Håvard “rain” Nygaard is a Norwegian professional CS:GO player for FaZe Clan. Rain has been a competitive CS:GO player since 2013. He has played CS:GO for Faze Clan since 2016, making him the longest-lasting member. The Norwegian pro plays as a rifler and entry-fragger for the team.
With multiple S-tier tournament wins under his belt, rain has traveled the world to compete. When traveling and competing, players like rain need to have a comfortable setup to come home to in order to avoid distractions.
Here’s rain’s CS:GO streaming setup.
Mouse
Rain is known to have used both of the following mice.
Dream Machines DM2 Comfy
According to Dream Machines, the DM2 Comfy’s ergonomic design was made using feedback from professionals. Built for comfort during hours of gaming, the mouse has a resting place for every finger that follows the hand’s shape. The DM2 Comfy fits most hands with a palm or claw grip.
With under-average specs, the mouse’s PixArt 3310 sensor has a maximum resolution of 5,000 DPI and a maximum tracking speed of 130 IPS. Dream Machines set the polling rate of the mouse to the industry standard at 1,000Hz.
Coated in matte rubber, the DM2 Comfy gives a comfortable grip for users with sweaty hands.
The mouse’s braided cable is advertised to be flexible by Dream Machines, but reviews have stated that the cable comes rigid and stiff, needing time to loosen up.
Qpad 8K Pro
With a similar shape to the DM2 Comfy, the Qpad 8K Pro is an ergonomic mouse that maintains comfort over long periods of use. The mouse’s wide design works best with palm or claw grips.
The Qpad 8K Pro’s sensor gives more resolution and tracking speed than the DM2 Comfy. The maximum resolution of 8,200 DPI and maximum tracking speed of 150 IPS are subpar compared to other gaming mice.
Qpad’s software allows users to customize most of the mouse’s features. Users can adjust the RGB lights or change their cursor speed, lift-off distance, DPI level, and other settings.
Keyboard
SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL
With adjustable mechanical switches, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL stands out for giving users the ability to customize the sensitivity of each key. Users can customize keys to be quick and easy to press or the opposite to prevent mistakes.
Measuring 14.0 inches wide, 5.5 inches deep, and 1.6 inches tall, the keyboard should fit on smaller desks without the wrist rest. The detachable wrist rest adds about three inches to the width. The wrist rest collects dust quickly, but it can be cleaned easily.
Users can customize the aesthetics on the keyboard by programming the colors and brightness of the RGB backlit keys. The keyboard has a small OLED display for changing profiles and adjusting settings saved on the keyboard.
Headset
SteelSeries Arctis Pro White
Comfort is important for any headset since a poorly fitting one can cause distractions through discomfort or pain. SteelSeries designed the headset with a suspension band resembling a pair of ski goggles to fit snugly on the user’s head. The Airweave fabric of the ear cups is a comfortable middle between the stiffness of leather and the flexibility of velour.
With the included GameDAC, users can customize many of the headset’s features without the need for software. The GameDac can toggle surround sound, set game and chat volume, adjust settings on the mic, and more.
While the mic on the Arctis Pro provides clear audio, it is quick to peak, and deeper voices can come out quieter. These issues won’t affect most people, especially those with higher voices.
Hearing audio cues, such as footsteps, scopes, and grenade pins, is important for CS:GO. With the Arctis Pro’s DTS Headphone:X v2.0 technology, users will have no trouble hearing those cues. The 40-millimeter speakers have a wide frequency response range that gives accurate, clear sound.
The aesthetics of the headset are also customizable. The ear cups have programmable LED lights, and SteelSeries sells side panels and headband straps with different designs.
Mouse pad
SteelSeries QCK Heavy
With a six-millimeter thickness and rubber base, the QCK Heavy excels at staying in place while gaming. The mouse pad doesn’t slip, even with aggressive mouse movement. The thickness of the mouse pad keeps it laying flat on slightly uneven surfaces.
The QCK Heavy comes in three different sizes, from the medium’s 12.6 by 10.6 inches (LxW) to the XXL’s nearly three-foot length. Its medium and large variants can fit well on smaller desks.
There are some potential downsides to the QCK Heavy. With a medium-to-fast glide, the micro-woven cloth surface can lack stopping power. The ends of the pad aren’t stitched, which can lead to some fraying on the edges.
Monitor
BenQ ZOWIE XL2540
Many CS:GO players use monitors from BenQ Zowie’s XL-series due to their high refresh rates. Rain uses the XL2540, a 24.5-inch monitor with a smooth 240Hz refresh rate. Having a high refresh rate is important for CS:GO. It makes gameplay smoother and can improve reaction time.
The monitor has some personalization options, like the shields on the side of the screen, to help players focus. The S-Switch allows players to switch through custom profiles with one button and access the monitor’s menus without fidgeting with side buttons. Profiles can be saved with the S-Switch, which helps traveling professional players like rain.
To help players see in-game details better, the XL2540 has a Black eQualizer, which brightens darker areas without overexposing bright areas. The monitor also allows players to adjust the vibrance of the colors to their preference.
Graphics card
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
CS:GO is not a GPU-intensive game, so rain does not need a top market graphics card for his setup. Even at its highest video settings, CS:GO can perform well on nearly any GPU. At 1080p and the highest video settings, CS:GO runs at around 200 to 250 fps on a GTX 1080 Ti.
Streaming is also not GPU-intensive, but many streamers like to have a faster GPU to stream their games with the best video settings. However, since CS:GO doesn’t demand much to run, rain can stream and record the game at its highest settings without issues.
Be the first to comment