"My second Maingear! I'm a lifer! Fast, durable and dependable. My five year old tower is still running like a dream. I just bought a laptop for business after loving the tower at home."
"I wanted to update this review with what will most likely be my final modification to it now that I've been able to actively use the new system which meets the originally requested features that Chris was instrumental in sending. So in a sense, this review has been modified from the original.
Pros: Build quality of both the AMD and Intel systems were excellent; Maingear Customer Service is top notch and in the USA; Maingear systems utilize brand name parts (like ASUS and MSI components); overall quality of product and experience with Maingear far exceeds expectations.
Con (there's only 1): At time of purchase I was advised by a Maingear sales representative that the AMD F131 was equipped with UEFI and PCI-E 3.0 which was something that was sort of a requirement for me. This was not true and Chris from Maingear worked with us to rectify that by replacing the system with an Intel F131 counterpart. We are thankful that Chris was able to resolve the issue but it still shouldn't have happened.
Full Review:
While I've dealt with other computer companies like Dell, HP, and Apple - Apple being the best, this was my first foray into system builders like Maingear. Overall, I am please with the experience and will purchase future Windows based systems from them as everything from the build quality to the service and product experience has been far above what I expected.
Initially, I had purchased an AMD F131 system after being advised by a Maingear sales representative that the AMD system was equipped with UEFI and PCI-E 3.0 which were requirements for me. This wasn't true however as I would discover four months later - the delay a result of me being unable to use the computer for four months due to an extenuating circumstance on my part. Fortunately, Chris - who was very instrumental in rectifying the situation, contacted us and was able to swap the system for a new Intel F131 with essentially the same configuration but with UEFI and PCI-E 3.0. That alone was far and above what I expected from any computer company. However, this issue should have never happened.
Over the past two months following, I have been able to use the replacement Intel F131 extensively. The system stability of this F131 far exceeds that of the AMD - probably thanks to the UEFI as I've found UEFI bases systems are more stable than BIOS based systems. My apps that require UEFI work wonderfully now as well as the graphics card (GTX 660 Ti) works super fast and performs better now that it's in a PCI-E 3.0 slot.
One thing I did notice between the AMD and Intel systems however is that the Intel system is quieter which is a plus. Also, Windows 8 shows the memory running at 1600 MHz now versus on the AMD system where it showed it running at 667MHz. It makes me wonder if an option wasn't set right on the AMD's motherboard.
Furthermore, the only other issue I had which wasn't Maingear's fault is I needed a very powerful wireless card compared to what they offered (the Linksys AE1000) because of the size of my home. Maingear worked with me but the replacement WiFi cards didn't work. Eventually, I just purchased an ASUS PCE-AC76 WiFi card from Newegg which solved that issue. I do suggest Maingear look into offering such an option but I also understand that I'm the exception to the traditional customer in this case.
In the end, I would strongly suggest potential customers to go with Maingear. My experience with them, even with the one major issue, has been extraordinary."
"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."
"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. "
"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."
"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."
"Great computer super quiet just what I wanted. Will buy again"
"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."
"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."
"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."
"I order my Vybe on 3-13-13 the order was processed on 3-14-13 after having to take the extra step of faxing Maingear a copy of my Drivers License and the front and back of my Debit Card. I was told this was for extra safety since I was shipping to an address other than my billing address. I faxed them what they needed even though I had already called my bank and ok’d the transaction and shipping before I ever placed the order, not a huge deal but was time out of my day to go to Kinko’s and get it done.
The system I picked was advertised on the Maingear site that it would take 3-5 days to ship the system. My order stayed in the processed status with no change until I emailed the helpdesk on 3-20-13 to ask for an update. I was told the system was on hold because they had issues with a shortage of parts. The system shipped on 3-21-13 and arrived on 3-26-13. Shipped a day later than they advertised so again not a huge deal but I don’t like the fact that they didn’t take the time to update me on the status of my system and waited for me email in for an update.
After opening the box and removing the system the first thing I noticed was the sound of loose screw/connectors bouncing around inside the case…never a good sign. The second thing I noticed was that the cases top panel was completely loose and missing all its screws/connectors (mystery solved) and was only being held onto the case by the cabling going to the motherboard. I stopped inspecting the system since there was no way I was going to try and power it up.
I called tech support and was issued a RMA. So now I have to ship everything back via ground shipping (will use 5 days as that the length of time it took to get to me via ground shipping) then Maingear makes no promises about how long it will take to redo/rebuild the system (best effort) and then another 5 days to send it back ground again. This I find to be a huge issue and asked if I could just cancel the order as it wasn’t delivered on time or in any semblance of a working condition. I was told I would have to eat a percentage of the cost of building the system as well as other fines, even though none of these problems are of my making and the system was DOA.
So to summarize –
1 - Weak commutation of the status of the order.
2 – System not shipped as promised.
3 – System damaged out of box.
4 – Looking at 10 days shipping (based on shipping time to me) and whatever time it takes for Maingear to repair/replace the damaged system.
5- You can’t cancel the order without incurring penalties and fines even if the problem comes from the build/packing of the system on Maingears end.
So to end I am not sure where the above and beyond customer service is that suppose to set Maingear apart? You would think they would at least have offered to overnight the system back to me or made some gesture to make this a much better experience than it has been. I will update this review if needed.
Joe "
“Just as a follow up - we've been in touch with Joe since he received his machine, but I wanted to let people know a few things.
First off, we absolutely stand by our requirement that addresses not on file with your credit card company be verified with a drivers license and a copy of your credit card. We are required to do this in order to indemnify us against fraud. If we didn't, we could not ship to alternate addresses without exposing ourselves to financial risk. Conversely, it's for your safety to protect against fraud. I've been in the e-commerce business almost 15 years and I know intimately just how rampant fraud is and how easy it is for people to deceive businesses like ours if we didn't put in place these measures.
Second of all, with Vybe quickships sometimes the pace of production outruns the rate at which our manual update process works. It can happen. Also, sometimes our automated emails are flagged as spam, we do suggest you check your spam folder.
Not meeting a ship date by 24 hours can also happen if the system was buttoned up after the last pickup of the day occurs. We do our best to meet our estimates, but we are very explicit that they are just that - estimates.
As to shipping damage, that happens occasionally. Unlike other companies, we do not require you to fill out a damage report and wait until Fedex or UPS settles with us. We spring into action immediately. In Joe's case, we began building a new system for him right away, and when we get his damaged system back, which we paid for shipping on, we'll ship out his new build. Again, $0 out of pocket for the customer.
As to a refund, there was definitely a misunderstanding and I want to clarify here: if we make a mistake or if your system is received damaged and you don't want to go through the previously outlined steps to get you a brand new one, we absolutely refund 100% of your order, and that is your decision. We stand by our work and our commitment to make every customer a happy customer.
Again, we apologize for the experience, Joe, but I hope that we were able to make it up to you with a prompt solution.”
"I love my computer! I am extremely happy with it and it is exactly what I wanted and ordered. They did a great job building my computer and I would definately buy from them again. Thanks for everything. I was going to build a computer and they built a better one for the same price and it comes with a warranty! "
"I am very pleased with my Maingear computer. The tech staff are great. I had an issue with some game software and they helped out when the game company wouldn't. Great job Maingear!"
"I really love this company. I'm not a huge expert on computers, but their customer service is really great about helping you customize exactly what you need. I absolutely love my new computer. Definitely buying from them again in the future."
"I had the pleasure of dealing with Jason from tech support,on a reboot problem i had. He was excellent. Not only was he very knowledgeable. He was very friendly,explained everything very well,and was very patient. In no way did i feel like i was being rushed. We were on the phone for quite a while. Not only does Maingear make superb quality computers. This goes for their customer service as well. I could not be any happier. Thanks again Jason!
John F."
"Maingear is incredible. Pricing and value is the best I found when comparison shopping, but also the ability to customize to the degree they offer is fantastic. Customer experience and interaction as absolutely top in the field. Blows away Dell, Alienware, FalconNW in my experience having purchased from those vendors in the past. Great product, great service, highly recommend!"
A rep from Maingear Computers, MG_RonR, has responded:
“We are very sorry for the misinformation we gave the customer. One of our service reps was simply uninformed. There's no excuse for that, and we have reached out to the customer and offered to swap out his system for one that does in fact meet his needs, even though he has had his system for four months. We want to make sure each and every customer has an excellent experience with MAINGEAR. We are merely waiting to hear back from the customer at this point.”