Sunwolf Enemy
09-21-2006, 02:45 PM
I just recieved a brand new, shiny, luscious, F131 desktop system, and I could not possibly be happier with the experience or the computer.
I chose Maingear based on the stellar review (http://consumer.hardocp.com/article.html?art=OTMzLCwsaGNvbnN1bWVy) they recieved over at HardOCP. You see, I'm one of those rare avid gamers who doesn't really know much about computers. Due to my lack of expertise, I decided I needed a system from a company that would back up their product after the sale, and based on every review I've seen, particularly HardOCP's, Maingear seemed to fit the bill.
It took longer than I hoped for to actually recieve the system (~5 weeks), though that very well could be my fault as I specifically told Raphael, who called me a few days after I placed the order online, to take his time with the build as I was far more interested in a quality, rock-solid computer than I was in getting it quickly. As the days passed, I grew more and more anxious, having drastically underestimated my enthusiasm and anticipation. All my angst melted away when the computer finally showed up at my door.
It was well packed, without a scratch on it. The case is a new Lian Li, an upgrade from the case pictured on the site (btw, when are you guys going to update your site photographs of the F131 with the new case?). It's very well-constructed, and solid. The wiring is immaculate. It's obvious, even from my less-than-expert perspective that Maingear put quite a bit of effort into building this machine. They seem to believe that if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.
After I had set up the computer, imagine my horror when I flipped the switch and nothing happened. That's right, the computer simply didn't turn on. After checking everything I could think of, I finally broke down and called Maingear. I won't go through everything, but suffice to say that Giovanni (the guy who took the call), patiently walked me through half a dozen different possibilities, from re-seating the memory sticks to re-seating the CPU heatsink and fan and even the CPU itself. Nothing seemed to work. After ~1.5 hours on the phone, we finally identified the problem as a tiny little switch plugged into the corner of the motherboard that needed to be re-seated. The computer has worked flawlessly since. I thanked Giovanni (and I'll thank him again: Thanks! :D) for his patience and help, and I was off and gaming.
The bottom line is, and I'm 100% in HardOCP's corner on this one, anyone can build a kickass gaming system benchmark-wise. When that's the case, it seems to me that what separates the good companies from the bad is everything else. I went with Maingear based on their reputation for attention to detail and quality in the aforementioned everything else, and I have not been disappointed. They're expensive, to be sure, though not any more expensive than other "boutique" builder, yet unlike most of their competitors, they're definitely worth the prices they charge. If you want a righteous machine and you're not a computer expert or you don't have the time and patience to build it yourself and/or provide your own tech support, you can't go wrong with Maingear.
I chose Maingear based on the stellar review (http://consumer.hardocp.com/article.html?art=OTMzLCwsaGNvbnN1bWVy) they recieved over at HardOCP. You see, I'm one of those rare avid gamers who doesn't really know much about computers. Due to my lack of expertise, I decided I needed a system from a company that would back up their product after the sale, and based on every review I've seen, particularly HardOCP's, Maingear seemed to fit the bill.
It took longer than I hoped for to actually recieve the system (~5 weeks), though that very well could be my fault as I specifically told Raphael, who called me a few days after I placed the order online, to take his time with the build as I was far more interested in a quality, rock-solid computer than I was in getting it quickly. As the days passed, I grew more and more anxious, having drastically underestimated my enthusiasm and anticipation. All my angst melted away when the computer finally showed up at my door.
It was well packed, without a scratch on it. The case is a new Lian Li, an upgrade from the case pictured on the site (btw, when are you guys going to update your site photographs of the F131 with the new case?). It's very well-constructed, and solid. The wiring is immaculate. It's obvious, even from my less-than-expert perspective that Maingear put quite a bit of effort into building this machine. They seem to believe that if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.
After I had set up the computer, imagine my horror when I flipped the switch and nothing happened. That's right, the computer simply didn't turn on. After checking everything I could think of, I finally broke down and called Maingear. I won't go through everything, but suffice to say that Giovanni (the guy who took the call), patiently walked me through half a dozen different possibilities, from re-seating the memory sticks to re-seating the CPU heatsink and fan and even the CPU itself. Nothing seemed to work. After ~1.5 hours on the phone, we finally identified the problem as a tiny little switch plugged into the corner of the motherboard that needed to be re-seated. The computer has worked flawlessly since. I thanked Giovanni (and I'll thank him again: Thanks! :D) for his patience and help, and I was off and gaming.
The bottom line is, and I'm 100% in HardOCP's corner on this one, anyone can build a kickass gaming system benchmark-wise. When that's the case, it seems to me that what separates the good companies from the bad is everything else. I went with Maingear based on their reputation for attention to detail and quality in the aforementioned everything else, and I have not been disappointed. They're expensive, to be sure, though not any more expensive than other "boutique" builder, yet unlike most of their competitors, they're definitely worth the prices they charge. If you want a righteous machine and you're not a computer expert or you don't have the time and patience to build it yourself and/or provide your own tech support, you can't go wrong with Maingear.