Kestrel
08-15-2008, 03:15 PM
I'll also be posting this at Resellerratings.com
This is a review of my MAINGEAR F131, 4th of July Special. It's kinda...comprehensive, so I've divided it into sections:
I. Pre-Build
II. The Order
III. The Wait
IV. Receiving the System
V. The Aftermath
VI. Performance (Don't she purr though)
VII. Conclusion
My 'High-end' Dell melted a few months ago. It had served me well enough for a couple of years, but I decided to treat myself and spring for a boutique gaming desktop.
"Boutique" for me meant more than a nice gaming computer. I wanted to feel like I was part of a community. I wanted to be able to pick up the phone and talk to a support tech who actually knew something about computers and who could communicate that knowledge to me. I wanted a warranty that wasn't designed to expire right before my PC did. Basically I wanted to feel like the company cared about more than their bottom line, and would do their best to take care of me.
Unfortunately, I had a price cap of $1,500.00, which a few years ago would have put most boutiques out of my budget. I was pleasantly surprised to find that these days many shops offer more affordable selections.
Pre-Build: 9.9/10
Like many in the market for a boutique rig, I did extensive research before purchasing. I went down a list of ten or twelve integrators, pricing out their components and builds against each other and retail sites like Newegg. I paged through every review I could find of the companies I was interested in. I read the posts on reseller ratings, camped [H], scanned through page after page of enthusiast forum posts and reviews, ghosted the forums of the companies themselves.
In the end I decided on a MAINGEAR Prelude. Maingear impressed me with its clean, sleek website and configurator, though a couple of sections needed updates. The component choices made clear that MG had testing standards, they didn't list hundreds of component choices regardless of compatibility or previous build experience (AVADirect - I'm looking at you. See MG's own Chris Morley for his take on it: http://www.morleydigital.com/2008/06/06/this-is-whats-wrong-with-the-boutique-biz/).
I also like the look of the builds. None of MG's builds are over-the-top plastic monstrosities, they all use functional, elegant Silverstone cases with minimalist exteriors. Don't get me wrong - when I was 12 years old I would have liked nothing more than having a glowing transparent PC on my desk shaped like Megatron. My point is that while MG allows you to bling things up a bit, they are also confident without being gaudy.
Finally, Maingear had a great rep both among reviewers and the enthusiast community. Questions on their forums were answered quickly and enthusiastically, usually by other customers but also by company reps. Most importantly when I came across situations where MG had made past mistakes they were very quick to correct them in the customer's favor. This cannot be emphasized enough.
There are plenty of companies who will be friendly right up until they mess something up. At that point, all bets are off. The impression I was receiving was that MG would cheerfully spend a great deal of time and effort to make sure their customers were happy *after* they received their computers.
I'm looking at a 9.9/10 because it seems that certain non-essential sections of the MG website and forums are either abandoned, incorporate awkwardly phrased copy, or permanently under construction. It's a minor minor thing - these guys make amazing computers, not websites, but as an online retailer MAINGEAR should keep presentation in mind.
The Order: 10/10
After receiving great input on build and components at the MAINGEAR forums, I was ready to order my Prelude.
That's when I got lucky :D A couple of days before I was to place my order, MG put up a special on the F131 which put it within my budget. The F131 is the Prelude's bigger brother, with free overclocking and sweet components, I jumped at the chance to grab it instead. Again, the MG forums were very helpful with component selection.
I placed my order as follows:
F131 Fourth of July Edition
Customizations:
Exterior Automotive Color: Black Brushed Aluminum Finish
Power Supply: 750W Silverstone Strider Power Supply
Motherboard: Intel® Bonetrail DX38BT X38 Chipset
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q9300 (2.5GHz x 4) 45nm 6MB L2 Cache
CPU Cooling: Zalman Ultra Quiet CNPS9500 LED 92mm CPU Cooler w/ Copper Base
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR3-1066
Do you want us to Redline™ your CPU?: YES
Hard Drive One: Western Digital Caviar SE16 320GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache - SATA II
Optical Drive One: 20X Dual Layer DVD±RW Drive w/ LightScribe Technology - black
Video Card: Visiontek ATI Radeon™ HD 4850 512MB GDDR3
Do you want us to Redline™ your GPU?: NO
Sound Card: Integrated Sound
Network Card: Integrated Gigabit Network Card
Game: Yes, Give me 3 FREE Games!
