Maingear ML-16 Overview: Common Gaming Efficiency at Customized Value

7.5/ 10
SCORE

Maingear ML-16

Execs

• Sharp and quick 2.5K, 240Hz show
• Robust construct high quality however not too thick and heavy

Cons

• Sooner laptops do not value rather more
• Cheaper laptops carry out simply as effectively or higher

There’s nothing unsuitable with being common, however the issue with the Maingear ML-16 is that it is common at an above-average value, placing it instantly within the crosshairs of gaming laptops which might be considerably higher. It does a good job of offering playable body charges on the highest high quality settings on at this time’s graphically punishing titles, and its RTX 4070 GPU offers you entry to frames-saving DLSS capabilities (within the video games that assist them) on the laptop computer’s 2,560×1,600-pixel, 240Hz IPS show. We simply assume you are higher off paying extra for an RTX 4080- or 4090-equipped laptop computer or spending much less for a unique RTX 4070 mannequin with equal or higher efficiency.

As configured, our Maingear ML-16 check mannequin prices $2,585 and finds itself in no-man’s land. We would spend a number of hundred {dollars} extra for the category-dominating Alienware m18 R2 that delivers double the gaming efficiency, if no more, and higher worth on your gaming greenback. Or we would veer the opposite manner and avoid wasting money on one other RTX 4070 gaming laptop computer such because the Alienware m16 R2 or Acer Predator Triton 14. We additionally just like the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, which provides RTX 4080 muscle for roughly the identical value because the Maingear ML-16.

Maingear ML-16 specs

As with most boutique PC builders, Maingear has a number of questions you’ll want to verify when choosing out your laptop computer: what sort of graphics card would you like, how a lot reminiscence do you want and what sort of storage do you wish to configure? The bottom model of the ML-16 (it labels the configurable mannequin because the MK.II) prices $1,876 for an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 16GB of reminiscence and a 1TB SSD. The model of the laptop computer we reviewed got here with a number of important however costly upgrades: an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, a whopping 64GB of DDR5 reminiscence and a single 4TB Western Digital SN850X SSD. This kicked the value as much as $2,585. Although untested, we predict someplace within the center is an inexpensive compromise: 32GB of reminiscence and 2TB of storage would prevent an additional $300 and make the laptop computer’s comparatively common efficiency simpler to justify.

You may’t modify the laptop computer’s CPU, an Intel Core Extremely 7 155H with six efficiency cores, 10 environment friendly cores and 22 complete threads. You are additionally caught with a single show: a 16-inch IPS panel supporting a most refresh charge of 240Hz and a local decision of two,560×1,600 pixels. 

The laptop computer comes with ample, various connections, together with assist for a Thunderbolt 4 port and an HDMI 2.1 out. The Gigabit Ethernet port is a nice-to-have, however 2.5Gbps would have been extra spectacular (and future-proofed). Constructed-in assist for Wi-Fi 6E offers you loads of potential velocity at residence.

Maingear ML-16 efficiency

Throughout our benchmarks, our Maingear ML-16 check system coughed up scores and body charges that trailed the competitors. It carried out adequately on our artificial benchmarks, however we had larger hopes for its 3D efficiency. It completed useless final amongst a gaggle of equally priced gaming laptops on most of our 3D exams, together with different RTX 4070 fashions and even a Dell mannequin with an RTX 4060 that prices $1,000 much less. 

On the artificial benchmark 3DMark Hearth Strike Extremely, it managed to high solely the RTX-4060 Dell Inspiron 16 Plus  7640, although its rating was close to these of the Acer Predator Triton 14 and Lenovo Legion Professional 5, two different RTX 4070 rigs. Nonetheless, the Maingear ML-16 was 11% slower on the check than the RTX 4070-based Alienware m16 R2.

Turning to precise video games, its results of 99 fps on the Guardians of the Galaxy benchmark and 100 fps on Shadow of the Tomb Raider are actually playable body charges however effectively off the tempo of the competing fashions.

In case you’re spending 1000’s of {dollars} on a gaming laptop computer, I might argue it is price spending extra for the Alienware m18 R2 that delivers double the efficiency (and a bigger show) or saving some cash and going for a inexpensive mannequin such because the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 Alienware’s m16 R2 that also serve up higher 3D body charges.

Respectable design with so-so audio system

The Maingear ML-16 weighed lower than I anticipated for a gaming laptop computer. At 4.6 kilos and with a roomy, 16-inch show, it is not a laptop computer that you will wish to stuff in a backpack if you’re on the go, but it surely’s not one that may break your again throughout a each day commute. It is also not a typical beast of a gaming laptop computer whose weight makes it extra of an around-the-house PC.

