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This gaming PC feels like an Xbox 360 with an RTX 5090 inside – here’s why
The Maingear MG-1 ($1,529) is one of the company’s most affordable customizable gaming PCs, at least to start, so when Maingear offered to send us one for review I kept my expectations in check.
But when the top-of-the-line MG-1 Ultimate ($5,269) that Maingear built for us finally showed up at my door, I was impressed. Before I even had a chance to plug it in and see how well it performs, I was charmed by the (fairly) portable mid-size case and the eye-catching custom panel on the front.
One of the big selling points of the MG-1 are these swappable front panels, and I love how they remind me of the old Xbox 360 faceplate days. But if that was the most exciting aspect of this gaming PC I’d quickly lose interest.
But after a month of testing and using the Maingear MG-1 Ultimate I’m pleased to report this is one of the best gaming PCs I’ve reviewed this year. Like most great gaming PCs it’s pretty expensive, but if you can afford it you’re getting a potent powerhouse that’s easy to customize, easy to move and so quiet you’d barely know it was running, even after gaming for hours.
Maingear MG-1 Ultimate review: Cheat sheet
- What is it? The top-of-the-line 2025 MG-1 gaming PC from Maingear, a well-known vendor of customized gaming PCs and laptops.
- What does it cost? While the base Maingear MG-1 starts at $1,529, to order the top-of-the-line MG-1 Ultimate review unit Maingear loaned us would cost you just over $5,000.
- Who is it for? This is a mid-size gaming PC for folks who want to play the best PC games in 4K at great framerates.
- What do we like? The excellent RTX 5090-fueled performance, whisper-quiet fan noise, compact case and attractive swappable front panel make this a killer gaming PC for the office or living room.
- What don’t we like? The only thing that hurts about this loaner gaming PC (besides the high price tag) is having to return it at the end of the review.
Maingear MG-1 Ultimate review: Specs
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Maingear MG-1 (starting) | Maingear MG-1 (as reviewed) |
|---|---|---|
Price | $1,529 | $5,107 |
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 9600X | AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D |
GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 |
RAM | 16GB | 32GB |
Storage | 1TB SSD | 2TB SSD |
Ports (front) | 4x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, headphone/mic jack | 4x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, headphone/mic jack |
Ports (rear) | 4x USB 2.0 Type-A, 2x USB 5Gbps Type-A, 1x USB 10Gbps Type-A, 1x USB-C 10Gbps | 4x USB 2.0 Type-A, 2x USB 5Gbps Type-A, 1x USB 10Gbps Type-A, 1x USB-C 10Gbps |
Size | 19 x 16.8 x 8.1 inches | 19 x 16.8 x 8.1 inches |
Weight | ~32 pounds | ~32 pounds |
Maingear MG-1 Ultimate (2025) review: The ups
Great for gaming in 4K
The custom MG-1 review unit that Maingear sent us is pretty expensive, but in return you get a compact, quiet gaming PC that can run many of the latest games at 4K with all the graphical settings cranked to max.
Our testing reveals that even when you do that you can often expect to get around 60 frames per second at 4K, but it’s not consistent. Some of the most demanding games, like Black Myth Wukong and Cyberpunk 2077, will push this system so hard at max settings that even the RTX 5090 and AMD Ryzen 9 CPU will struggle to keep a smooth 60 frames per second at 4K.
To show you what I mean I’ve charted the Maingear MG-1’s performance in key games below and put it up against two other pricey RTX 5090 gaming PCs we’ve reviewed recently, the Alienware Area 51 ($5,699 as tested) and the Corsair Vengeance i8300 ($7,399 as tested).
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Maingear MG-1 | Alienware Area 51 | Corsair Vengeance i8300 |
Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ultra High) | 65 | 76 | 64 |
Black Myth Wukong (Cinematic) | 55 | 59 | 60 |
Cyberpunk 2077 | 53.6 | 56.7 | 57.5 |
Red Dead Redemption 2 (Ultra) | 67 | 84.6 | 64.4 |
As you can see, the more expensive gaming PCs outperformed our Maingear MG-1 review unit by a small degree in most games. But in a few cases (namely Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Red Dead Redemption 2) the Maingear actually beat out Corsair’s Vengeance i8300 by a smidge.
That’s a bit amazing given that the Vengeance costs over $2,000 more and is also larger and heavier, so it’s more of a pain to fit into your entertainment setup. So while the Alienware Area 51 desktop comes out smelling like roses, our testing proves the Maingear MG-1 is smaller and nearly as good as the Corsair despite being far cheaper.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Maingear MG-1 | Alienware Area 51 | Corsair Vengeance i8300 |
Geekbench 6 single-core | 3401 | 3148 | 3303 |
Geekbench 6 multi-core | 23071 | 21786 | 23328 |
SSD speed test (MBps) | 2107.9 | 1898.2 | 2480.5 |
Video editing test (mm:ss) | 1:45 | 1:53 | 1:47 |
A similar story played out when we put the MG-1 Ultimate through our battery of general performance tests, but this time it performed a bit better compared to the more expensive Area 51 and Vengeance i8300.
