Whether you're digging into a long gaming session or just looking for a better way to video chat on your PC, a headset with a microphone can go a long way. If you don't want to plop down the cash for one, you can add one to your existing over-the-ear headphones yourself.
This particular mod uses a pair of cheap Monoprice 8323 headphones, but you could probably perform the process on any set of cans (though the more expensive your headphones, the less we'd recommend breaking them open). You'll need a bit of electronics experience to make this work, and the instructions aren't incredibly detailed, but if you know what you're doing they're pretty easy to follow. When you're done, you'll have a cheap gaming headset with a completely detachable microphone.
Of course, if you really want the features a good headset can offer, check out our roundup of the five best gaming headsets. Hit the link for the full set of instructions.