Numpads on gaming laptops are typically pointless, and I hate that the ML-16’s numpad has its bottom-left keys virtually overlapping the laptop computer’s arrow keys to accommodate one. That stated, the keyboard itself is spacious, that includes keys with a brief, crisp journey, and it is silent and nice to hammer away on if you’re about to die throughout your World of Warcraft raid night time. 

There’s RGB lighting for the keyboard, but it surely’s single-zone, and the Management Heart software program to handle it’s spartan at greatest. There aren’t any enjoyable results to select from (a lot for a “respiratory” laptop computer). Getting per-key RGB lighting is not an unreasonable expectation on the Maingear Ml-16’s value.

A 4.8-by-3.3-inch touchpad sits under the keyboard’s main keys, barely offset from its middle (in addition to the laptop computer’s “true” middle). Though it appears to be like awkward, your left-hand will get an additional little bit of mandatory house that makes it comfy, not cramped, to relaxation your palm on the lower-left nook of the keyboard tray. The touchpad itself is as responsive as we would count on, which is to say that the highest inch or so is rather more tough to click on than the decrease half. That is typical of most laptops with mechanical-click touchpads, as a lot as we dislike it.

The laptop computer’s audio system sounded worse than I anticipated. Situated within the corners of the laptop computer beneath the underside of its keyboard tray, they partially down-fire towards your lap or desk, muffling the sound. Bass feels virtually non-existent even when the laptop computer sits on a desk. Worse, they’re imbalanced: On my check system, the precise speaker sounds louder than the left by default. You may repair this by hopping into Home windows’ sound settings and turning up the left speaker’s quantity slightly bit, but it surely’s non permanent. In case you decrease the laptop computer’s quantity to zero, the subsequent time you elevate it, Home windows may have reset the steadiness to its authentic values. You will be proper again to listening to far more sound out of the laptop computer’s proper than its left, which will get annoying.

Additionally, whereas the laptop computer’s followers aren’t the loudest we have heard on a gaming laptop computer throughout heavy gaming, they’re completely noticeable. You will wish to maintain your headphones helpful otherwise you’ll battle to listen to dialogue and results above the fan noise when gaming except you crank the quantity previous an uncomfortable degree.

On the entire, the ML-16’s construct high quality is nice. The laptop computer feels stable and durable. Its 16-inch display is barely wobblier if you alter it than with different gaming laptops I’ve examined, however nothing I might contemplate problematic. As is typical, the included webcam on the high of the show is not wonderful, however at the very least it is 1080p. It’s going to go on your Discord streams, however that is about it.

Pace is the show’s energy

I used to be happy to see a quick, 240Hz show on the Maingear ML-16. A 4K decision would have been higher for further sharpness and readability, however your body charges would probably endure in consequence, thus invalidating the purpose of a 240Hz display — except you might be prepared to crank down the decision or your video games’ high quality settings. 

The display is a typical IPS show and never the OLED that you just get with the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16. The show helps solely the sRGB shade house, which is one other bummer if you happen to choose that saturated, vibrant search for video games and pictures. Its brightness maxed out at a measured 432 nits, which was sufficient to not lose particulars in darkish scenes. The show’s general vary is fairly good, however the minimal measured brightness of 64 nits (on an all-white display) is excessive. Whereas it is uncertain that you just’d run the laptop computer that low in something however a pitch-black room, I choose to see shows beneath 50 nits for the additional consolation it gives.

I did not have any points utilizing the laptop computer for gaming or work. Spreadsheet textual content was completely readable, and I wasn’t hampered by the laptop computer’s decision in any apparent manner. I did discover myself ticking the display’s brightness up barely from my typical customary of 120 nits for slightly further readability and perceived picture high quality, however that is the one outlier I encountered. The show’s 16:10 ratio offers you slightly further vertical house to work with, but it surely additionally means you will get letterboxing when watching 16:9 content material (4K motion pictures, 1080p YouTube movies full-screen, and many others.). 

The Maingear ML-16 is not a foul laptop computer by any stretch, however there’s not a lot to get enthusiastic about. It lacks the wow issue you would possibly count on from a boutique builder at a boutique value, whether or not that is unbelievable gaming efficiency, a stunning OLED show and even per-key RGB lighting. Competing fashions from Acer, Asus and Dell provide higher efficiency at higher costs.