Maingear introduces F1X gaming desktops with overclocked Core i7 CPUs
It's no Shift, but Maingear's new line of F1X gaming rigs are still delightfully potent in their own right. Starting at $2,249 (F1X 200) and sailing well north of $5,149 for the top-end F1X 500, this trio of desktops runs on a 64-bit copy of Windows 7 and packs an 80GB SSD boot drive, an overclocked Intel Core i7 CPU and an optional Blu-ray burner. The big fellow touts a 3.6GHz OC'd Core i7-975, 12GB of DDR3 memory, a 1.5TB Western Digital storage drive, 6x Blu-ray writer, a closed-loop watercooling system, 1,000 watt power supply and twin ATI Radeon HD 5870 GPUs (1GB). The other guys step things down just a wee bit, but you can rest assured that today's latest games will be handled with ease should you snag any of 'em. Speaking of which -- they're only available from Tiger Direct, Circuit City (the website) and CompUSA, so don't waste your time looking elsewhere for a better deal.



























jeez, that thing looks like it cannibalizes desktops
@skyblaze nah not even close check out Digital storms pcs they chew up stuff like this for breakfast but i love the silverstone tj09 case prob my fave case ever
@skyblaze
holy crap, you're right! im not into the whole desktop thing at the moment so im a bit unfamiliar with the best of the best in these things. i bangz wit laptopz, ya digg (got three of my own) but ill invest in a tower soon enough
cool!!!
@jackingchan
Circuit City still exists? What the heck. I thought their website went away with the stores!
@ramifications
They were acquired by Systemax, the same people who acquired CompUSA. They also own Tigerdirect.com, Tigerdirect.ca and a few other sites, too.
The physical locations are closed, but they're still online. Weird, though... my locla Circuit City still has all its signs up and keeps their lights on 100% inside all the time. Kinda sad, but... it is what it is.
I could be wrong but I think someone who buys a $5000+ Windows based PC could probably build one themselves. (and probably for less)
@sintricate
I think that, as with any computer builder, the value is in the warranty and service (especially in light of how testy video cards can be).
But yeah, you could definitely build it yourself for half as much.
@Alex
I am going to have to kind of disagree with you there. I do system building and consulting (albeit at very low volumes). Maingear warranties cannot beat manufacturer warranties when you build your own system.
I hope this helps, but when shopping for parts, always take manufacturer warranties into consideration. Many of them offer standard 3 year warranties for core computer components. Many even offer lifetime warranties. There are some with advance replacement programs for their warranty returns to minimize turnaround times for the end user.
Personal anecdote:
I've had a video card that had to be replaced twice in 3 years because of a faulty fan (I guess by design), and eVGA replaced it under their lifetime warranty. The second time, they replaced the 7900GT with a 9600GT.
I have had multiple HDD failures, and most manufacturers have a painless automated RMA process to get them replaced. Most recently I had a 74GB raptor and a 400GB, both with 5 year warranties, fail within a month of each other. I entered their serial numbers, RMA issued, shipped them together, and Western Digital replaced them with a 10 business day turn around. They even gave me a 500GB version of the 400GB that I sent in.
Summary: Buy pre-built if you don't want to do it yourself. If you go the DYI route, many manufacturer warranties cover your butt very well. You just have to deal with the warranty process and down time.
Their advert appears to be missing a graphics card.
@Yoy0YO
"and twin ATI Radeon HD 5870 GPUs (1GB)", didnt sound like it to me.
@ilguider
Oh sorry, I meant the images. Besides, the images show a Nvidia card, Yes its a Black & Red card something tells me its a GTX card. The cooler perhaps.
@tyjb9x
its a silverstone tj-10bw case, retails for about ~300
@tyjb9x its a silverstone tj10-bw case, retails for about ~300
Maingear, gets special cases made for them by Silverstone and you can't buy them anywhere else, including Maingear, unless you buy a whole system.
@shawnoen
If anyone wants this case they can buy it from many online retailers. It is the Silverstone TJ-10BW in case anyone is wondering. There will be no "Maingear" etching or nameplate on the case. I think the case looks very nice without the window. I bought this case last year and called up Silverstone to buy a windowless door panel for an additional $40. Now, I have the option of window or no window; it depends on my mood.
@ap4lifetn thanks for the info, but im not willing to spend $300 on a case.
so... i take it core i7 beats dual core?? i dont know too much about processors. can someone tell me what the fastest, strongest one is???
@flett
i7-975 is quad core.
@flett
Yeah, the core i7 is a quad core, and as of now the 975 version is the highest rated processor (for desktops). And it's in this desktop.
@flett
Yep, the "i" series is quad core all around. At the moment, the i7 (1366) is the fastest out there, but the i9 is right around the corner
@PBB
i3, i5 and i7-620m are all dual core.
@flett thanks for the info guys, helps allot
gorgeous.
Why do they use the 975.. the 920 will get up to 4Ghz with relative ease.
@iFargle
But the 975 will handle it better. I have a 920 OC to 3.7 GHz, and the only reason I don't overclock more is because the performance of the CPU deteriorates after 3.8GHz. However, I think the 975 can perform well at 4.0 GHz, mainly because of the unlocked multiplyer. It's not a bad PC, but I'd wait till Fermi is released just in case
A) It's faster
or B) It's faster, and causes ATI to lower prices.
or C) It's slower, but still adds to the competition forcing ATI to lower prices.
Great machine, but wait. Save yourself at least 100-400$ depending.
Hows the ram set up? Dual-channel, tri-channel? I'm curious.
@JayD16
It's X58 so tri-channel
Weak overated
I'll just buy a $199 Xbox or $299 ps3.
@logic thinker
yeah because PC gaming and consoles are one in the same
@logic thinker
I did that. Though, now I really miss a PC. The games don't seem to be so vibrant, and a keyboard and mouse are very helpful for a fps.
1000 watts?... this power hungry beast isn't worth the money. When are they going to start building energy efficient gaming PCs?
@Tekky
Are you joking, Gaming and saving the environment do not go hand in hand. Sry :)
MAC are too expensive! oh wait...
@mex
In general, PCs /are/ cheaper than Apple computers. These machines fit a special niche. That said, I still don't see an iMac or Mac Pro with SSD boot drive, Blu-Ray and watercooling...
@MadMax808
SSD drive… so damn important in a desktop… watercooling it's really nerdy… but nothing more… BlueRay… we are in 2010 multimedia is goiung digital, BlueRay is for grandparents (IMHO)
Is there actually a market for $5K PCs? Buy the components and offer a nerd $100 to build it on craigslist and and cut the price in half....
i7ftmfw, yo.
Forget games. Drop in a couple of Quadro FX 5800s and start up a mini render farm.