Maingear Vybe review (2022): Great bones, outdated details

The only in-house component of the Maingear Vybe is the case, and the company promises that it’s “whisper quiet.” That’s easy to debunk within the first five minute of using the Vybe. The case looks nice, and it has a few decent features, but it is far from quiet.

Even before running a benchmark, the fans ramped up. Installing software seemed to be too tall of an order, with Maingear’s custom curve kicking in whenever I had a download. It’s not hard to see why the Vybe has problems here. The case is choked in the front, leaving the front two 120mm fans gasping for a wisp of air.

Airflow issues aside, the case looks fantastic. This is one of my favorite prebuilt case designs aesthetically, offering up plenty of gamer flare while adhering to the subdued, minimalist design mentality that has been pervasive in PC gaming for the last several years.

Maingear offers several configurations of the Vybe. At the low end, you can pick up a version with a Ryzen 5 5600X, 16GB of RAM, and an RTX 3060 Ti for $1,700. The most expensive version clocks in at $3,500, and it comes with the specs listed above. If you don’t want one of Maingear’s configurations, you can always customize your own. Custom builds start at $1,599, or at $3,899 if you want custom watercooling.

The Maingear Vybe uses all standard-sized components. That means you can swap, upgrade, or augment anything that comes in the PC.

That doesn’t mean upgrades are easy. As mentioned, there’s a fraction of clearance between the cooler and RAM modules. If you want to get at anything at the top of the motherboard, you’ll need to take out the cooler. There are some critical items missing from the box, too. There isn’t any mounting hardware for 2.5-inch SSDs, for example, nor any extra SATA cables to hook them up.

Maingear includes everything that comes with your motherboard and power supply, so you’ll find extra screws and cables if they’re available. Hardware that comes with a case normally, such as hard drive mounting screws, isn’t included. So although upgrades are possible in the Maingear Vybe, they aren’t always practical.

I don’t want to disparage the machine too much, though. By far, the Vybe has the best cable management I’ve seen from a prebuilt, and there are plenty of cable tie-down points around the case.

The Maingear Vybe I reviewed came with an MSI MPG X570 Gaming Plus motherboard, but you have several motherboard options available. Your connectivity will change depending on which motherboard you get, so make sure to look up the specific model you choose if you customize your own Vybe.

The Ryzen 9 5900X is, despite its impressive performance, nearing the end of its life cycle. It still put up impressive numbers in my tests, but there’s a much more compelling argument to go with Intel’s 12th-gen processors right now, especially considering that they’re cheaper at Maingear.

For gaming performance, there isn’t much to report with the Vybe. Although the machine may get loud, it’s not thermally limiting any of the components inside. It was able to exceed the Origin Neuron in several games, despite the the Neuron coming stocked with a more powerful processor and third-party RTX 3080 Ti.

I ran benchmarks at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, but the results in the table above are for 4K with the highest graphics preset. In a standardized test like 3DMark Time Spy, you can see the slightly less powerful Ryzen 9 5900X take a back seat to the Ryzen 9 5950X in the Origin Neuron. In real games, however, you can see how little of an impact the CPU has at 4K.

Stepping down to the RTX 3070 in the MSI Aegis RS 12, you can see what the RTX 3080 Ti can do for 4K gaming. The base RTX 3080 is a fine 4K graphics card, but I like the Ti model more for 4K, especially in demanding titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Here, the RTX 3080 Ti in the Vybe can manage about 60 frames per second (fps), which is tough for even the most powerful hardware.

Boutique machines like the Maingear Vybe only have two opportunities to stand out — case quality and build quality. Maingear has the build quality down. This is by far the nicest prebuilt I’ve seen when it comes to build quality. The case leaves a lot to be desired, though, especially as companies like Origin and HP push for more innovative designs.

Among custom PC builders, Maingear is slightly cheaper, so that’s a plus. This is still a great gaming PC, and it’s reasonably priced. It just doesn’t reach the highest tier of prebuilt machines in 2022.

Are there any alternatives?

Yes. You can find a host of machines that match the Maingear Vybe, and you can build an almost identical copy yourself:

• Origin Neuron — More expensive, but much higher case quality and more control over components.
• HP Omen 45L — Cheaper and with a better case design, though much larger and with a few minor build issues.
• MSI Aegis RS 12 — Slightly cheaper and better case airflow, but poor build quality.

How long will it last?

Given the components inside, you can expect the Maingear Vybe to hold up for several years without upgrades. That’s one of the reasons to go with a company like Maingear, though. You can continue upgrading the Vybe for as long as you want.

Should you buy it?

Maybe, depending on your budget. If you’re on a strict budget and want the attention to detail boutique PCs bring, the Maingear Vybe is a great option. Spending a little more can net you a high-quality boutique option, however, and you can give up some build quality while saving money with a mainstream option.

Editors’ Recommendations