Maingear unveils Core i7-packin' SHIFT, your own 'personal supercomputer'
By Darren Murph 
posted November 2nd 2009 9:00AM
posted November 2nd 2009 9:00AM
MAINGEAR Unleashes a Paradigm SHIFT in High Performance Computing
"SHIFT" personal supercomputer redefines computing performance, design, and support
System highlights include elegant design, advanced cooling, maximum expandability, and angelic customer support
Union, New Jersey – November 2, 2009 – MAINGEAR Computers, award-winning builders of custom computers for PC gamers and enthusiasts, unveils SHIFT, the everyday supercomputer that will reshape the current landscape of high performance computing. SHIFT rethinks the status quo of the high end PC industry with rigs that often feature an array of plastic, bling, and commoditized components and offers every day supercomputing in a sophisticated design with sublime, elegant lines, unmatched performance, optimal airflow, and limitless upgradeability. By harnessing the power of the graphics processing unit (GPU), the SHIFT can speed up everyday tasks like photo and video editing, transcoding videos for portable media devices, and upscaling standard definition video.
"The SHIFT bucks the trend of plastic, bloated, commodity PCs. It's a statement of our commitment to performance, reliability, and support." said Wallace Santos, CEO and Founder of MAINGEAR. "Featuring vertical airflow, all the cooling necessary for today's high performance, and backed by the best technical support team in the business, MAINGEAR is committed to maintaining our lead in the market. The SHIFT Personal Supercomputer is positioned to take advantage of all the next generation technology in GPGPU computing to greatly enhance the customer experience."
Elegant Design – Shift's aluminum skin provides clean, elegant lines while housing a tank-like steel skeleton. Devoid of unnecessary bling, Shift was crafted to add an element of sophistication and simplicity to any room in the house.
Advanced Cooling – Shift employs a unique approach to cooling with bottom to top airflow, aggressive liquid cooling, and a 90 degree rotation of the motherboard.
Expansion – MAINGEAR's forward thinking, design includes features including user accessible expansion slots, full eATX motherboard support, full sized 5.25" optical drives, multiple SATA hard drive configurations, and up to 2 2.5" HDD in each 3.5" HDD Drive bay.
Angelic Support – In an industry often characterized by poor customer support, MAINGEAR goes against the grain and offers world class support for each of its systems. Should any issues arise, each SHIFT owner is able to talk directly to the builder that assembled their system and can take advantage of virtual on-site support through an internal remote-desktop setup with privacy guarantees. Additionally, MAINGEAR offers on-site support should the situation warrant it.
"Customer service is paramount at MAINGEAR." said Chris Morley, CTO. "Angelic Service is our premium blend of pre- and post-sales support including non-commissioned sales, US-based, in house technical support, virtual on-site remote diagnostic technology, and on-site support solutions. We're delivering the total package."
MAINGEAR will also be unveiling a version of the SHIFT geared specifically towards creative professionals, video production, audio editing, and CAD before the end of the year. Consumers can purchase the Shift at MAINGEAR's Web site www.maingear.com or order by phone at (888-MAINGEAR). The base price for the Shift is $2,199 and comes with MAINGEAR's premium Lifetime Labor and Phone Support with 3 year hardware warranty and is backed by the best in-house support team in the country.
"SHIFT" personal supercomputer redefines computing performance, design, and support
System highlights include elegant design, advanced cooling, maximum expandability, and angelic customer support
Union, New Jersey – November 2, 2009 – MAINGEAR Computers, award-winning builders of custom computers for PC gamers and enthusiasts, unveils SHIFT, the everyday supercomputer that will reshape the current landscape of high performance computing. SHIFT rethinks the status quo of the high end PC industry with rigs that often feature an array of plastic, bling, and commoditized components and offers every day supercomputing in a sophisticated design with sublime, elegant lines, unmatched performance, optimal airflow, and limitless upgradeability. By harnessing the power of the graphics processing unit (GPU), the SHIFT can speed up everyday tasks like photo and video editing, transcoding videos for portable media devices, and upscaling standard definition video.
"The SHIFT bucks the trend of plastic, bloated, commodity PCs. It's a statement of our commitment to performance, reliability, and support." said Wallace Santos, CEO and Founder of MAINGEAR. "Featuring vertical airflow, all the cooling necessary for today's high performance, and backed by the best technical support team in the business, MAINGEAR is committed to maintaining our lead in the market. The SHIFT Personal Supercomputer is positioned to take advantage of all the next generation technology in GPGPU computing to greatly enhance the customer experience."
Elegant Design – Shift's aluminum skin provides clean, elegant lines while housing a tank-like steel skeleton. Devoid of unnecessary bling, Shift was crafted to add an element of sophistication and simplicity to any room in the house.
Advanced Cooling – Shift employs a unique approach to cooling with bottom to top airflow, aggressive liquid cooling, and a 90 degree rotation of the motherboard.
Expansion – MAINGEAR's forward thinking, design includes features including user accessible expansion slots, full eATX motherboard support, full sized 5.25" optical drives, multiple SATA hard drive configurations, and up to 2 2.5" HDD in each 3.5" HDD Drive bay.
Angelic Support – In an industry often characterized by poor customer support, MAINGEAR goes against the grain and offers world class support for each of its systems. Should any issues arise, each SHIFT owner is able to talk directly to the builder that assembled their system and can take advantage of virtual on-site support through an internal remote-desktop setup with privacy guarantees. Additionally, MAINGEAR offers on-site support should the situation warrant it.
"Customer service is paramount at MAINGEAR." said Chris Morley, CTO. "Angelic Service is our premium blend of pre- and post-sales support including non-commissioned sales, US-based, in house technical support, virtual on-site remote diagnostic technology, and on-site support solutions. We're delivering the total package."
MAINGEAR will also be unveiling a version of the SHIFT geared specifically towards creative professionals, video production, audio editing, and CAD before the end of the year. Consumers can purchase the Shift at MAINGEAR's Web site www.maingear.com or order by phone at (888-MAINGEAR). The base price for the Shift is $2,199 and comes with MAINGEAR's premium Lifetime Labor and Phone Support with 3 year hardware warranty and is backed by the best in-house support team in the country.
@RandomGuy. They didn't copy Apple, they copied Voodoo PC. The flipped-up motherboard idea was put forth with the Voodoo Omen.
http://gizmodo.com/395418/voodoo-omen-gaming-desktop-is-most-beautiful-ever-only-6500+20000
I wasn't implying that they copied the design of the computer from Apple, just the specious marketing claim that a desktop class computer is a "SuperComputer". The Youtube links I provided were for ads where Apple was claiming the G4 was a SuperComputer.
Copying hardware designs is forgivable when you are trying to come up with a solid quality product. Copying really lame marketing gimmicks is unforgivable.
Now that's a great case I would like to have.. nice black and no ugly neon/led stuff..
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/06/bfg-technologies-phobos-gaming-pc-packs-core-i7-personal-conci/
Needs a second i7 to be as killer as they imply.
But 12 SATA ports is nice. Hmmm... The motherboard only has 9; I wonder how they feed the other 3 drives? Include a SATA port multiplier? The customization page doesn't give any clues - they don't allow ordering 12 drives, only 8. Even redirecting the eSATA ports to internal drive bays wouldn't give another three. Maybe their bays have two-port multipliers?
The power supply upgrades are really expensive. 750w is standard; increasing that by 450w to 1.2kw bumps the price by $325. But I recognize they aren't going for the price-conscious with these. Not with a starting price of $2600, before any upgrades.
Their lifetime labor is a nice touch, though you have to pay your own shipping after 30 days. Standard warranty is two years; labor is lifetime, parts isn't. Though the eVGA warranty on the motherboard is lifetime, assuming they use the AR/A1 version instead of the TR/T1 "light" version; that one only has a two-year warranty. I'd rather have a lifetime warranty if I'm buying a $400 motherboard.
Well, I've added another board to my eval list for my next system. I definitely like the nine SATA ports.
I'd rather have a Cray CX1 :P
http://www.cray.com/products/CX1.aspx
Hell, I'd be happy if someone released a case that looked like a CX1!
Does is really need to be water cooled? My current system is water cooled and I regret it, as I have already had to replace the radiator because it sprung a leak. What a mess that was, thank goodness the radiator was on the outside of the computer or it would have fried everything. Not sure I want to deal with water cooling anymore.
the inside of the Case looks like a Silverstone Raven 01
air cooling and DVD are still considered 'features'?