Shake walls and rattle windows with the best 5.1 speakers for PC gaming

The best 5.1 speakers for PC gaming right now are the Logitech Z906. They offer the right combination of loud sound and price that will take your PC gaming experience to the next level without the need for one of our picks for best PC gaming headset. If it's excellent audio you seek and don't want to spend too much money, it will not disappoint. However, we also rounded up a couple of additional audio accessories that are worth a look.

Best Overall: Logitech Z906

You can connect up to six devices, including two optical, to this speaker system, which is ideal for anyone with home theater ambitions beyond PC gaming. A dedicated control console gives you complete control over your sound, and you can sit back with a remote control in your hand.

At a whopping 500 watts of power (and up to 1,000 watts peak power), these speakers are fantastic for PC gaming, no matter the genre. Sleek design, reliable performance, and THX certification together make these a great addition to any room.

You can annoy the neighbors during the day, and at night you can plug in headphones and get into the game while the family sleeps. Each satellite speaker is wall-mountable, and the wires are long enough for home theater setups.

A recent price drop has knocked almost $100 off the regular price, making this system more appealing than ever before.

Pros:

• 500 watts of power (1,000 peak)
• Wall-mountable satellites
• Plenty of connection options
• Dedicated controller and remote
• THX-certified

Cons:

• Cheaper options are available
• You might prefer a soundbar

Best Overall

Logitech Z906

$300 at Amazon

$300 at Best Buy

$370 at Newegg

Amazing 5.1 sound at an affordable price

These speakers have 500 watts of power to knock your socks off, and they have a detailed console for easy control.

Best 5.1 Soundbar: Razer Leviathan

The Leviathan system is made up of a beefy subwoofer with a 5.25-inch down-firing sub and a Razer-styled soundbar with dual 2.5-inch drivers and 0.74-inch tweeters that emulates the sound you'd get from an actual 5.1 setup. You won't experience the hassle of running wires around your gaming room, but you'll still get booming sound.

Connect the Leviathan with Bluetooth or a 3.5mm audio jack and keep it below your gaming monitor. It's a lot shorter than conventional soundbars, so you'll still have room for your mouse hand. This soundbar is also branded with Razer's logo, so it will match any other gaming gear you have. If you're not keen on a bunch of speakers and wires but still want to emulate 5.1 sound, this is likely your best bet.

Pros:

• Less setup hassle
• Booming sound
• Includes soundbar and sub
• Compact design for your desktop
• Connects with Bluetooth or 3.5mm audio

Cons:

• Not true 5.1 surround sound

Best 5.1 Soundbar

Razer Leviathan

A quality soundbar that emulates 5.1 surrounds

$200 at Amazon

$230 at Newegg

This isn't a true 5.1 setup with satellite speakers, but Razer's Leviathan does a great job of emulating surround sound and looks great while doing it.

Best Value: Logitech Z506

Anyone who doesn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a surround sound setup for their gaming rig should seriously consider Logitech's Z506 system. It may be well less than $100, but that doesn't mean it can't deliver serious sound. It booms out at you with 75 watts of power (RMS), and the bass is deep.

Connect two devices simultaneously, and tweak the sound with controls on a satellite speaker. You still have to run wires around your PC gaming room and find a home for each satellite (they aren't wall-mountable). But at this price, these small problems fade away. If you like the idea of Logitech's Z906 setup but don't have the budget, these are the next best thing.

Pros:

• Price is right
• True 5.1 surround sound
• 75 watts of power
• Connect two devices simultaneously

Cons:

• Quality of sound not as good as other options

Best Value

Logitech Z506

Budget speakers still pack quite a punch

$170 at Amazon

$277 at Walmart

$250 at Newegg

Logitech's cheaper sibling offers 75 watts of sound, and it's compatible with a wide array of devices besides your PC.

Bottom line

Logitech's Z906 5.1 surround speaker system is our top pick for PC gaming thanks to a potent combination of big sound and relatively low price. It pumps out 500 watts of continuous power — peaking up to 1,000 watts — and has a dedicated controller and remote for easy tweaking.

You can set up the satellites with wall mounts for a clean look, or they can comfortably sit on shelves around your gaming room. If you'd like to double them up as extra volume for your home theatre setup, you shouldn't have any issues. No matter the genre of game you enjoy, these speakers should be at the top of your list when shopping for a new surround sound setup.

If you'd rather go with a quality gaming headset — or double up and have a headset and speaker options — be sure to check out our roundup of the best PC gaming headsets available now.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Cale Hunt is a staff writer at Windows Central. He focuses mainly on PC, laptop, and accessory coverage, as well as the emerging world of VR. He is an avid PC gamer and multi-platform user and spends most of his time either tinkering with or writing about tech.

Rich Edmonds is a word conjurer at Windows Central, covering everything related to Windows, gaming, and hardware. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a device chassis. You can follow him over on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.