5/5

posted May-19-2013

"So far it's been fantastic. I'm not a gamer, just a scientist, and this computer runs all of my programs simultaneously superbly. I was looking for something that could handle all of the programs I run while working on manuscripts and projects. I primarily use my laptop as a desktop computer because it is a little large (17 inch screen, Better version, comes with a huge converter box attached to the cord). Overall, the computer is easy on the eyes, sleek (plum colored actually), and fast. My only complaint is that the keypad seems small. The arrow buttons are intermixed (slightly) with the bottom right control and shift key...this causes problems when I'm typing without looking. But now that I have an external keyboard all is well. I'm happy with my purchase and recommend it to others."

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5/5

posted May-17-2013

"I bought a Potenza a while back and i couldn't be any more impressed. From the way i was treated to all the guarantees i received i knew right away this was the right choice. Best investment I've made ( i still treat it like it just got out of the box ). The computers performance is amazing, all the games i play i put the graphics as high as possible and until today not once did it lag or freeze.
The only problem i had was when i inserted a CD and the computer kept freezing every time i would try to open the files in it or even attempt to explore it in any way. I called customer service, in about two minutes i was talking to someone and that's when they told me to eject the CD manually ( and that's when i found out the front of the PC opens up), so i did, and when i checked the CD it looked like it had been through hell, no wonder it couldn't read it i don't speak Chinese either ( i tried to insert other CD's in it and everything worked just fine ).
The main issue that i found when I was searching to buy a computer was that most places are desperate to sell you one, and when you try to return it or ask them a simple question they act like they never saw you, so the hospitality alone of MAINGEAR makes you want to get one and backed up by all their fancy and well presented gear and all their awards in such a competitive environment shows you what they are all about. Even the shirt I'm proud to wear!!
5 stars all the way
GOOD JOB MAINGEAR"

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5/5

posted May-09-2013

"I purchased a Potenza. This was my first experience with MainGear, and overall I was very impressed from start to finish-enough to wear the free MainGear t-shirt around town. I chose MainGear because of the high ratings in computer mags, etc.

Sales was very smart and helpful when it came to designing my rig without overselling on parts that were overkill. The progress reports during build were great; I even received a personalized email from the CFO of the company addressing a question on status--that is what I call personalized service. Everything came on time in perfect condition--gorgeous machine.

I hooked up a third-party bluetooth keyboard and had issues from the start getting it working. The Maingear service rep was able to diagnose the problem immediately even though it was not a Maingear issue (it was a third party software issue). I never got that kind of support from Dell, and I like Dell. I guess that is the kind of special treatment you get when you buy from an elite brand. Best PC experience I have ever had going back 20 years."

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5/5

posted May-04-2013

"Ordered an F131. My system took over a month to ship to me. Sat in "parts procurement" for two weeks, you'd think Maingear would have all the parts they need on hand in their inventory. System was built, and I was notified the motherboard was bad, had to wait another week. Finally received my system, and discovered my optical drive basically shoots out the dvd when you eject it, and scratches it if you don't hold your hand underneath when you press eject. Contacted Maingear about that and they told me it wasn't their fault, and they tried to blame it on Fedex. Not the greatest experience. I'll shop elsewhere next time I buy a new PC. Maybe their main competitor. Services rendered definitely not worth the money paid. I'm not going to send it back to them and wait another month for them to fix it. Other than that, I suppose I'm happy with the performance, but I should have shopped elsewhere.


Two hours later..........After writing this review the VP of Marketing emailed me, and offered to send me a brand new rig with an updated video card and a gaming bundle. Definitely changed my mind about Maingear, I just hope they hold this same standard of quality to any other unlucky customers.
Thanks Maingear! Changing my rating from very dissatisfied to very satisfied. They're even letting me hold on to the defective rig until my new one arrives, then they'll rebuild the bad one, at least it's not going to waste.
"

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5/5

posted Apr-30-2013

"I purchased my F131 a week ago from Maingear, the system was flawless out of the box! I did a lot of shopping around at other boutique venders that had the same F131 style chassis and the prices were higher as well as not giving me certain options that Maingear offered. The binder and the info that was given with the unit makes me feel like the PC was given individual time and care unlike being on a assembly line and being mass produced. There were a few communications issues I had in the beginning but the Maingear team went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly and expeditiously. I was a diehard Alienware guy but the Maingear experience is clearly on another level. My future Desktops and Laptops will be defiantly be Maingear."

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5/5

posted Apr-30-2013

"----Updated Review-------

After we spoke to Chris via email over a series of days, he rectified the issue with UEFI and PCI-E 3.0 by exchanging my AMD configuration for an equivalent Intel configuration. I do have to say that Maingear clearly went above and beyond what one would expect to fix this and my new rating reflects that. I had originally given Maingear 3/5 because of the lack of UEFI and PCI-E 3.0 after being told that both the AMD and Intel F131s had these features (one for each missing feature) but since this has been rectified by Chris four months after the initial purchase I see no reason to not give Maingear 5/5.

