We knew it would be just a matter of time until we saw a desktop that would use i7's capabilities not just to break preexisting speed records but to mock them outright. We just thought it would take a little longer than it has. Maingear's astounding—and expensive—F131 has done it already...The F131 has Outstanding performance; lots of features, expandability options ....The Core i7-based Maingear F131 is one of the fastest systems we've ever tested

We've seen a lot of portable, small-form-factor (SFF) desktops, but never one quite like the Maingear X-Cube. With dimensions approximately 11x11.4x14.4 inches, it almost lives up to its name, and its stark matte-black color definitely screams "imposing." But the most surprising thing about this $2,884.84 desktop isn't what's on the outside, it's what's on the inside.

Maingear has crammed a full liquid-cooling system into the X-Cube—without so much as leaving water pipes or radiators hanging out the back.

Maingear builds quality systems without bloatware or clogged installations, ships them well, and all evidence shows they support them 100%. Their website is easy to order from, overclocking is "free" and covered under warranty, and their component choices are solid. You really do get the impression that these systems are hand-built with care.

Fantastic performance; great display; nice design; plenty of ports; spacious keyboard

Excellent, 8.4 out of 10


The Maingear Prelude has the best bang for the buck among midrange gaming PCs. It also has a certain stocky visual appeal.

Very Good, 7.6 out of 10


Maingear's Axess HD is a stylish entertainment PC that plays its home theater role well—just don't expect outstanding computing capability as well.

Digital Trends Rating: 8 out of 10


The Dash is an interesting concept, and we think Maingear has largely done a very good job with it.

4 out of 5 Stars


Boutique PC builders such as Maingear are quick to jump on the bandwagon when products like this, which are targeted to the performance enthusiast, hit the market. Without question, three high-end graphics cards chained together in a system like the Maingear Ephex is the type of setup that caters to a select niche within a niche.

HOT HARDWARE RECOMMENDED / Editors' Pick


In terms of general workstation or business application performance, when we looked at processing power or memory bandwidth, the Maingear Ephex was the most powerful machine in our test group, many times by sizable margins.

Excellent, 8.5 out of 10


Maingear's Ephex combines aggressive overclocking and a refined sense of what gamers want in a high-end PC. Crysis remains a challenge for even a top-of-the-line PC like this one...we'd recommend this system in a second.

General System Review of Skulltrail on Maingear's Ephex PC.


This Year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, we interviewed Intel’s Senior Performance Analyst Francois Piednoel about their dual processor Skulltrail platform. 

8 out of 10, Superb performance

Editor’s Quote:
When it comes to performance, the Ephex doesn't disappoint. The System roared through all of our benchmarks, posting scores that trailed the speedy but unstable Velocity Micro System.

Editors' Pick / Best Hardware.


If you’re looking for a solid home-use PC from a builder that has a good reputation for quality and customer care, your search is over.

4 out of 5 Stars


Maingear newest PC is an alternative to the mainstream home-
user system. The Dash has some of the most important Maingear characteristics, such as third-party hardware and lifetime tech support. And its free of Bloatware.

4.5 out of 5 Stars


The Ephex SLI is an intimidating PC, thanks to its extra large chassis. Maingear used the system’s unique design and roomy interior to add a complex watercooling loop that features two radiators.

Excellent, Top of its class product, 8.3 out of 10


Intel's new fastest processor ever, the QX9770, powers Maingear'a impressive ePhex gaming box, and a bevy of extras make attractive icing on the cake...Excellent performance overall; lots of free games included; nice warranty.

4.5 out of 5 Stars

The Ephex SLI is an intimidating PC, thanks to its extra large chassis. Maingear used the system’s unique design and roomy interior to add a complex watercooling loop that features two radiators.

Excellent 8.6, Cnet Editor's Choice

Outstanding gaming performance; flawless, attractive design;
more aggressive overclocking than the competition.

Very Good, 7.4

Crisp, clean system design inside and out; fast application performance; fast Vista gaming performance, depending on the title.

The Bottom Line - Recommended

The X-Cube provided an excellent gaming experience, even topping many full-size desktop systems we’ve evaluated.... brought plenty of power to the table and gave us one of the best Flight Simulator X experiences that we’ve had to date.

9 out of 10, Kick Ass Award

Hoo-hoo! That’s an exact recreation of the noise we made when opening the box containing Maingear’s F131 desktop rig...Oh man, PC gaming doesn't get much speedier than this...The F131 is fast...oh, is it fast...

CPU Rating: 4 out of 5


If you're looking for a system that will kick off the year with style and provide expandability as new parts become available, the F131 isn't a bad choice at all.

Highly Recommended / Editor's Choice Gold Award


Our Experience with Maingear shows what "Premium Service" can mean to the consumer.

Best Boutique Integrator & Best Customer Support


Maingear’s technicians blew us away with their poise,
their passion for their job, and their overall adeptness
in knowing their own computers inside and out...

The Best Affordable Gaming PC

The best affordable gaming PC we found online becomes our overall winner by default: Maingear's Prelude...The Maingear Prelude is one of the best deals around. It's our current recommendation for gamers looking for a fast PC at a fair price.

Very Good System, 7.9 out of 10

No other vendor of a pseudo portable gaming computer offers a more up-to-date system...

4 out of 5 CPU Stars

This Prelude pushes the limits of the budget price range, but it certainly delivered the performance I expected.

Editor's Choice & Highest Scoring Machine on Record

Maingear Kicks ass, and we show you why their Prelude is now our highest scoring machine on record

4 out of 5 CPU Stars

The F131 balances speed against size, noise level, and cost...Maingear prides itself on building speedy systems that handle CPU and graphics-intensive tasks with ease, but it doesn't jeopardize component warranties..

Editor's Choice

Editor’s Quote:
Maingear's Type 3-VJ Edition system arrived ready for a fight... it's air-cooled system scores are at the top of almost every category...

Maingear's shoebox-sized X-Cube 2.5 won't quite fit into your favorite techie's stocking, but it'll slide under the tree nicely...the system can handle just about any media you throw at it.

The X-Cube and its keyboard are chrome from end to end. The little box is so shiny you'll be able to see your own reflection...Maingear didn't hold back....

Computer Games Editor's Choice

The glossy smooth finish on the anodized aluminum case would satisfy even the most finicky ferrari owner. Other manufacturers whould take note of Maingear's super neat origami wiring scheme.

Excellent System, 8 out of 10

Have you ever closed the door of a Mercedes and just marveled at the luxurious thunk it makes when it shuts? Your get a very similar feeling -one of confidence and safety- with the Maingaer F131.

Built with all the latest and greatest components and coming in at a comparable price point, the Maingear F131 is an easy choice for even the most discerning gamers.

Excellent System


All i could say was WOW...whether you want the best there is, or just an entry level system...Maingear will build it for you.

As you can see Maingear chose the cream of the crop...this rig provides some of the best performance out there.