Maingear ML-16 MK2 laptop review: GeForce RTX 4070 performance for a decent price
Much like Schenker or Eurocom, Maingear is a reseller of high-performance white label laptops designed to attract gamers and professionals. This approach is in contrast to more well-known PC makers like Dell, Lenovo, or HP who design their laptops in-house. The latest model from Maingear is the ML-16 MK2 equipped with the latest Intel Meteor Lake CPU and Nvidia GPU.
Our test unit has been fully configured with the Core Ultra 7 155H, 105 W GeForce RTX 4070, and 240 Hz 1600p IPS display for approximately $2000. Lesser SKUs come with the RTX 4060 instead, but the CPU and display remain fixed.
Competitors to the ML-16 MK2 include other ultra-thin 16-inch gaming laptops like the Razer Blade 16, Alienware x16 R2, Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, or the Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16.
More Maingear reviews:
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Version | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
80.9 % | v8 | 09 / 2024 | Maingear ML-16 MK2 Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU | 2.1 kg | 19.9 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
85.9 % | v8 | 08 / 2024 | Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU | 1.8 kg | 17.2 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
84.3 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 05 / 2024 | HP Victus 16 (2024) i7-14700HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU | 2.4 kg | 23.9 mm | 16.10" | 1920x1080 | |
88.4 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 05 / 2024 | Alienware x16 R2 P120F Ultra 9 185H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop GPU | 2.7 kg | 18.57 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
89.3 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 03 / 2024 | Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 i9-14900HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU | 2.5 kg | 26.95 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
91.1 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 02 / 2024 | Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 i9-14900HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU | 2.5 kg | 22 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 |
Note: We have recently updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7. More information is available here .
Case — Thin And Sharp
The chassis can be traced back to Clevo (V560TNE-S) based on the manufacturer of origin. It consists mostly of aluminum metal for the outer lid and bottom while the black keyboard deck is plastic. The two contrasting colors work well together to help visually distinguish the model from the usual all-black or matte white gaming laptop.
Chassis quality, however, doesn't reflect the high asking price. Surfaces warp more readily and don't feel as rigid as competitors like the Razer Blade 16 or Alienware x16 R2. For example, pressing down on the keyboard center or outer lid with a finger will noticeably depress the surfaces.. The lid teeters more readily as well when adjusting the angles. You'll want to be more careful when handling the ML-16 MK2 or you might risk damaging the small hinges.
Weight and thickness are lighter and thinner than major competitors including the Blade 16 or Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is even thinner and lighter than our Maingear, but it also retails for hundreds of dollars more.
Connectivity
Ports are plentiful although there are a couple missing. The Blade 16, for example, includes more USB-A ports while the Alienware x16 R2 includes a mini-DisplayPort. Port positioning is good and not too crowded unlike on the aforementioned Alienware system.
SD Card Reader
While we appreciate having a small MicroSD reader instead of no SD reader at all, the one here is slow especially for a 16-inch gaming laptop. Transferring 1 GB of pictures from our UHS-II test card takes about 25 seconds compared to just 6 seconds on the Blade 16.
SD Card Reader | |
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) |
Communication
The Intel AX211 comes standard for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. We experienced steady transfer rates and no issues when paired to our AXE11000 test router.
Webcam
A 2 MP webcam with IR and an electronic shutter come standard to be comparable to rivals.
Maintenance
The bottom panel requires some patience to remove as it's secured by 13 Phillips screws. It otherwise pops off without much resistance for easy access to two M.2 PCIe4 x4 2280 bays, two SODIMM slots, battery, and the removable WLAN module. These options are comparable to the Razer Blade 16 while being better than the Alienware x16 R2 which has no user-upgradeable RAM at all.
Sustainability
Maingear advertises no recycled materials used to manufacture the laptop.
The packaging consists of cardboard, plastic wrapping, and unrecyclable LDPE.
Accessories And Warranty
There are no extras in the box other than the AC adapter and paperwork. The usual one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies if purchased in the US.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The typing experience is louder than on most other laptops due to the high-pitched clatter of the main QWERTY keys. Loud clatter typically means firmer and more satisfying feedback, but that is not the case on the ML-16 MK2 as travel is still shallow while the soft feedback doesn't quite match the sharp noise level. The keyboards on the Legion Pro 5 16 or Victus 16 which feel more familiar in comparison and easier to become accustomed to.
A single-zone RGB backlight comes standard with no per-key RGB or even quad-zone options.
Touchpad
The clickpad (12.2 x 8.3 cm) is smaller than the one on the Blade 16 (17 x 9.7 cm) but bigger than on the Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 (12 x 7.5 cm). It's spacious with firm and clicky feedback when pressed. Gliding, however, is almost too smooth especially at lower speeds which makes precision clicks or drag-and-drop actions more difficult. In comparison, the finger tends to stick when moving at slower speeds on most other laptops to aid in precision.