On a side note: I do have to say now that I have a system to compare it to, I noticed that the original AMD system's memory wasn't running at 1600 Mhz though it was set to do so in the BIOS. It reported 667 Mhz in Windows 8 where as the replacement Intel one reports 1600 Mhz. Just something to note.

Overall: Maingear builds quality products; the points of contact (phone, email, live chat) are friendly, helpful, and American which is a plus in the computer world; the Maingear team also cares about the customer experience as shown by Chris rectifying a significant issue four months after the purchase.

After this experience, I would definitely purchase a Maingear product in the future and would recommend it to those who are looking for more powerful systems.

----Original Review------

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Below is the original review (rating: 3/5) and reflects the situation at the time of posting. These issues have been rectified by Chris at Maingear but the original content of the review has been left for informational purposes. I can't reiterate enough that Maingear went above and beyond to rectify the below. The updated portion of the review above reflects my current feelings toward Maingear.

My system is an AMD F131 ordered and built during December 2012.

Pros:

-The craftsmanship on this F131 is unlike any I've seen from Dell or HP. The quality is comparable to that of my Macbook Pros and iMacs.

-It's American. From start to finish I've only ever dealt with Americans; with people who can comprehend and speak the English language at a skill level greater than a first grader. Having dealt with both Dell and HP, this is a significant plus. The computer is also built here which appears to have added to the quality.

-Brand name parts were put into this system from ASUS to MSI.

-The support team has been nothing but helpful and friendly. Unlike with Dell and HP where after getting off the phone with them I feel like I want to strangle somebody, I actually feel confident that my issue is resolved. Again, comparable to Apple.

Cons:

-The motherboard isn't PCIe 3.0 or UEFI. I specifically asked if the F131's motherboard was PCIe 3.0, UEFI, USB 3.0, and 3TB+ capable prior to purchasing. I was told yes to all but it turns out the motherboard in they put in the system is only capable of the latter two (USB 3.0 and 3TB+) but not the former two (PCIe 3.0 and UEFI). This is the reason I deducted two stars.

-Wireless USB key didn't ship with the system (really, a non-issue)

-Wireless USB and attempted replacement key and card were inadequate. Attempts to return didn't come to fruition even after being told they did not know why the RMA wasn't generated though they've seen the notes and email on them. (At this point, I really don't care as it was only $69 for the useless devices. I purchased an ASUS PCE-AC66 which works flawlessly. I highly recommend this company look into offering this card to those who require more powerful wireless adapters).

---

My feelings on Maingear are mixed. They clearly build quality systems and their team who works the points of contact (phone, email, live chat) are professional, courteous, resourceful, and helpful. I purchased my system in December as a "test the waters" as I've bought five-thousand, ten-thousand, and even fifteen-thousand dollar systems from Dell and HP, the latter prices being servers while the former actual PCs and notebooks and got burned. They were nothing short of pieces of junk that I ended up replacing with Macbook Pro's and iMacs from Apple - the only computer company that I have had a "five star" experience with. The sales team was helpful in guiding me through my decision making process such as which graphics card to get, HDD, and memory. I knew I didn't need a Core i7 so I opted for the FX-8350 processor which was the only thing I knew for sure going in.

However, I did inquire into some critical requirements. I asked whether or not the AMD F131's motherboard was UEFI capable, PCIe 3.0, USB 3.0, and 3TB+ capable. I was told "yes" to all of these. Unfortunately, as I recently discovered, the motherboard is an older ASUS model which doesn't support UEFI or PCIe 3.0. Yes, that's correct: a high-end system built at the end of 2012 with a motherboard the lacks two basic features that have been coming with any decent computer since the end of 2011.

If I had known that in January, I would have sent the F131 back. Unfortunately, a serious medical procedure precluded me from actively using my system until very recently. Up until yesterday, the furthest extent I had used my F131 was "seeing if it would turn on." I didn't even check when the ASUS PCE-AC66 wireless card was installed and just assumed it was because I had larger issues to worry about at the time and that's why this point bothers me so much. I actually find it rather insulting; I wasn't expecting to discover this now that I've actually begun to use the system. Sadly, I don't know what I can do about it four months in to ownership other than spending an unexpected $200 for a new motherboard and have someone swap the old/original one out. This is really the only reason why I've taken two stars off.

With that said, my other issue was with the Wireless USB Key that they sent in a timely manner after being informed that it didn't come with the system. It wasn't powerful enough so I was intent on returning it but they offered to exchange it for a different USB key from another company which also had the same issue: it wasn't powerful enough. After researching, they offered to send a Netgear wireless card which turned out to be incompatible with the newest version of Windows (Windows 8 Pro). Finally, I attempted to return all three items back to them but an RMA nor a shipping label were ever generated after being told numerous times it would be. At this point however, I don't even care about it as it was only $69 but I do now have useless parts.

With the aforementioned aside, the F131 Maingear built for me is without a doubt a fine piece of craftsmanship. It looks well built and though I've really only used this system actively for a few short days, it has a history of turning on which is in itself a "+1" on Dell. Hopefully, it'll will be as reliable as my Apple computers.

