| MAINGEAR MG-1 Gaming Desktop: Starting at $1499 The Maingear MG-1 is the fastest pre-built gaming PC we’ve tested to date. It also makes a sturdy workstation and doesn’t look too difficult. |
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I wrote about Maingear’s new MG-1 system late last year when I was a pro. evaluate When CS:GO Player Michael “shroud” Grzesiek has joined the company as co-owner. In addition to the new system, Maingear has also been slightly rebranded with a new logo and new look on marketing materials. The MG-1 is the company’s latest flagship PC, and to prove it deserves such a title, Maingear has sent one of his.
Before we dig in, let’s take a look at the full specs of this mighty machine.
Maingear MG-1 Features and Specifications
Of course, the finished computer has much more than its components. Certainly one of the main reasons to buy a pre-assembled PC from a boutique shop like Maingear is for professional build quality. How did Maingear do in that regard? So let’s take a look at what the system looks like and what’s inside.
This photo shows the front and back of the MG-1. On the back, there’s nothing to surprise PC enthusiasts with, but tons of connectivity. Chalk it up to his MSI mainboard which is nice which Maingear chose. The CPU is a fully enabled ‘K’ model, so integrated graphics are available if you want to connect a few extra displays. Unfortunately there are no Thunderbolt ports, but that’s pretty common on desktop gaming machines.
Also of note is the front panel of the machine.It’s attached with magnets and pops right off if you want to significantly improve cooling. That nifty blue custom hot hardware The plate was $100 if you bought the machine. You can place your favorite color and design on the front panel. His website at Maingear has tools to customize it for you. If you don’t like it, you can keep the default. This is a rubberized black plate with the RGB LED Maingear logo on top, just like ours. hot hardware 1.
Peering inside the machine (which is always visible thanks to the clear tempered glass windows on the sides), it’s a ridiculously clean build, with very few wires visible. The few cables present are tightly bundled and tucked behind the motherboard. Don’t worry if your GeForce RTX 4080’s power adapter is pressed against the window. This ensures that the connector is fully secured and will not come loose.
With the right case panel removed, you can inspect the Maingear’s cable routing. For a custom builder, it makes little sense to have this part of the system completely perfect. Most of the time it is when this part of the system is buried away from the light behind the motherboard. Nonetheless, Maingear carefully routed the cables for maximum efficiency, bundling excess wires so they weren’t hanging around here.
If I have one gripe with the build, it’s that the company didn’t pre-wire the SATA cables for the dual 2.5-inch drive bays behind the motherboard. This allows you to provide a lot of additional solid state storage for very little money. As it stands, it’s a bit of a pain to hook them up. However, Maingear doesn’t endorse third-party components, so I understand why the cabling wasn’t done.
You can also see the standard black front panel here.
Finally, the top front of the case has dual USB Type-A ports, a USB Type-C port, an audio combo jack, a reset button, and a power button. I would have liked to see options for filtering and even a solid cover on top of the case. The open grill there is great for ventilation, but does little to protect the system from dust, spilled drinks, or naughty pets.
Just looking at the MG-1 would be enough. Let’s boot her up and see how she performs…
