Latest news with #MG-1
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Tom's Guide
This gaming PC feels like an Xbox 360 with an RTX 5090 inside - here's why
The Maingear MG-1 ($1,529) is one of the company's most affordable customizable gaming PCs, at least to start, so when Maingear offered to send us one for review I kept my expectations in check. But when the top-of-the-line MG-1 Ultimate ($5,269) that Maingear built for us finally showed up at my door, I was impressed. Before I even had a chance to plug it in and see how well it performs, I was charmed by the (fairly) portable mid-size case and the eye-catching custom panel on the front. One of the big selling points of the MG-1 are these swappable front panels, and I love how they remind me of the old Xbox 360 faceplate days. But if that was the most exciting aspect of this gaming PC I'd quickly lose interest. But after a month of testing and using the Maingear MG-1 Ultimate I'm pleased to report this is one of the best gaming PCs I've reviewed this year. Like most great gaming PCs it's pretty expensive, but if you can afford it you're getting a potent powerhouse that's easy to customize, easy to move and so quiet you'd barely know it was running, even after gaming for hours. Maingear MG-1 (starting) Maingear MG-1 (as reviewed) Price $1,529 $5,107 CPU AMD Ryzen 5 9600X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D GPU Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 RAM 16GB 32GB Storage 1TB SSD 2TB SSD Ports (front) 4x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, headphone/mic jack 4x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, headphone/mic jack Ports (rear) 4x USB 2.0 Type-A, 2x USB 5Gbps Type-A, 1x USB 10Gbps Type-A, 1x USB-C 10Gbps 4x USB 2.0 Type-A, 2x USB 5Gbps Type-A, 1x USB 10Gbps Type-A, 1x USB-C 10Gbps Size 19 x 16.8 x 8.1 inches 19 x 16.8 x 8.1 inches Weight ~32 pounds ~32 pounds The custom MG-1 review unit that Maingear sent us is pretty expensive, but in return you get a compact, quiet gaming PC that can run many of the latest games at 4K with all the graphical settings cranked to max. Our testing reveals that even when you do that you can often expect to get around 60 frames per second at 4K, but it's not consistent. Some of the most demanding games, like Black Myth Wukong and Cyberpunk 2077, will push this system so hard at max settings that even the RTX 5090 and AMD Ryzen 9 CPU will struggle to keep a smooth 60 frames per second at 4K. To show you what I mean I've charted the Maingear MG-1's performance in key games below and put it up against two other pricey RTX 5090 gaming PCs we've reviewed recently, the Alienware Area 51 ($5,699 as tested) and the Corsair Vengeance i8300 ($7,399 as tested). Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Maingear MG-1 Alienware Area 51 Corsair Vengeance i8300 Assassin's Creed Shadows (Ultra High) 65 76 64 Black Myth Wukong (Cinematic) 55 59 60 Cyberpunk 2077 53.6 56.7 57.5 Red Dead Redemption 2 (Ultra) 67 84.6 64.4 As you can see, the more expensive gaming PCs outperformed our Maingear MG-1 review unit by a small degree in most games. But in a few cases (namely Assassin's Creed Shadows and Red Dead Redemption 2) the Maingear actually beat out Corsair's Vengeance i8300 by a smidge. That's a bit amazing given that the Vengeance costs over $2,000 more and is also larger and heavier, so it's more of a pain to fit into your entertainment setup. So while the Alienware Area 51 desktop comes out smelling like roses, our testing proves the Maingear MG-1 is smaller and nearly as good as the Corsair despite being far cheaper. Maingear MG-1 Alienware Area 51 Corsair Vengeance i8300 Geekbench 6 single-core 3401 3148 3303 Geekbench 6 multi-core 23071 21786 23328 SSD speed test (MBps) 2107.9 1898.2 2480.5 Video editing test (mm:ss) 1:45 1:53 1:47 A similar story played out when we put the MG-1 Ultimate through our battery of general performance tests, but this time it performed a bit better compared to the more expensive Area 51 and Vengeance i8300. As you can see from the chart of results above, our MG-1 review unit consistently outperformed either the Alienware, the Corsair or both in our Geekbench 6 CPU tests and our SSD speed test. And in our video editing test, which times how long it takes the PC to transcode a 4K video down to 1080p using Handbrake, Maingear's MG-1 Ultimate actually outperformed both the Alienware and Corsair RTX 5090 PCs. Factor in the fact that our MG-1 review unit is cheaper and smaller than either competitor, and you start to see why I love this mid-size gaming rig. Another thing I love about the MG-1 Ultimate is how quiet it is, even after hours of playing games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K with all settings cranked to max. While I do hear the fans spin up after extended (1-2+ hours) gaming sessions or when the room gets quite toasty, I almost never notice them. And when I finally did, I had to fire up our Corsair Vengeance i8300 review unit to remind me what a really beastly full-sized gaming tower PC can sound like when things get hot and heavy. The MG-1 Ultimate doesn't get terribly toasty under load, either. When I was testing the Vengeance i8300, for example, I noticed that after a few hours of PC gaming on the couch my entire living room would feel warm. By contrast, Maingear's mid-sized rig doesn't feel noticeably warm, even after hours of gaming, unless I put my hand directly against the exhaust. I like a PC case that's neatly organized and easy to open, so I'm very happy with the MG-1 case that houses this beastly machine. Not only does the PC run quiet and have lots of room to work inside the case, the tempered glass side panel is easy to remove once you remove the screws fastening it in place. Popping it back on is just as easy, which I really appreciate. Maingear touts a few additional selling points for this case, including the fact that the MG-1 was designed in partnership