Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo is a professional CS:GO AWPer who currently plays for Team Liquid. He’s won multiple ESL Pro League finals and ESL Ones and has made a name for himself as arguably one of the best CS:GO players to ever grace the game.
FalleN actively streams to his 1.2 million followers on Twitch, and the gear he uses to do so plays an important role in delivering a quality experience for his viewers. Here’s a list of his streaming gear, starting with his headset.
Headset
Fallen Morcego
It’s no surprise that FalleN sports his own brand’s gear. The ECO line of peripherals is advertised as entry-level products that maintain high quality at a low price. This USB headset comes with a detachable mic, 53-millimeter drivers, and 7.1 virtual surround sound for the crisp audio CS:GO players need. The white color pattern is fairly clean and pairs well with all-white gaming setups.
The price clocks in at under R$570, which translates to roughly $115. It is a slick-looking headset with standard drivers and noise-canceling design, but the price point doesn’t reflect its advertised entry-level purpose. You can get a nearly identical headset on Amazon for $60 or less.
Keyboard
Fallen Ace
For his keyboard, FalleN runs the Fallen Ace. His version of the Ace comes with Gateron Black switches, and is advertised as having the standard anti-ghosting technology and hot-swap capability for easy customization. Additionally, the keyboard comes with five extra keys for replacement purposes.
The price clocks in at under R$650, which is roughly $130. Again, the price point is largely void of anything relating to “entry-level.” If you pay for this keyboard, you are paying for the FalleN name since mechanical keyboards with the same anti-ghosting and hot-swap technology are available on Amazon for under $50.
Mouse
ZOWIE EC2-A
FalleN’s mouse is the first item in this list with a name brand behind it. The EC2-A was released in 2015 and is, at least up until recently, the most popular mouse among professionals.
The mouse offers a standard two side button design with a matte black finish. It’s also plug-and-play, thanks to its driverless design. The EC2-A isn’t fancy, but it is reliable if you can find one. Should finding one prove too difficult given its rarity, BenQ Zowie offers modern versions of the EC2-A on Amazon for under $80.
Monitor
BenQ ZOWIE XL2546K
The XL2546K offers a 24.5-inch display, 1080p resolution, and 240Hz refresh rate that’s perfect for any gamer. Since 120 to 144Hz is considered the standard refresh rate FPS players run at high levels, 240Hz acts as a luxury for those who want an even silkier gaming experience. BenQ Zowie’s included Dynamic Accuracy+ technology is advertised as making messy images, such as weapon spraying, less blurry. Perfect for a game like CS:GO.
BenQ Zowie’s 24.5-inch esports monitor typically appears for under $700 on Amazon. The steep price tag makes it one of the more pricey monitors on the market, thanks to its 240Hz refresh rate.
CPU
Intel Core i9-9900K
For the first piece of actual computing hardware on the list, we have FalleN’s CPU. With eight cores and a max clock speed of 5GHz, the i9-9900K is an absolute beast of a processor. FalleN is a professional player, so his use of high-end components doesn’t come as a surprise.
Does it mean this kind of CPU is required to play at a high level in CS:GO? Absolutely not. CS:GO is a highly optimized game made for esports, and it runs just fine on mid-range CPUs. That being said, if you want the best experience you can get at the highest settings you can run this game at, the i9-9900k isn’t a bad option if you’re willing to dish out the cash for it.
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Founders Edition
Given the current GPU shortage the market is experiencing, buyers have to pay exorbitant prices for the GPUs they want. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super is no exception to that rule. Make no purchases unless you understand the current market and are willing to pay two to three times the normal retail price for a product.
The RTX 2080 Super boasts 8GB of GDDR6 memory and boosted clock speeds of 1,830MHz. Similar to FalleN’s i9-9900K CPU, this graphics card is overkill for a game like CS:GO and should only be viewed as a luxury item for CS:GO players. In today’s market, the term “luxury” might not even describe it.
Owning the same gear as a streamer isn’t required to get the same experience as them, but in FalleN’s case, it doesn’t hurt when building a specced-out gaming rig. Happy AWPing, and best of luck.
