An appealing new chassis is the most obvious highlight of Maingear's updated Vybe Super Stock gaming desktop, but it might be the less obvious new support policies that help Maingear retain customers in a newly competitive boutique PC gaming field. This $1,948 configuration has the build quality and overall value we expect from a Maingear desktop. It is also heartening to know that if you run into any problems within the first 30 days of ownership, Maingear will rebuild the system with new parts, free of charge. That's not common in the desktop world, and it should help offset some concern you might feel over making a rather significant purchase. For those who buy, and keep, this PC, you'll find yourself in possession of an attractive, rock-solid gaming desktop.
Maingear Vybe Super Stock (fall 2011)
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
The Vybe Super Stock is the higher-end variant in Maingear's Vybe line, with a pair of graphics cards and the option of higher overclocking than that of its linemates. You can also choose a black version of the new Vybe case. We like the white one, although it seems like white gaming desktops have become a trend for 2011.
More interesting than the color is the feel of the case, to which Maingear has given a soft-touch treatment. Rather than cheap plastic, the exterior of the case almost seems rubberized, and feels sturdy. We wish that sturdiness extended to the actual rubber feet on the bottom of the case. Rather than being screwed in, the feet are attached to the bottom with an apparently weak adhesive; one of them slipped off as we moved the case around the lab. It was easy enough to reset the foot in its original position, but it still felt cheap that it was only glued on.