with company co-owner, professional game streamer and former pro eSports player Michael "Shroud" Grzesiek. That's all fine and good, but I'm more excited about the swappable magnetic front panel. Hey, I get maybe not everyone will love the silly appeal of being able to order new swappable front panels from Maingear for $99 a pop (or $129 if you want a custom one), but I love it. There are loads of fun designs and patterns to choose from, and the whole thing reminds me of nothing so much as the swappable faceplates we used to use on the old Xbox 360. While it's a bit goofy that Maingear custom-printed us one with the TG logo on it for the purposes of this review, I have to admit I like seeing a pop of color on the PC when I sit down at my desk every morning. And since the Maingear logo in the top center of the panel glows in concert with the PC's RGB settings, whatever front panel you add will feature a fun bit of RBG flair winking out from the middle. As much as I like the 2025 Maingear MG-1 Ultimate, there is one big downside to buying one that I should make clear before wrapping up. After a month with this machine I can't find anything to complain about besides the high price, and that's par for the course when you're buying high-end gaming PCs." Look, I would have a hard time affording the MG-1 Ultimate that Maingear sent us for review on my journalist's salary. I could do it, but I'd probably spend half a year or more scrimping and saving to minimize the strain on my credit. Most people will likely face a similar quandary when considering whether to buy a boutique PC like the MG-1. Now admittedly, you can get a less powerful version for thousands of dollars less—upgrading from the base RTX 5050 to the top-of-the-line GeForce RTX 5090 GPU adds over $2,500 to the price alone, for example. And again, this high-end MG-1 Ultimate performs nearly as well or better in our testing as 2025 gaming PCs that cost hundreds or thousands more. So while it is damn expensive, if you're aiming for RTX 5090 levels of performance this might actually be a fairly canny way of maximizing what you get for your money. If it's not clear already, I'm quite fond of Maingear's 2025 MG-1 Ultimate. The machine Maingear sent us for review packs a powerful AMD + Nvidia CPU/GPU combo that punches above its weight in terms of performance, and I love how quiet it remains even after hours of use. But even when it's switched off, I like how nice the MG-1 looks on a desk (especially with a cool front panel design) and I appreciate how easy it is to move from room to room. And when it's time to upgrade or swap something out, I love that you can quickly unscrew some fasteners and pop the side panel off for easy access. After a month with this machine I can't find anything to complain about besides the high price, and that's par for the course when you're buying high-end gaming PCs. So if that's what you're after, I highly recommend Maingear's MG-1 as one of the best I've tested in 2025.
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Maingear's Newest Gaming PCs Could Hang In An Art Gallery
MG-1 with art panels. Credit: Maingear The gamer aesthetic is an acquired taste, I'd say, especially when it comes to PC hardware. Not everyone wants a stark, futuristic space box drowning in gaudy RGB lighting. I'm sure some people crave something a little more… tasteful? Maingear seems to be addressing the lack of, shall we say, proper chassis options via its latest collaboration with contemporary artist JuanCarlos rLora from ArtToSaveLives, a gallery that funds a private animal rescue. The following is an excerpt from their website, describing what they do: 'Our goal is to establish a farm sanctuary where we will have the rescue's facility open to the public together with the gallery.' Who would have thought a system integrator and an art gallery would ever team up for anything? It's resulted in the creation of five unique front panels for Maingear's popular MG-1 series of gaming PCs, each priced at $99, and the designs look downright fantastic. According to Maingear, a portion of every purchase will go toward the rescue organization's budding sanctuary, although it's not clear what portion. Does it matter? Probably not. These panels don't scream 'gamer' by any stretch of the imagination; they're real art from a real artist. Such warmth adds life to what is typically a somewhat sterile, utilitarian machine. To be fair, though, the rest of the PC still glows like a spaceship, but with one of these art panels, the front communicates an air of class. Feel free to extend a pretentious, upper-class pinky as you apply. Check out the list of options below, even though names alone really don't do the panels justice: Audrey's Daisy Blue might be my favorite, if only for the fact that it's got a sort of Tim Burton vibe going on. Here's the description, which I also dig: 'This piece is from Audrey's Journey series, which leans more towards a philosophical, scientific and theoretical framework, asking questions of the origins of the universe and existence, all while taking us on a journey of the imagination through the eyes of a child.' I reviewed Maingear's MG-1 a while back and walked away very impressed. And one of the things that's awesome (obviously) about the MG-1 is its magnetic and swappable front panel, which makes limited edition runs like this possible. If you're ever sick of your MG-1's appearance, there's always another front panel to pursue. I do think $99 is a bit steep for what you're buying here, but Maingear is a premium company that sells premium products, so it's not surprising, exactly. Maybe not Falcon Northwest premium, but still. Plus, you're helping animals, man. You're basically a hero if you buy one of these panels. That's what you can tell yourself, anyway, in the mirror when you're crying about all the money you just dropped on an MG-1. The art panels are available now, while supplies last.
