This Maingear gaming laptop is a throwback I love (and hate)

Price When Reviewed

$3,599

Best Prices Today: Maingear Ultima 18

Fifteen years in the past, I had a gaming laptop computer that was an enormous heavy brick. I beloved it! That’s what gaming laptops had been again then. The 18-inch Maingear Ultima 18 appears like a contemporary non secular successor to big-and-heavy gaming laptops. That’s superior, but it surely additionally exhibits the place these designs stumble.

To create the Ultima 18, Maingear packed an enormous Clevo laptop computer chassis stuffed with high-end parts. It goes overboard in some attention-grabbing methods with hard-to-find specs. But for $3,599, it’s competing with trendy high-end gaming laptops that ship a extra polished expertise. Those polished machines — with their software program tweaks and cutting-edge cooling programs — typically edge out the Ultima 18 on efficiency, and so they’re obtainable at an analogous worth.

It’s an excellent machine. I’m simply undecided whether or not it’s your best choice round this worth level, until you’re obsessed on the distinctive options it presents. And you could be!

Maingear Ultima 18: Specs

The Maingear Ultima 18 combines a blazing-fast 24-core Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor with different high-end parts. Our evaluate mannequin had an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 processor, however you may also get this with a top-of-the-line RTX 5090 GPU.

While our $3,599 evaluate unit had 32 GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2 TB SSD, you will get this machine with as much as 192 GB of RAM. This machine has two 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports for wired networking — I haven’t seen a twin Ethernet setup like that on one other trendy gaming laptop computer. Plus, there’s room inside this monster of a laptop computer for 4 M.2 SSDs. And the Ultima 18 has an 18-inch 4K show, too — with a quick 200Hz refresh price. Maingear isn’t enjoying round.

Features like the 2 Ethernet ports and 4 M.2 drive bays are method above and past. Some folks will certainly search out this particular laptop computer only for these options.

• Model quantity: Maingear Ultima 18 RTX 5080
• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
• Memory: 32 GB DDR5 RAM
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080
• NPU: Intel AI Boost (13 TOPS)
• Display: 18-inch 3840×2400 IPS show with 200Hz refresh price
• Storage: 2 TB PCIe Gen4 SSD
• Webcam: 1080p webcam
• Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 5 (USB Type-C), 2x USB Type-A, 2x 2.5Gb Ethernet, 1x combo audio jack, 1x HDMI 2.1 out, 1x microSD reader, 1x Kensington lock slot, 1x DC energy in
• Networking: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, Ethernet
• Biometrics: IR digicam for facial recognition
• Battery capability: 98 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 16.14 x 12.56 x 1.42 inches
• Weight: 8.8 kilos
• MSRP: $3,599 as examined

Maingear Ultima 18: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The Maingear Ultima 18 takes me again. This 18-inch laptop computer weighs 8.8 kilos and is 1.42 inches thick at its thickest level — it’s a brick. It’s primarily based on a Clevo chassis. (Clevo produces laptop computer designs that system builders like Maingear use to create and launch their very own laptops.)

If you’re on the lookout for a brick of a gaming laptop computer, nonetheless, it’s designed properly. With a steel lid and palm relaxation, it doesn’t really feel plasticky. But it additionally doesn’t really feel like a single piece of steel, like another high-end gaming laptops. The hinge is straightforward to open with one hand. It feels stable for an 8.8 pound 18-inch gaming laptop computer, however that is the type of machine you’ll have to be cautious with — I wouldn’t choose it up from the nook with one hand.

The design options plenty of black, damaged up by the “Maingear” title beneath the show and the brand on the lid. With animated RGB lightbars on the rear of the machine and RGB lighting on the keyboard, that’s the place the “gamer” aesthetic comes from — however, in fact, it’s customizable.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

Somewhat unusually for a contemporary gaming laptop computer, this laptop computer has small LEDs on the entrance edge, to the appropriate of the touchpad. In regular use, the left one will likely be lit when your laptop computer is on, the center one will likely be lit when your laptop computer is plugged in, and the appropriate one will blink as your laptop computer makes use of its storage. These was once rather more frequent, however they’re the type of factor most producers omit nowadays.

