Entry-level builds, even budget builds, have crept up in price. Often times, despite paying $1,000 or more, you can still wind up with something that feels cheap. That's not the case with the Maingear MG-1 Silver ($1,149 to start, $1,249 as tested), a desktop that feels premium, even if it has the performance of a starter rig.
The Intel Core i5-13400F and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 don't have the power of some of the best gaming PCs, but the system plays games well enough, especially if you're willing to adjust settings. We only found one component – the SSD – to be subpar. But that's replaceable, or at least can be augmented with another one down the line.
But most importantly, you still get a fairly premium chassis, meticulous cable management, and a sense that this is a computer you can grow with. When you're ready to spend more or learn to upgrade yourself, this case has nothing proprietary, and it will be able to grow with you.