Associated Press
31-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
MAINGEAR Unveils 2025 MG-1 Gaming PCs Featuring NVIDIA 50-Series GPUs, Latest AMD Ryzen, and Intel Core Ultra Series 2 CPUs
From Novice Gamers to Esports Pros, MAINGEAR's Upgraded MG-1 Lineup Sets a New Standard in Gaming Performance for All Budgets WARREN, N.J., March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MAINGEAR, the leader in premium-quality, high-performance gaming PCs, today unveiled its new 2025 pre-configured MG-1 gaming systems, equipped with NVIDIA's cutting-edge GeForce RTX 50-Series GPUs and powered by the latest AMD Ryzen 9000 Series CPUs and Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors. This exciting lineup offers gamers a significant leap in power, performance, and value, reinforcing MAINGEAR's commitment to redefining the gaming experience across all levels of play. '2025 is bound to be the best year yet for PC gamers, and the introduction of our newest MG-1 systems continues to drive MAINGEAR's mission to deliver the ultimate gaming experience,' said Wallace Santos, CEO of MAINGEAR. 'With NVIDIA's RTX 50-Series GPUs, and the latest AMD Ryzen and Intel Core Ultra processors, we've got more options than ever before, ensuring the perfect fit for gamers of all skill levels and budgets.' MAINGEAR's new MG-1 lineup features carefully selected pre-configured options tailored to meet diverse gaming needs, from enthusiast gamers to professionals requiring uncompromising power. All Platinum, Diamond, Legendary and Ultimate configurations can be ordered with MAINGEAR's Boost package, which doubles system RAM and SSD capacities, and upgrades the operating system to Windows 11 Pro. Platinum (AMD and Intel) – MSRP: $1,999 (Platinum Boost: $2,199*) Diamond – MSRP: $2,599 (Diamond Boost: $2,949*) Chassis: MAINGEAR MG-1 GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Motherboard: MSI PRO B850-P WIFI Cooling: MAINGEAR Epic 360 RGB Memory: 32GB T-Force Delta RGB DDR5 6400MT/s (2x16GB); *Boost: 64GB (2x32GB) SSD: 2TB T-Force A440 Pro Gen4 NVMe SSD; *Boost: 4TB PSU: 850W 80+ Gold OS: Windows 11 Home; *Boost: Windows 11 Pro Legendary (AMD and Intel) – MSRP: from $3,099 (Legendary Boost: from $3,449*) Chassis: MAINGEAR MG-1 GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D or Intel Ultra 7 265K Motherboard: MSI PRO B850-P WIFI (AMD) / MSI PRO Z890-S WIFI (Intel) Cooling: MAINGEAR Epic 360 RGB Memory: 32GB T-Force Delta RGB DDR5 6400MT/s (2x16GB); *Boost: 64GB (2x32GB) SSD: 2TB T-Force A440 Pro Gen4 NVMe SSD; *Boost: 4TB PSU: 850W 80+ Gold OS: Windows 11 Home; *Boost Windows 11 Pro Ultimate (AMD and Intel) – MSRP: from $5,649 (Ultimate Boost: from $5,999*) Chassis: MAINGEAR MG-1 GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D or Intel Ultra 9 285K Motherboard: ASRock PG X870E Nova WIFI (AMD) / ASRock PG Z890 Nova WIFI (Intel) Cooling: MAINGEAR Epic 360 RGB Memory: 32GB T-Force Delta RGB DDR5 6400MT/s (2x16GB); *Boost: 64GB (2x32GB) SSD: 2TB T-Force A440 Pro Gen4 NVMe SSD; *Boost: 4TB PSU: 1200W 80+ Gold OS: Windows 11 Home; *Boost: Windows 11 Pro MAINGEAR will be announcing Platinum, Diamond, Legendary and Ultimate pre-configured systems in its other popular chassis options in the near future, including the popular Force, North, Rush, shroud Edition and Zero. Pricing to be announced. Like all MAINGEAR gaming PCs, every component in each preconfigured system is handpicked and thoroughly tested for maximum compatibility, reliability, and performance. All MAINGEAR PCs are assembled by MAINGEAR builders in Warren, New Jersey, and undergo rigorous testing and quality assurance checks to uphold MAINGEAR's unparalleled dedication to excellence. Standing behind their products, every MAINGEAR PC is backed by a standard one-year warranty (upgradable to three years) and lifetime access to MAINGEAR's award-winning technical support. For more information or to order a 2025 MAINGEAR MG-1 gaming PC, visit Click HERE for the Press Kit. About MAINGEAR: MAINGEAR is a leader in high-performance gaming and workstation PCs. With a passion for building the best computers, MAINGEAR continues to set the standard and drive innovation within the industry. MAINGEAR's mission is to create the ultimate gaming experience through superior products and exceptional service. Note: Product specifications and offerings may be subject to change. All trademarks, service marks, or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Media Contact:
