still need some editing skills to get your videos as organized as his, but you can definitely up your stream’s or channel’s quality by copying his equipment setup.
In addition to ensuring a pleasant viewing experience for viewers, the following equipment also helps SypherPK perform under the best conditions possible and allows him to stay on top of his competition.
Mouse: Razer Viper Ultimate
A decent gaming mouse is an essential part of any gamer’s setup. Their low response rates and advanced sensors transition your inputs faster than a regular mouse, giving you an advantage versus players without a gaming mouse.
SypherPK uses Razer’s Viper Ultimate. It features a simple, ergonomic design and uses switching that takes advantage of a “light beam technology.” The mouse clicks shoot laser beams once pressed, reducing the overall response time down to 0.2 milliseconds. Weighing at 0.16 pounds (74 grams), Viper Ultimate goes up to 20,000 DPI. Combined with its 650- IPS tracking speed and a maximum polling rate of 1000 Hz, Viper Ultimate allows SypherPK to react to any in-game situation instantly.
The mouse comes with a total of 10 programmable keys, which SypherPK uses to remap some of his building buttons to free up more space on his keyboard.
Mouse pad: SteelSeries QCK XXL
Gaming mice nowadays come with durable feet that should last you for many years. If you’re using yours on any other surface other than a proper mouse pad, however, your mouse’s feet may degrade faster than you may expect. A top-of-the-line gaming mouse pad ensures that your mouse’s tracking on a completely even surface, without dents, and offers a better gliding experience.
SypherPK uses SteelSeries QCK’s XXL edition. This mouse pad is a timeless classic and has been the go-to choice of many professional shooter game players since the start of esports. Its cloth surface offers a butter-smooth gliding experience, and its extended size of 35.43 by 11.81 by 0.07 inches (900 by 300 by two millimeters) makes sure that you never lift your mouse to complete your camera movements.
Large mouse pads like QCK XXL work wonders, especially for gamers that play with lower sensitivity values since they need the extra movement area more than anyone. If you prefer higher sensitivity levels, buying a giant mouse pad can still be an excellent investment. You can cut it in half and store the rest of it to use when your initial pad starts showing signs of wear.
Keyboard: Ducky One 2 Mini RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
A gaming mouse alone won’t cut it to ensure a low response time for all of your actions. You’ll need a keyboard, tailored for gaming, which delivers your actions into the game of your choice in a flash.
SypherPK uses a Duck One 2 Mini RGB mechanical keyboard. Unlike the most popular mechanical keyboards, One 2 Mini RGB features a compact design with sleek bezels. The keyboard uses a USB Type-C cable, which allows it to have a polling rate of 1000 Hz. High polling rates indicate lower response times, which is an essential factor to consider while shopping for a mechanical gaming keyboard.
You can opt-in for Cherry MX Brown, Red, Blue, Black, Silent, or Silver switches while customizing this keyboard. While we don’t know which type of switches SypherPK prefers, Cherry MX Red switches are known for being a better option for gaming.
Ducky’s RGB design also takes the keyboard to another level in terms of looks, and you can fully customize its color via software.
Headset: Sennheiser HD 700
In most shooter games like Fortnite, a simple audio queue can help you win an engagement. Without a decent gaming headset, you may miss out on an enemy who’s secretly healing right under your nose, or not realize a player creeping behind to kill you with their Harvesting Tool.
SypherPK uses a Sennheiser HD700. Though HD700 isn’t marketed as a “gaming headset,” a headset doesn’t have to be labeled as one to be a great performer. HD 700’s audio quality makes it an excellent choice for shooting games, but it’s pads can require some modification. Its fit can get uncomfortable during extended gaming sessions, but you should be able to find nice third-party memory-foam replacement pads with a quick Google search.
The headset offers a sound pressure level of 105 decibels and a less than 0.03-percentage total harmonic distortion. It doesn’t feature a microphone, so you’ll need to invest in an external microphone if you decide to pull the trigger on the HD 700.
Monitor: Alienware AW2518H Gaming Monitor
Hearing can allow you to pinpoint the locations of enemies that you can’t visibly see, and a high refresh rate will help you capitalize on that advantage much more easily. Higher refresh rates mean that your screen will refresh its pixels faster than standard monitors, ensuring you stay one step ahead of your opponents.
SypherPK uses Alienware’s AW2518H gaming monitor. It’s a 25-inch LCD monitor that has a one-millisecond response time. Its 240 Hz of refresh rate makes it an overall solid choice, and its futuristic design makes it look like it was taken straight out of a spaceship.
Remember that you’ll need to match your monitor’s refresh rate with your in-game frames, so it may be useful to invest in better hardware first to average higher frames-per-second (FPS).
Graphics card: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 TI
A powerful GPU is usually one of the most significant factors behind achieving high frame rates.
SypherPK uses one of EVGA’s versions of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 2080 TI, one of the top performers of NVIDIA’s Turing microarchitecture line. With 11GBs of virtual RAM, this GPU allows SypherPK to take full advantage of his 240 Hz gaming monitor.
While a GPU like 2080 TI can look like overkill, especially if you aren’t a streamer, it’s still an excellent choice for gamers to futureproof their setups.
CPU: Intel Core I9-9900K Processor
If you don’t support your GPU with a capable enough CPU, you may run into some performance troubles that can hold back your system from showing its true potential.
SypherPK uses Intel’s I9-9900K processor. With a base frequency of 3.5 GHz that gets boosted up to 4.3 and 5 GHz, thanks to Intel’s Turbo Boost technology, the CPU remains one of Intel’s top performers.
Though the boost feature reduces the need for overclocking, you can still squeeze more performance out of it by sticking to community guidelines and tested voltages/clock speeds.
Microphone: Shure SM7B
While an external microphone isn’t necessary for most gamers, it increases the quality of a stream by increasing the overall audio quality of streams that viewers welcome. SypherPK especially needs one, however, since his headset doesn’t have a microphone of its own.
SypherPK uses a Shure SM7B, which is a dynamic-style cardioid microphone. It’s great for both content creators and artists since it ensures a studio-like audio quality. Its box also includes a detachable windscreen that helps to reduce overall distortion from loud sound sources.
Chair: DXRacer Formula Series
You won’t be able to enjoy your gaming/streaming setup for more than two hours without a decent gaming chair. An excellent gaming chair provides comfort and good posture, which are both essential to avoid back/neck aches.
SypherPK prefers the Formula series from DXRacer, which is overall a solid gaming chair that delivers on quality. Formula chairs of DXRacer can support up to 200 pounds and should be a great fit in terms of height if you aren’t taller than 5 feet 8 inches.
Make sure to follow through the size guidelines on DXRacer’s website, and try out one in a local store if you get the chance. While the guides are through, we still recommend trying a chair in person to make sure you’d like sitting in one for prolonged periods.
Webcam: Sony Alpha A6300 Mirrorless Camera
Webcams allow viewers to take a glimpse at a streamer’s life while witnessing their reactions and mimics. It can increase the overall enjoyment levels of a stream by a vast margin.
SypherPK uses a Sony Alpha A6300, which is a digital camera. Its fast autofocus feature makes showcasing certain items to your audience quite easier. The camera can record in 1080p at 120 FPS and is also capable of recording in 4K. It’s also dust and moisture-proof, making it a more durable choice than other cameras in the market.
While you should be fine with a regular webcam that can record in 1080p if you’re just starting to stream, a digital camera can be an excellent investment for those that also like to take pictures and record content outside. You can plug it out of your streaming setup and take it outside to shoot content and connect it right back in once you’re done.
Mixer: GoXLR – Mixer, Sampler, & Voice FX for Streamers
A mixer won’t affect your gaming experience in any way, but it can make managing your audio levels while streaming a seamless process. Mixers allow streamers to control multiple audio inputs at once and can also increase the sound quality of your microphone through certain audio controlling elements. Mixers designed for gamers even double as a control panel that players play audio queues with a click of a button.
SypherPK uses GoXLR, a multi-channel mixer that features a studio-quality preamp. Its VoiceFX feature lets him tinker with his voice, which comes in handy to hide his identity when he plays random duo games.
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