The design is conventional in one other method: The laptop computer blows sizzling air out of each side of the laptop computer in addition to the again. I choose trendy designs that don’t blow sizzling air towards my mouse hand. However, a lot of the sizzling air does come out the again, so it’s not too unhealthy. The cooling additionally retains the WASD space of the keyboard pretty cool. The followers get loud below load, although — that is nearer to the standard “jet engine” fan profile on a brick laptop computer, whereas many trendy laptops have discovered methods to make them quieter.

Maingear proudly proclaims that it is a “zero-bloatware Windows 11 installation,” and that’s glorious to see. You get a number of utilities to your {hardware} — from Maingear, Nvidia, and Creative — and that’s about it. There aren’t any nags to pay for antivirus software program right here. Our evaluate mannequin additionally got here with Windows 11 Pro, which is good.

Maingear Ultima 18: Keyboard and trackpad

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The Maingear Ultima 18 has a full-size chiclet membrane keyboard full with a quantity pad. It has per-key RGB backlighting for max customization.

With 1.5mm of key journey, the keyboard feels good to sport on. It doesn’t fairly really feel as premium as the remainder of the machine, although: It’s no mechanical keyboard, such as you’ll discover on some variations of the Alienware 16 Area-51, and it doesn’t have the stronger actuation power you’ll discover on machines just like the Razer Blade. I choose a clickier expertise.

The trackpad is giant and makes good use of the obtainable palm-rest house. It’s good and easy — Maingear says it has a “low friction finish.” While it’s not fairly as easy because the swankiest glass touchpads I’ve used, it will get a lot of the method there. The click-down motion feels crisp.

Maingear Ultima 18: Display and audio system

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The Maingear Ultima 18 has an 18-inch 4K IPS show (3840×2400 decision). That’s spectacular when different laptops on this class typically ship WXGA (2560×1600) shows as an alternative. The show has a 200Hz refresh price and help for Nvidia G-Sync, too. Brightness could possibly be higher: 400 nits is ok, however many laptop computer shows go brighter. At that brightness, you not getting HDR.

The show is strictly what it appears like on paper — an enormous 18-inch 4K show with a excessive refresh price. It’s good. But decision isn’t all the pieces, and gaming laptops with lower-resolution shows typically ship extra brightness and extra-vivid colours with bonus options like HDR in video games — particularly if they’ve OLED shows. (And, as you would possibly count on, this isn’t a contact display screen.)

This machine features a subwoofer in addition to two foremost audio system and two tweeters. It’s additionally powered by Sound Blaster Studio Pro 2. The bass is fairly good for a laptop computer, which is not any shock — most laptops don’t have subwoofers!

I take a look at each laptop computer I evaluate with Steely Dan’s Aja and Daft Punk’s Get Lucky. There’s greater than sufficient quantity right here, and there’s sufficient bass to make the sound really feel “full” in songs like Get Lucky. You aren’t getting audiophile-grade element right here, although — the instrument separation in Aja isn’t as crisp as it will be on a high-end pair of audio system, with the sounds blurring collectively a bit as an alternative of separating.

The audio system supplied good sound in Doom: The Dark Ages — with a chunky sound to the shotgun blast, for instance. But the shortage of unpolluted separation of sounds on the high-end — plus these loud followers — would push me to make use of an excellent pair of headphones. (That’s regular for any laptop computer, although.)

Maingear Ultima 18: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

The Maingear Ultima 18’s 1080p webcam seems first rate. It’s a tad grainy, and I’ve seen enterprise laptops with higher-end webcams. For a gaming laptop computer, that is good — however not mind-blowing. It additionally has a bodily privateness cowl, which is at all times nice to see.

