Maingear
Encyclopedia
MAINGEAR is an American privately held
boutique
computer manufacturer headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey
. MAINGEAR specializes in custom gaming computer
s, desktop
s, custom laptop
s, media center computer
s, and workstation
s which are built and supported in the United States.
In 2005, MAINGEAR was one of the first system builders to participate in the now defunct, but then very popular HardOCP
[H] Consumer Systems Evaluation program. This review site even purchased systems anonymously to better evaluate the customer purchasing experience. Praise from [H] Consumer elevated MAINGEAR's status in the market place and has been attributed to their growth. In 2006 they were awarded Best Technical Support and Best Boutique Builder from [H] Consumer.
MAINGEAR restricts the number of brands used in their PCs. CTO Chris Morley stated that "direct discounters and quick-turn commodity builders" cannot perform prior and proper R&D on every combination of hardware they sell, and MAINGEAR ensures that all the hardware they use is compatible and reliable before launch.
The SHIFT was featured at CES by NVIDIA
showcasing their next-generation architecture, GF100. Multiple MAINGEAR SHIFT PCs were shown running single and dual GPU configurations.
In February 2010, MAINGEAR announced a special-edition SHIFT configured with the rare AMD TWKR processor that was to be auctioned off to benefit Save the Children and the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Included in the auction were signed copies of Windows and Left 4 Dead, along with signed hardware from AMD.
On March 11, 2010, MAINGEAR, along with Falcon Northwest
, were the first two system builders to have systems reviewed based on Intel's next-generation hexa-core Core i7 980X. With an overclock faster than Falcon Northwest's, and a faster GPU and HDD configuration, MAINGEAR earned the Editors' Choice award over Falcon Northwest in the PC Mag head-to-head shootout.
On March 26, 2010, MAINGEAR announced its introduction of the GeForce GTX 480 in 3-way SLI in the SHIFT. MAINGEAR claims that due to its unique heat-stack configuration, it is able to keep the graphics cards cool.
Privately held company
A privately held company or close corporation is a business company owned either by non-governmental organizations or by a relatively small number of shareholders or company members which does not offer or trade its company stock to the general public on the stock market exchanges, but rather the...
boutique
Boutique
A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry. The word is French for "shop", via Latin from Greek ἀποθήκη , "storehouse"....
computer manufacturer headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey
Kenilworth, New Jersey
Kenilworth is a Borough in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,914.Kenilworth was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 13, 1907, from portions of Cranford and Union Township, based on the...
. MAINGEAR specializes in custom gaming computer
Gaming computer
A gaming computer is a personal computer that is capable of playing computationally demanding video games. Gaming computers are very similar to conventional PCs, with the main difference being the addition of a performance-oriented video card. Gaming computers are often associated with enthusiast...
s, desktop
Desktop computer
A desktop computer is a personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop or portable computer. Early desktop computers are designed to lay flat on the desk, while modern towers stand upright...
s, custom laptop
Laptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
s, media center computer
Home theater PC
A Home Theater PC or Media Center appliance is a convergence device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that supports video, photo, music playback, and sometimes video recording functionality...
s, and workstation
Workstation
A workstation is a high-end microcomputer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems...
s which are built and supported in the United States.
History
MAINGEAR was founded in 2002 when Wallace Santos, founder and CEO, and his partner, Jonathan Magalhaes, decided to change the direction of their technology services business and begin building gaming computers targeted at the consumer market with a focus on customer service, which is handled in-house. Customers may speak directly to the person who built their PC; there is no tiered tech support. MAINGEAR's initial lineup of the Prelude and F131 custom computers were widely advertised in popular technology magazines.In 2005, MAINGEAR was one of the first system builders to participate in the now defunct, but then very popular HardOCP
HardOCP
[H]ard|OCP is an online magazine that offers news, reviews, and editorials that relate to computer hardware, software, modding, overclocking and cooling, owned and operated by Kyle Bennett, who started the website in 1997.- Product Reviews :[H]ard|OCP is known for reviewing products and...
[H] Consumer Systems Evaluation program. This review site even purchased systems anonymously to better evaluate the customer purchasing experience. Praise from [H] Consumer elevated MAINGEAR's status in the market place and has been attributed to their growth. In 2006 they were awarded Best Technical Support and Best Boutique Builder from [H] Consumer.
MAINGEAR restricts the number of brands used in their PCs. CTO Chris Morley stated that "direct discounters and quick-turn commodity builders" cannot perform prior and proper R&D on every combination of hardware they sell, and MAINGEAR ensures that all the hardware they use is compatible and reliable before launch.
The SHIFT
On November 2, 2009, MAINGEAR released their first custom PC utilizing a chassis of their own design. For the launch, MAINGEAR redesigned their entire site and even their logo, moving away from the "gear" icon, to what the founders describe as depicting "hardware so powerful, it can barely be contained." The SHIFT employs a 90 degree rotation of the motherboard, utilizing the tendency of hot air to rise. The SHIFT won its first editor's choice award from Computer Shopper on November 5, 2009 and was fifth out of 100 Top Desktops in Computer Shopper's end of the year round up. The initial lineup included a P55 and X58 chipset variant, and future plans include a dual socket XEON workstation. MAINGEAR has publicly stated they intend to go after Apple's workstation market share.The SHIFT was featured at CES by NVIDIA
NVIDIA
Nvidia is an American global technology company based in Santa Clara, California. Nvidia is best known for its graphics processors . Nvidia and chief rival AMD Graphics Techonologies have dominated the high performance GPU market, pushing other manufacturers to smaller, niche roles...
showcasing their next-generation architecture, GF100. Multiple MAINGEAR SHIFT PCs were shown running single and dual GPU configurations.
In February 2010, MAINGEAR announced a special-edition SHIFT configured with the rare AMD TWKR processor that was to be auctioned off to benefit Save the Children and the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Included in the auction were signed copies of Windows and Left 4 Dead, along with signed hardware from AMD.
On March 11, 2010, MAINGEAR, along with Falcon Northwest
Falcon Northwest
Falcon Northwest is a personal computer manufacturing company located in Medford, Oregon, USA which was founded in 1992 by its current president, Kelt Reeves. The company began its existence focusing on high-end systems for Flight Simulation...
, were the first two system builders to have systems reviewed based on Intel's next-generation hexa-core Core i7 980X. With an overclock faster than Falcon Northwest's, and a faster GPU and HDD configuration, MAINGEAR earned the Editors' Choice award over Falcon Northwest in the PC Mag head-to-head shootout.
On March 26, 2010, MAINGEAR announced its introduction of the GeForce GTX 480 in 3-way SLI in the SHIFT. MAINGEAR claims that due to its unique heat-stack configuration, it is able to keep the graphics cards cool.