Maingear Shifts High Performance Computing into Gear

Boutique computer maker Maingear's new Shift PS pulls out all the stops, packing Core i7 processors, vertical airflow cooling, and massive expandability.

Boutique computer maker Maingear has introduced its new high-performance desktop system dubbed the Shift—where where other high-performance PCs aimed at gamers and enthusiasts pack a ton of bling and pretty colors, the Shift is defined by an austere monolithic look that packs a ton of horsepower and expandability. Maingear is positioning the Shift as a premier system to leverage the power of GPUs in everyday computing, whether that be transcoding video, editing photos, or (gasp) even just playing games.

“The Shift bucks the trend of plastic, bloated, commodity PCs,” said Maingear CEO Wallace Santos, in a statement. “It’s a statement of our commitment to performance, reliability, and support.”

And in any computing fan’s eyes, the Shift would be a pretty strong statement no matter what. Maingear is initially rolling out two highly-configurable versions, The Shift: Intel P55 and The Shift: Intel X58. The P55 featured an Intel Core i7 800-series CPU, support for up to 8 GB of DDR3-1600 memory, and is based on an Intel Kingsberg P55 Extreme Series motherboard. The X58 steps up to an Intel Core i7 900-series SPU, support for either 12 GB of DDR3-2000 RAM or 24 GB of DDR3-1600 RAM, and is based on an EVGA X58 SLI Classified motherboard.

Both systems pack in a 750–1.2KW Silverstone power supply and offer internal support for up to 6 traditional hard drives or up to 12 SSDs (two 2.5-inch SSDs can fit into a single 3.5-inch HDD bay. The systems will be available with a variety of high-end graphics solutions from both ATI and Nvidia, and support full-sized 5.25-inch optical drives—Blu-ray and DVD available as options. The systems will be offered with a variety of Auzentech audio systems, Razer peripherals, and optional Killer NIC Xeno Pro networking. Both will ship with Windows 7.

The Shifts also feature an innovative cooling system that uses vertical bottom-to-top airflow combined with a 90-degree rotation of the motherboard, combined with “aggressive” liquid cooling.

Maingear also wants customers to know their systems are backed with top-flight technical support, including non-commissioned sales, pre- and post-sale support, remote diagnostic technology, and even on-site support solutions. The systems also come with a 3-year hardware warranty.

Of course, all this comes at a price: the P55 Shift starts at $2,199, and the X55 version starts at $2,599…and that’s before tricking them out with all the gear one might want. Maingear says it plans to launch another version of the Shift aimed specifically at creative professionals by the end of the year.