This 18-inch laptop computer has a microphone that works and definitely picks up sufficient quantity. This is a fairly normal gaming laptop computer mic, however the noise cancellation wasn’t nice — it picked up the whirring of followers within the background. The microphone isn’t as much as the audio high quality I see on many enterprise laptops, that are optimized for on-line conferences — you’ll need an exterior microphone to speak whereas gaming.

This machine has presence-sensing {hardware}, too. If you need, you’ll be able to have Windows routinely wake your PC while you sit down in entrance of it or put it to sleep while you step away.

The Maingear Ultima 18 has an IR digicam for Windows Hello sign-in help. You can log into your PC along with your face, and it really works properly. This machine doesn’t have a fingerprint reader.

Maingear Ultima 18: Connectivity

IDG / Chris Hoffman

The Maingear Ultima 18 presents plenty of connectivity choices. On the left facet, this machine has a combo audio jack and two USB Type-A ports — each are 10Gbps, and one has Power Delivery.

On the appropriate facet, you’ll discover two Thunderbolt 5 (USB Type-C) ports in addition to a microSD card slot. This being a high-end gaming laptop computer, it’s nice to see future-proof Thunderbolt 5 — though few peripherals are benefiting from it but.

On the again, you’ll discover the ability adapter connection, a Kensington lock slot, HDMI 2.1 out, and two Ethernet jacks (each 2.5Gbps.) That two Ethernet jack setup is totally excessive — most individuals shopping for this laptop computer gained’t reap the benefits of it — but it surely’s spectacular and weird.

This machine has Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 help, too, so it helps the most recent requirements. I had no issues with the Wi-Fi.

Maingear Ultima 18: Performance

The Maingear Ultima 18 delivered stable gaming efficiency — as soon as I configured it. Out of the field, benchmark outcomes had been on the gradual facet in comparison with different comparable laptops. Once I went into the Maingear Control Center and set it to “Performance” mode — after which went into Windows 11’s Settings and set it to Best Performance whereas plugged in — the efficiency ended up the place I anticipated to see it. The benchmarks beneath had been carried out with these settings modified.

On many gaming laptops, that is now computerized: The manufacturer-provided software program routinely switches your gaming laptop computer into higher-performance modes while you launch video games. On this machine, you’ll be doing it your self.

However, that is sturdy {hardware}, and it carried out properly in real-world gaming. The outcomes had been impacted by a number of issues, although. In Metro: Exodus, for instance, I solely noticed aggressive efficiency as soon as I disabled the built-in GPU within the Maingear management middle.  And I do really feel like machines just like the Alienware 16 Area-51 have a extra environment friendly cooling setup that appears to result in larger top-end efficiency.

As at all times, although we ran the Maingear Ultima 18 by our standard benchmarks to see the way it performs.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

First, we run PCMark 10 to get an concept of general system efficiency. It’s designed to be a holistic benchmark, however the CPU is a significant factor on this take a look at. With an general PCMark 10 rating of 8,700, this machine delivered spectacular efficiency on par with different Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX-powered machines just like the Alienware 16 Area-51.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

Next, we run Cinebench R20. This is a closely multithreaded benchmark that focuses on general CPU efficiency. It’s a fast benchmark, so cooling below prolonged workloads isn’t an element. But, because it’s closely multithreaded, CPUs with extra cores have an enormous benefit.

The Maingear Ultima 18 produced a multi-threaded Cinebench R20 rating of 14,502, proper consistent with different laptops with the identical CPU.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

We additionally run an encode with Handbrake. This is one other closely multithreaded benchmark, but it surely runs over an prolonged time frame. This calls for the laptop computer’s cooling kick in, and plenty of laptops will throttle and decelerate below load.

The Ultima 18 accomplished the encode course of in a mean of 458 seconds, which is simply over seven and a half minutes. That’s about what we’d count on to see with this CPU, though it lags somewhat behind laptops just like the Alienware 16 Area-51 and HP Omen Max 16, which suggests these machines might have higher cooling setups to keep away from throttling as a consequence of warmth.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

Next, we run a graphical benchmark. First, we run 3Dmark Time Spy, a graphical benchmark that focuses on GPU efficiency. With a 3Dmark Time Spy rating of 19,168, this machine is available in about 10 p.c behind different comparable laptops on graphics efficiency.