As you can see from the chart of results above, our MG-1 review unit consistently outperformed either the Alienware, the Corsair or both in our Geekbench 6 CPU tests and our SSD speed test. And in our video editing test, which times how long it takes the PC to transcode a 4K video down to 1080p using Handbrake, Maingear’s MG-1 Ultimate actually outperformed both the Alienware and Corsair RTX 5090 PCs.
Factor in the fact that our MG-1 review unit is cheaper and smaller than either competitor, and you start to see why I love this mid-size gaming rig.
Whisper-quiet even after gaming in 4K for hours
Another thing I love about the MG-1 Ultimate is how quiet it is, even after hours of playing games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K with all settings cranked to max.
While I do hear the fans spin up after extended (1-2+ hours) gaming sessions or when the room gets quite toasty, I almost never notice them. And when I finally did, I had to fire up our Corsair Vengeance i8300 review unit to remind me what a really beastly full-sized gaming tower PC can sound like when things get hot and heavy.
The MG-1 Ultimate doesn’t get terribly toasty under load, either. When I was testing the Vengeance i8300, for example, I noticed that after a few hours of PC gaming on the couch my entire living room would feel warm. By contrast, Maingear’s mid-sized rig doesn’t feel noticeably warm, even after hours of gaming, unless I put my hand directly against the exhaust.
Clean interior that’s easy to access
I like a PC case that’s neatly organized and easy to open, so I’m very happy with the MG-1 case that houses this beastly machine.
Not only does the PC run quiet and have lots of room to work inside the case, the tempered glass side panel is easy to remove once you remove the screws fastening it in place. Popping it back on is just as easy, which I really appreciate.
Maingear touts a few additional selling points for this case, including the fact that the MG-1 was designed in partnership with company co-owner, professional game streamer and former pro eSports player Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek.
That’s all fine and good, but I’m more excited about the swappable magnetic front panel.
That swappable, customizable front panel is just fun
Hey, I get maybe not everyone will love the silly appeal of being able to order new swappable front panels from Maingear for $99 a pop (or $129 if you want a custom one), but I love it.
There are loads of fun designs and patterns to choose from, and the whole thing reminds me of nothing so much as the swappable faceplates we used to use on the old Xbox 360.
While it’s a bit goofy that Maingear custom-printed us one with the TG logo on it for the purposes of this review, I have to admit I like seeing a pop of color on the PC when I sit down at my desk every morning.
And since the Maingear logo in the top center of the panel glows in concert with the PC’s RGB settings, whatever front panel you add will feature a fun bit of RBG flair winking out from the middle.
Maingear MG-1 Ultimate review: The downs
As much as I like the 2025 Maingear MG-1 Ultimate, there is one big downside to buying one that I should make clear before wrapping up.
A gaming PC this good costs an arm and a leg
After a month with this machine I can’t find anything to complain about besides the high price, and that’s par for the course when you’re buying high-end gaming PCs.”
Look, I would have a hard time affording the MG-1 Ultimate that Maingear sent us for review on my journalist’s salary. I could do it, but I’d probably spend half a year or more scrimping and saving to minimize the strain on my credit. Most people will likely face a similar quandary when considering whether to buy a boutique PC like the MG-1.
Now admittedly, you can get a less powerful version for thousands of dollars less—upgrading from the base RTX 5050 to the top-of-the-line GeForce RTX 5090 GPU adds over $2,500 to the price alone, for example.
And again, this high-end MG-1 Ultimate performs nearly as well or better in our testing as 2025 gaming PCs that cost hundreds or thousands more. So while it is damn expensive, if you’re aiming for RTX 5090 levels of performance this might actually be a fairly canny way of maximizing what you get for your money.
Maingear MG-1 Ultimate review: Verdict
If it’s not clear already, I’m quite fond of Maingear’s 2025 MG-1 Ultimate.
The machine Maingear sent us for review packs a powerful AMD + Nvidia CPU/GPU combo that punches above its weight in terms of performance, and I love how quiet it remains even after hours of use.
But even when it’s switched off, I like how nice the MG-1 looks on a desk (especially with a cool front panel design) and I appreciate how easy it is to move from room to room. And when it’s time to upgrade or swap something out, I love that you can quickly unscrew some fasteners and pop the side panel off for easy access.
After a month with this machine I can’t find anything to complain about besides the high price, and that’s par for the course when you’re buying high-end gaming PCs. So if that’s what you’re after, I highly recommend Maingear’s MG-1 as one of the best I’ve tested in 2025.
