Drop’s MT3 keycaps are buy one set, get one free through July 31st

Nothing livens up your desk like some colorful mechanical keyboard keycaps, and Drop’s buy one, get one deal has returned to brighten up your hump day. You can buy one base or ortholinear kit of MT3 keycaps from Drop’s selection and get a second one of equal or lesser value for free. This sale includes some returning favorites like the two-tone blue Dasher set that’s reminiscent of the keyboards in Severance. You can see them in action by our own Dan Seifert in this Verge TikTok video.

This BOGO promo includes some sets we haven’t seen looped into deals before. In addition to offering a few Lord of the Rings sets (Dwarvish and Elvish), the sleek Godspeed R2 and retro 9009 sets are also in the mix. Most sets cost $120 before the discounted savings, with Lord of the Rings and Marvel-licensed sets running up to $130. While individual sets vary in their uses of ABS or PBT-based plastics, all of them are the unique MT3 profile with deeply scooped tops for a unique typing feel that looks vintage.

Today is the last day to take advantage of preorder promotions for the Google Pixel 6A. The new midrange A-series phone for Google’s Pixel lineup officially launches tomorrow, and preordering one for $449 at Amazon, Best Buy, or Google gets you a pair of $99 Pixel Buds A wireless earbuds for free.

The deal may get sweeter if you have an older phone to trade in, especially a prior Pixel A-series model. The Google Store is offering up to $300 of credit toward a 6A. Notably, the Pixel 4A 5G, Pixel 4A, and even the outdated Pixel 3A can fetch that $300 off if they power on with working, crack-free screens. According to Google’s fine print, these promotions end at 11:59PM PT tonight, so the clock is ticking if you’re on the fence.

The Pixel 6A offers a lot of the flagship Pixel 6 formula in a smaller 6.1-inch form factor. It has the same speedy Tensor CPU, but Google ditched some premium features, like its wireless charging and a high-refresh screen, to keep the price down. All said, it offers great performance in an affordable package. Read our review.

Nature continues to heal (metaphorically, of course; reality still doesn’t look so good), and high-powered GPUs continue to become readily available — with added discounts. Speaking of which, EVGA is offering some great pricing on refurbished cards. The RTX 3070 Ti XC3 costs just $579.99 ($130 off), and the RTX 3070 Ti FTW3 is just $10 more at $589.99 ($230 off). These cards are very similar, with the FTW3 having a marginally faster clock speed and bolder RGB lighting.

Whichever one strikes your fancy, they’re both slightly faster than the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti Founders Edition. And with these prices, these refurbished models cost slightly less, too. EVGA calls them “B-stock” merchandise, but they’re refurbished. Even so, EVGA claims that they offer the “performance and reliability of a new product of the same model.” Additionally, each comes with a one-year warranty.

One extra thing to keep in mind is that if you haven’t bought a video card recently, be sure to check the measurements of whatever case you plan to install it in. These things can take up a whole lot of space.

If you’re looking for a gaming laptop on a budget that is also great at some other regular laptop duties, the last-gen Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is down to $1,099.99 at Best Buy. That’s a $300 discount on this great laptop, which was the model to beat when it came out in 2020. Yes, it’s 2022, so that means that it’s a little long in the tooth now, but it’s much cheaper than the current model. And, its AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS processor, RTX 3060, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD are still very capable today — especially since it’s only outputting 1080p to its 14-inch 144Hz screen. Just keep in mind that it lacks a webcam, so you’ll need an external option if Zoom calls are a major part of your routine. Read our review.

We frequently mention the Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSD in deals coverage, and that’s because it offers very fast speeds at increasingly appealing prices. Whether you want to upgrade the storage in your PC or PS5, the 2TB model that doesn’t get discounted as often as the 1TB model is cheaper today. The Samsung 980 Pro 2TB — complete with pre-installed heatsink — is down to $249.99 ($150 off) at Amazon. It may be half the cost of a PS5 itself, but just think about all the games that you can fit on it.

Some more mid-week deals to get you over the hump:

• 8BitDo’s Pro 2 special edition controller in new see-through black and purple colorways are $5 off if you preorder before July 28th. It’ll cost you $54.99. It’s compatible with Nintendo Switch, PC, macOS, Android, and Raspberry Pi. Read our review.
• If you want a more affordable Apple Watch, Woot has last year’s Series 6 in red for $279.99 ($120 off the regular price of a Series 7). It’s a 40mm GPS model in new condition with a full one-year warranty. It’s kind of like buying an Apple Watch SE but with an always-on display. Though, keep in mind that we saw the Series 7 drop to this price as recently as during Prime Day, and a Series 8 announcement is likely not far off.
• Razer’s Huntsman Tournament Edition TKL mechanical gaming keyboard is down to $59.97 (about $70 off), which is even cheaper than it was during Prime Day. It uses linear optical switches, which can be helpful for fast-paced gaming.
• The Turtle Beach Elite Pro 2 is on sale at Amazon for $59.97 (about $70 off), which is its lowest price to date. It’s a no-frills plug and play gaming headset, though it’s got large 50mm drivers. There aren’t many left in stock, so don’t hesitate if you’re in need.