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (32-Bit) SP1
The Final Finesse: Flawless Hand-crafted Wiring and Cable Management
Warranty: 14 Month Standard Maingear Warranty
With shipping it came in at a bit over $1,700.00, more than I had initially intended to spend, but also a whole lot more computer than I thought I could afford.
The Wait: 10/10
20 minutes after my order I decided to update the order to 64 bit Vista, with the idea that I would upgrade my RAM sometime soon...The MG website made this very easy, and it was changed on the invoice by the tech processing my order, Raphael, the same day. Raphael called me the next day to confirm the change, to see if I had any questions, and to make sure the my shipping address was listed on my credit card. (It wasn't, but a 30 second call to the CC company got it added as an alternate). Raphael let me know that the lead time would be around a month (boutique standard), and that my tech would call before he started building to see if there were any questions or concerns.
Two weeks after my order my technician, Giovanni, e-mailed to inform me that my rig had been built and would be shipped in the next day or two. This was slightly different from what Raphael had said, in that the tech got in touch after the system had been built, but nothing major at all. He called two days later to let me know that the system was shipping, and also that it had been successfully overclocked, burned in, and stabilized. Later that day he e-mailed me the fedex tracking number, in addition to the one auto-generated by support@maingear
I ordered ground shipping, so we would see how well the system held up on its 2k mile journey.
The post-order support was functionally flawless, 10/10. The order was processed and updated without any issues, and a knowledgeable rep called me to confirm the next day and to tell me that my computer would be built by one person. Both Raphael and Giovanni were knowledgeable and friendly, and while there was a slight discrepancy in the timing of my tech's call per above, it was nothing to knock points off about.
Receiving the system: 10/10
I received the system 3 weeks after ordering it, which fell well within the lead time Raphael had estimated for me. The MAINGEAR box was not obviously damaged by the shipping process, and was very securely taped. The chassis was secured in its box by two simple but effective foam restraints, it took a little bit of strength to work it free (which is good).
Along with the system there was a classy little binder which had a Thank you letter addressed to me, a checklist of the build process signed by my tech, Giovanni, a screenshot of the rig benchmarks, instruction manual, backup discs, and two free games (Call of Juarez and Rainbow 6 LV). There was also a small box which contained extra DVI converters, etc, and some static-free gloves. Finally the box included my new MAINGEAR T-shirt, which I immediately donned. :D
The Aftermath: 10/10
My first impressions of the case were that no pictures could do her justice. The Silverstone chassis is a beast, brushed black aluminum pierced at strategic intervals by meshed venting. It was beautiful in its simple and ultimate utility; the same way that a gun or a well-designed sports car is beautiful, function and form so closely integrated that it becomes impossible to separate them.
I felt like I had just gotten the Dark Knight's computer.
For all its size, the system was relatively easy to maneuver, and I quickly got it upright and ready to inspect. This would be the true test of MG's packing protocol. During the wait I had had dark visions of the Zalmann cooler ripping loose and rattling around the case like a bowling ball during the 2000 mile journey, or opening the case door when I got it and having an avalanche of loose and broken parts spill out, etc. I was about to find out whether my anxiety had merit.
The side panels are removed by popping handscrews at the back of the chassis. The interior, on first impression, was cavernous. After a second, you realize this is a result of the extremely comprehensive wire and cable management. Every stray wire was neatly bundled and tucked up against the chassis wall, to the extent that my PC-building friend lost his power of speech for a few seconds when he saw it. It was also a bit humbling to realize that my budget components barely filled a quarter of the space allotted them. This system had plenty of room to grow.
I quickly determined that every connection was solid, and that all cards, etc. had maintained their seating, that, in fact, the PC seemed to be in perfect shape. My grim meathook future had failed to materialize, for which I was grateful. Now we would have to see how the rig handled her first boot-up in my possession.
I hooked the system up to my new screen (22" LG L227WT), cabled everything to the wall, and powered up. Approximately 5 seconds later Vista was up and running (and with a sweet MAINGEAR background). Think about that for a bit. Most computers, you press power, and thirty seconds or two minutes later you can actually *use* it. This system was up and running almost before I had time to blink. Additionally the air cooling, provided by several well-placed fans, operated at close to a whisper.
I called MAINGEAR and Giovanni picked up immediately. I thanked him for the great build and he told me to call back any time I had questions or concerns.
The Aftermath gets 10/10, as the PC got to me in perfect condition, looks totally killer, and performs right out of the box.
Performance (Don't she purr, though): 10/10
Aside from scrapping a Tablet PC application, I couldn't find anything on the normally bloated and inefficient Vista OS that needed tuning, as MG had already done it for me.
The CPU Overclock was about 50 Mhz. This put my cores at 2.55 Ghz. which was a bit lower than I expected. Giovanni explained on the phone that the X38 didn't support overclocking, so that was all he could really pull. I should have done a bit more research and communication beforehand on this one, as I was looking for a more extensive OC and might have gone a different configuration to get it. I didn't really make that clear to MAINGEAR, however, and I can't really blame them for giving me a stable overclock with the components I selected.
So far, my PC handles like a dream. Programs and games load immediately, and the quadcore makes multitasking a joy. I've only had the system for a few days, and I'll update this review if any problems arise, but so far, and despite the limited overclock, in terms of performance it exceeds my expectations and earns a 10/10.
Conclusion: 10/10
My limited budget, in the hands of someone like Dell, HP, or even a different boutique builder, would have gotten me what felt like a limited system. Instead I find myself in possession of a rig which seems to expand my horizons rather than put boundaries on them.
Every aspect of the order process, from the useful forum advice to the slick website interface, was excellent. The system arrived on time and in perfect condition. The wiring/cable management is superb and the exterior is unique, solid, and elegant. Finally, every aspect of my interaction with the MAINGEAR staff and technicians left me feeling like I was valued, and could easily come back with concerns or even in search of simple advice.
Minor details of weakness like timing of calls or broken website links really only serve to highlight the overall fantastic product and service MAINGEAR offers. It's a good feeling, after months of research and careful budgeting, to know you made the right decision after all. It's even better to know you couldn't have made a better one.
I'd like to thank Raphael, Giovanni, Peter/Plan1x and everyone at the MG forums for making me feel like part of the family.
Thanks, Kestrel
This is a review of my MAINGEAR F131, 4th of July Special. It's kinda...comprehensive, so I've divided it into sections:
I. Pre-Build
II. The Order
III. The Wait
IV. Receiving the System
V. The Aftermath
VI. Performance (Don't she purr though)
VII. Conclusion
My 'High-end' Dell melted a few months ago. It had served me well enough for a couple of years, but I decided to treat myself and spring for a boutique gaming desktop.
"Boutique" for me meant more than a nice gaming computer. I wanted to feel like I was part of a community. I wanted to be able to pick up the phone and talk to a support tech who actually knew something about computers and who could communicate that knowledge to me. I wanted a warranty that wasn't designed to expire right before my PC did. Basically I wanted to feel like the company cared about more than their bottom line, and would do their best to take care of me.
Unfortunately, I had a price cap of $1,500.00, which a few years ago would have put most boutiques out of my budget. I was pleasantly surprised to find that these days many shops offer more affordable selections.
Pre-Build: 9.9/10
Like many in the market for a boutique rig, I did extensive research before purchasing. I went down a list of ten or twelve integrators, pricing out their components and builds against each other and retail sites like Newegg. I paged through every review I could find of the companies I was interested in. I read the posts on reseller ratings, camped [H], scanned through page after page of enthusiast forum posts and reviews, ghosted the forums of the companies themselves.
In the end I decided on a MAINGEAR Prelude. Maingear impressed me with its clean, sleek website and configurator, though a couple of sections needed updates. The component choices made clear that MG had testing standards, they didn't list hundreds of component choices regardless of compatibility or previous build experience (AVADirect - I'm looking at you. See MG's own Chris Morley for his take on it: http://www.morleydigital.com/2008/06/06/this-is-whats-wrong-with-the-boutique-biz/).
I also like the look of the builds. None of MG's builds are over-the-top plastic monstrosities, they all use functional, elegant Silverstone cases with minimalist exteriors. Don't get me wrong - when I was 12 years old I would have liked nothing more than having a glowing transparent PC on my desk shaped like Megatron. My point is that while MG allows you to bling things up a bit, they are also confident without being gaudy.