(Performance on this specific benchmark went up by 5 p.c after disabling the built-in GPU within the Maingear management middle. With a rating of about 19,902, it was extra consistent with comparable laptops.)

IDG / Chris Hoffman

Then, we benchmark some video games. We begin with Shadow of the Tomb Raider, an older sport — however a good way to check efficiency throughout {hardware}. With a mean FPS of 190 in our normal benchmark right here, this machine is consistent with different comparable laptops with RTX 5080 and even RTX 5090 GPUs.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

Finally, we benchmark a demanding sport. We run the Extreme benchmark in Metro Exodus. For this benchmark, the laptop computer was persistently coming in far behind with a mean of 73 FPS. After I went into the Maingear management panel and disabled the built-in Intel GPU — setting it to the discrete Nvidia GPU solely — and rebooted, efficiency went up. After that change was made, the Maingear Ultima 18 delivered a aggressive 87 frames per second on this benchmark.

While that’s aggressive, it nonetheless is available in a number of frames behind laptops just like the Alienware 16 Area-51, doubtless due to their higher cooling designs. And these machines didn’t want any further tweaking.

Overall, the efficiency is aggressive, but it surely wants tweaking — and the cooling setup simply isn’t as spectacular as it’s on many different gaming laptops. That results in a discount in efficiency.

Maingear Ultima 18: Battery life

The Maingear Ultima 18 has an enormous 98 Watt-hour battery. That’s as huge because it will get — any bigger and the U.S. Transportation Security Administration wouldn’t enable it on an airplane! An 18-inch brick of a gaming laptop computer like this one isn’t designed for lengthy battery life, nonetheless.

IDG / Chris Hoffman

To benchmark the battery life, we play a 4K copy of Tears of Steel on repeat on Windows 11 with airplane mode enabled till the laptop computer suspends itself. We set the display screen to 250 nits of brightness for our battery benchmarks. This is a best-case situation for any laptop computer since native video playback is so environment friendly, and actual battery life in day-to-day use is at all times going to be lower than this.

The Maingear Ultima 18 lasted a mean of 288 minutes throughout our benchmark — that’s just below 5 hours. You’ll be capable of get a number of hours of labor out of it, if it is advisable to, however you’ll have to plug in for max gaming efficiency, anyway.

Maingear Ultima 18: Conclusion

The Maingear Ultima 18 impressed me after I unboxed it. The design is someplace between an old-school gaming laptop computer brick and a contemporary gaming laptop computer, and options like 4 drive bays, two Ethernet jacks, two Thunderbolt 5 ports, and a 4K 200Hz show really feel properly excessive. While it feels huge and heavy, the {hardware} justifies it.

But the spectacular specs grow to be a bit lower than the sum of their components. Compared to this machine, many trendy gaming laptops are lighter, have a extra spectacular steel design, a extra superior cooling system, don’t want this a lot tweaking to carry out properly, and produce other high-end touches like a mechanical keyboard and extra rigorously tuned speaker setup.

Don’t get me incorrect — it is a good laptop computer! I’d be pleased to make use of it. But it’s additionally $3,599. And it has plenty of competitors at that worth vary.

Still, the {hardware} alone shines. The Alienware 18 Area-51 gaming laptop computer has comparable {hardware}, however taking it to an RTX 5080 will convey you to a $3,800 retail worth — and also you’re not getting a 4K show. The Razer Blade 18 with an RTX 5080 and a higher-resolution show will price you $4,100 at retail worth. (It’s price noting that each the Alienware and Razer laptops are on sale on their respective on-line shops for lower than their retail costs on the time I wrapped up this evaluate, however these are marked as limited-time reductions.)

The specs listed here are good. For the value, although, I simply want it got here collectively higher. Other high-end gaming laptops might price somewhat bit further, however the software program integration, lighter weight, and higher-end steel designs shine.