I do strongly recommend that they look into at least offering the option for an ASUS PCE-AC66 wireless card for anyone who may require an extremely powerful wireless card. I was a rare case however in that I reside in a large home that requires multiple access points to get the signal around the whole house.

Finally, I want to finish my review by saying that I would recommend Maingear as they do clearly build quality systems and the team I've spoken to has been a delight to work with. I deducted two stars for the motherboard reason which has left me with mixed feelings about Maingear but I don't know what can be done about that by the company four months into ownership. Unfortunately, I can't help but find it insulting because of the circumstances surrounding why I only just now discovered these flaws in the system and a little disappointing that it isn't what I was told at time of purchase."

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5/5

posted Apr-29-2013

"Very good service. I purchased a gaming computer from Cyberpowerpc in 2010 and it was nice, but I thought I would try a Maingear this time. Maingear is SOOOO MUCH BETTER than other boutique computer shops, I will never go back. Excellent build options, fast and personal service, good prices."

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5/5

posted Apr-29-2013

"I love my new maingear computer! it delivers an excellent gaming experience, flawless graphics and a super fast performance. I would strongly recommend it to anyone searching for gaming laptops. Better than alienware and origin PC for sure. The only issue that I have come across so far is the heating. Turns quite hot when playing games at high graphics level. "

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5/5

posted Apr-22-2013

"I purchased my computer from Main Gear a little over 6 weeks ago. I went with and all in one and it is fantastic. On top of that it is upgradeable.
Nice job guys all of my computer purchases will be thru you from now on."

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5/5

posted Apr-21-2013

"Purchased a Maingear system for my husband. The customer service was excellent and the product is exactly what we ordered and wanted. It looks great and works even better. We're already planning on replacing my system next year with a Maingear, and bribing our eldest with a Maingear laptop possibly if he keeps up the great grades at college. I definitely recommend using them. The service is way better than you'll get from more standard sellers, and the product is exactly what you want, no bloatware, and built by people who want you to have an awesome experience."

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5/5

posted Apr-20-2013

"Great computer super quiet just what I wanted. Will buy again"

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5/5

posted Apr-16-2013

"i bought a f 131 about a year ago and am happy with it. its proven to be reliable and performs as expected for the tasks that i bought it for, editing photos and videos and compiling them into family slideshows. the only thing that i am not happy with is that the manual was very generic and i had to call support for the simple task of removing a stuck dvd (remove front cover and press release button).

i also got a pulse 11 to replace an 10+ year old laptop, primarily because i could still get win 7 as an os. its primary mission is traveling with me overseas while on vacation. it too goes like gangbusters and for the most part, is vastly superior to the old laptop that it replaced. the areas that it does not do as well are the lack of an accurate manual (on line manual states to keep card reader covered when not in use but when contacted, mg stated no cover, a really bad keyboard (why doesn't anyone use the track-point feature that thinkpads used to (still?) use)and a lack of either an led on the lid to light the keyboard or a back-lit keyboard.

i also had an issue with them regarding shipping charges as it cost more to ship the laptop than the f 131. it took several emails to resolve this issue alone.

in conclusion, they are a good company but need to work on some issues to make them into a great company. great hardware and workmanship, though."

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5/5

posted Apr-12-2013

"Excellent laptop, custom built for a great price. Machine has served me well and traveled lots for over a year. Recently had a video card failure and believed I was outside the warranty. I thought I would be out of luck but Ron in support fixed me up with a replacement card and had it sent out as soon as possible. Great company overall. My next laptop will absolutely be from them."

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5/5

posted Apr-06-2013

"All I can say is AWESOME EXPERIENCE..... everyone was super friendly that I spoke with on the phone, and they hooked me up with a machine that fit my needs perfectly, and my budget."

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4/5

posted Mar-28-2013

"The online ordering process was straight forward & I knew what I was getting. The value for the price was excellent. I received the FedEx shipment promptly but the webcam I had ordered was not included in the shipment. I waited for several days & then called MainGear. I was told that webcams were shipped separately and that they had forgotten to ship it. Once I received the webcam, I understood why they are shipped separately because they are packaged specifically for delicate shipping encased in foam. Everything worked perfectly. Then, while doing a full system antivirus scan (Panda 2013 Internet Security product) the scan hogged all system resources while scanning the 2nd drive I had installed. I couldn't control the PC or kill the scan so had to shut the computer off which is what I think corrupted portions of the file system. The PC would start & run through ChkDsk but several apps were now missing files. Another call to MG support alerted me to the fact I had to disable the SSD cache before restoring the OS. I successfully restored Win 7 Pro but found that the Windows Product Key sticker on the back of the system unit was for Win 7 Home & I couldn't activate the OS. Another call to MG support on a Saturday informed me that MG would email me the proper Win 7 Pro key on Monday. On Wednesday I had to call MG support again to remind them I needed the key which they immediately sent me & they warned me I would probably have to go through Microsoft's online activation process, which I did.

Overall, I like the product I purchased (Vybe). I wasn't thrilled I had to remind MG to complete the shipment & to provide a valid OS product key. MG appears to be concerned about the customer experience, but just a little more attention to details would help. I will consider sourcing my next machine from MG & I would recommend them to my acquaintances."

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