Finally, Maingear had a great rep both among reviewers and the enthusiast community. Questions on their forums were answered quickly and enthusiastically, usually by other customers but also by company reps. Most importantly when I came across situations where MG had made past mistakes they were very quick to correct them in the customer's favor. This cannot be emphasized enough.
There are plenty of companies who will be friendly right up until they mess something up. At that point, all bets are off. The impression I was receiving was that MG would cheerfully spend a great deal of time and effort to make sure their customers were happy *after* they received their computers.
I'm looking at a 9.9/10 because it seems that certain non-essential sections of the MG website and forums are either abandoned, incorporate awkwardly phrased copy, or permanently under construction. It's a minor minor thing - these guys make amazing computers, not websites, but as an online retailer MAINGEAR should keep presentation in mind.
The Order: 10/10
After receiving great input on build and components at the MAINGEAR forums, I was ready to order my Prelude.
That's when I got lucky :D A couple of days before I was to place my order, MG put up a special on the F131 which put it within my budget. The F131 is the Prelude's bigger brother, with free overclocking and sweet components, I jumped at the chance to grab it instead. Again, the MG forums were very helpful with component selection.
I placed my order as follows:
F131 Fourth of July Edition
Customizations:
Exterior Automotive Color: Black Brushed Aluminum Finish
Power Supply: 750W Silverstone Strider Power Supply
Motherboard: Intel® Bonetrail DX38BT X38 Chipset
Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q9300 (2.5GHz x 4) 45nm 6MB L2 Cache
CPU Cooling: Zalman Ultra Quiet CNPS9500 LED 92mm CPU Cooler w/ Copper Base
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR3-1066
Do you want us to Redline™ your CPU?: YES
Hard Drive One: Western Digital Caviar SE16 320GB 7200RPM 16MB Cache - SATA II
Optical Drive One: 20X Dual Layer DVD±RW Drive w/ LightScribe Technology - black
Video Card: Visiontek ATI Radeon™ HD 4850 512MB GDDR3
Do you want us to Redline™ your GPU?: NO
Sound Card: Integrated Sound
Network Card: Integrated Gigabit Network Card
Game: Yes, Give me 3 FREE Games!
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (32-Bit) SP1
The Final Finesse: Flawless Hand-crafted Wiring and Cable Management
Warranty: 14 Month Standard Maingear Warranty
With shipping it came in at a bit over $1,700.00, more than I had initially intended to spend, but also a whole lot more computer than I thought I could afford.
The Wait: 10/10
20 minutes after my order I decided to update the order to 64 bit Vista, with the idea that I would upgrade my RAM sometime soon...The MG website made this very easy, and it was changed on the invoice by the tech processing my order, Raphael, the same day. Raphael called me the next day to confirm the change, to see if I had any questions, and to make sure the my shipping address was listed on my credit card. (It wasn't, but a 30 second call to the CC company got it added as an alternate). Raphael let me know that the lead time would be around a month (boutique standard), and that my tech would call before he started building to see if there were any questions or concerns.
Two weeks after my order my technician, Giovanni, e-mailed to inform me that my rig had been built and would be shipped in the next day or two. This was slightly different from what Raphael had said, in that the tech got in touch after the system had been built, but nothing major at all. He called two days later to let me know that the system was shipping, and also that it had been successfully overclocked, burned in, and stabilized. Later that day he e-mailed me the fedex tracking number, in addition to the one auto-generated by support@maingear
I ordered ground shipping, so we would see how well the system held up on its 2k mile journey.
The post-order support was functionally flawless, 10/10. The order was processed and updated without any issues, and a knowledgeable rep called me to confirm the next day and to tell me that my computer would be built by one person. Both Raphael and Giovanni were knowledgeable and friendly, and while there was a slight discrepancy in the timing of my tech's call per above, it was nothing to knock points off about.
Receiving the system: 10/10
I received the system 3 weeks after ordering it, which fell well within the lead time Raphael had estimated for me. The MAINGEAR box was not obviously damaged by the shipping process, and was very securely taped. The chassis was secured in its box by two simple but effective foam restraints, it took a little bit of strength to work it free (which is good).
Along with the system there was a classy little binder which had a Thank you letter addressed to me, a checklist of the build process signed by my tech, Giovanni, a screenshot of the rig benchmarks, instruction manual, backup discs, and two free games (Call of Juarez and Rainbow 6 LV). There was also a small box which contained extra DVI converters, etc, and some static-free gloves. Finally the box included my new MAINGEAR T-shirt, which I immediately donned. :D
The Aftermath: 10/10
My first impressions of the case were that no pictures could do her justice. The Silverstone chassis is a beast, brushed black aluminum pierced at strategic intervals by meshed venting. It was beautiful in its simple and ultimate utility; the same way that a gun or a well-designed sports car is beautiful, function and form so closely integrated that it becomes impossible to separate them.
I felt like I had just gotten the Dark Knight's computer.
For all its size, the system was relatively easy to maneuver, and I quickly got it upright and ready to inspect. This would be the true test of MG's packing protocol. During the wait I had had dark visions of the Zalmann cooler ripping loose and rattling around the case like a bowling ball during the 2000 mile journey, or opening the case door when I got it and having an avalanche of loose and broken parts spill out, etc. I was about to find out whether my anxiety had merit.
The side panels are removed by popping handscrews at the back of the chassis. The interior, on first impression, was cavernous. After a second, you realize this is a result of the extremely comprehensive wire and cable management. Every stray wire was neatly bundled and tucked up against the chassis wall, to the extent that my PC-building friend lost his power of speech for a few seconds when he saw it. It was also a bit humbling to realize that my budget components barely filled a quarter of the space allotted them. This system had plenty of room to grow.
I quickly determined that every connection was solid, and that all cards, etc. had maintained their seating, that, in fact, the PC seemed to be in perfect shape. My grim meathook future had failed to materialize, for which I was grateful. Now we would have to see how the rig handled her first boot-up in my possession.
I hooked the system up to my new screen (22" LG L227WT), cabled everything to the wall, and powered up. Approximately 5 seconds later Vista was up and running (and with a sweet MAINGEAR background). Think about that for a bit. Most computers, you press power, and thirty seconds or two minutes later you can actually *use* it. This system was up and running almost before I had time to blink. Additionally the air cooling, provided by several well-placed fans, operated at close to a whisper.
I called MAINGEAR and Giovanni picked up immediately. I thanked him for the great build and he told me to call back any time I had questions or concerns.
The Aftermath gets 10/10, as the PC got to me in perfect condition, looks totally killer, and performs right out of the box.
Performance (Don't she purr, though): 10/10
Aside from scrapping a Tablet PC application, I couldn't find anything on the normally bloated and inefficient Vista OS that needed tuning, as MG had already done it for me.
The CPU Overclock was about 50 Mhz. This put my cores at 2.55 Ghz. which was a bit lower than I expected. Giovanni explained on the phone that the X38 didn't support overclocking, so that was all he could really pull. I should have done a bit more research and communication beforehand on this one, as I was looking for a more extensive OC and might have gone a different configuration to get it. I didn't really make that clear to MAINGEAR, however, and I can't really blame them for giving me a stable overclock with the components I selected.
So far, my PC handles like a dream. Programs and games load immediately, and the quadcore makes multitasking a joy. I've only had the system for a few days, and I'll update this review if any problems arise, but so far, and despite the limited overclock, in terms of performance it exceeds my expectations and earns a 10/10.
Conclusion: 10/10
My limited budget, in the hands of someone like Dell, HP, or even a different boutique builder, would have gotten me what felt like a limited system. Instead I find myself in possession of a rig which seems to expand my horizons rather than put boundaries on them.
Every aspect of the order process, from the useful forum advice to the slick website interface, was excellent. The system arrived on time and in perfect condition. The wiring/cable management is superb and the exterior is unique, solid, and elegant. Finally, every aspect of my interaction with the MAINGEAR staff and technicians left me feeling like I was valued, and could easily come back with concerns or even in search of simple advice.
Minor details of weakness like timing of calls or broken website links really only serve to highlight the overall fantastic product and service MAINGEAR offers. It's a good feeling, after months of research and careful budgeting, to know you made the right decision after all. It's even better to know you couldn't have made a better one.
I'd like to thank Raphael, Giovanni, Peter/Plan1x and everyone at the MG forums for making me feel like part of the family.
Thanks, Kestrel