Display — Gaming IPS
The ML-16 MK2 is the first model in our database to ship with the TL160ADMP11-0 240 Hz IPS panel. It's comparable to the BOE B160QAN panel on the Alienware x16 R2 in terms of refresh rate, contrast ratio, and resolution, but it can't quite match the Dell display when it comes to color reproduction or response times. The ML-16 MK2 display can be considered midrange as a result which is still very well suited for gaming and most amateur graphics editing.
More advanced features like G-Sync or HDR are not supported.
|
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 518.2 cd/m²
Contrast: 1296:1 (Black: 0.4 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.88 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.93, calibrated: 1.42
ΔE Greyscale 3.3 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
69.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
98.2% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
67.3% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.24
Maingear ML-16 MK2 TL160ADMP11-0, IPS, 2560x1600, 16", 240 Hz | Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV ATNA60DL04-0, OLED, 2560x1600, 16", 240 Hz | HP Victus 16 (2024) Chi Mei CMN163E, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.1", 144 Hz | Alienware x16 R2 P120F BOE B160QAN, IPS, 2560x1600, 16", 240 Hz | Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 BOE NE160QDM-NYC, IPS, 2560x1600, 16", 165 Hz | Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 Samsung SDC41AB (ATNA60DL03-0), OLED, 2560x1600, 16", 240 Hz | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 30% | -38% | 25% | 2% | 29% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 67.3 | 99.9 48% | 41.3 -39% | 98.3 46% | 69.3 3% | 99.1 47% |
sRGB Coverage | 98.2 | 100 2% | 61.7 -37% | 100 2% | 99.4 1% | 99.9 2% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 69.2 | 96.9 40% | 42.7 -38% | 88.8 28% | 70.1 1% | 95.6 38% |
Response Times | 98% | -117% | 42% | 4% | 97% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 12.5 ? | 0.22 ? 98% | 28.6 ? -129% | 3.9 ? 69% | 11.9 ? 5% | 0.24 ? 98% |
Response Time Black / White * | 9.1 ? | 0.25 ? 97% | 18.7 ? -105% | 7.8 ? 14% | 8.9 ? 2% | 0.4 ? 96% |
PWM Frequency | 960 | 960 | ||||
Screen | 11% | -79% | -3% | 14% | 193% | |
Brightness middle | 518.2 | 416 -20% | 287 -45% | 348.4 -33% | 384 -26% | 418 -19% |
Brightness | 487 | 418 -14% | 288 -41% | 340 -30% | 366 -25% | 420 -14% |
Brightness Distribution | 90 | 96 7% | 86 -4% | 90 0% | 91 1% | 98 9% |
Black Level * | 0.4 | 0.19 52% | 0.33 17% | 0.35 12% | 0.02 95% | |
Contrast | 1296 | 1511 17% | 1056 -19% | 1097 -15% | 20900 1513% | |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.88 | 1.6 15% | 5.46 -190% | 2.68 -43% | 0.97 48% | 1.07 43% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.96 | 2.1 58% | 20.36 -310% | 4.14 17% | 3.57 28% | 4.04 19% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.42 | 3.52 -148% | 0.42 70% | 0.77 46% | 1.07 25% | |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.3 | 2.7 18% | 4.8 -45% | 3.4 -3% | 1.5 55% | 1.12 66% |
Gamma | 2.24 98% | 2.16 102% | 2.108 104% | 2.41 91% | 2.24 98% | 2.29 96% |
CCT | 7081 92% | 6331 103% | 6442 101% | 6083 107% | 6709 97% | 6417 101% |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 46% /
32% | -78% /
-76% | 21% /
10% | 7% /
10% | 106% /
144% |
* ... smaller is better
Although the display isn't factory calibrated, average grayscale and color DeltaE values are otherwise quite good out of the box at 3.3 and 1.8, respectively. Color temperature is slightly too cool at almost 7100, but calibrating with our X-Rite colorimeter addresses this to improve average deltaE values slightly. Users can apply our calibrated ICM profile above for free.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
9.1 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5 ms rise | |
↘ 4.1 ms fall | ||
The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 21 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
12.5 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5.6 ms rise | |
↘ 6.9 ms fall | ||
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 22 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8799 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. |
Outdoor visibility is better than most other 16-inch gaming laptops due to the relatively bright 500 nit backlight. The Victus 16, Alienware x16 R2, and Blade 16, for example, top out at only 400 nits or even just 300 nits to be noticeably dimmer. You'll still want to avoid direct sunlight to preserve colors as much as possible.
Performance — Meteor Lake Instead Of Raptor Lake Refresh
Testing Conditions
We set Windows and Control Center to Performance mode prior to running the benchmarks below. Owners should become familiar with the pre-installed Control Center software as it is the hub for adjusting key features including fan behavior, the electronic camera shutter, RGB keys, and the manual GPU MUX switch. Note that the latter is annoyingly hidden under a submenu that requires additional clicking to access.
Only standard Optimus and MUX are supported with no Advanced Optimus. Thus, a reboot is required when switching between dGPU and MSHybrid modes.
Processor
The Core Ultra 7 155H succeeds the Core i7-13700H, but the performance boost is relatively marginal at just 5 to 15 percent. This is because the new Meteor Lake platform reserves much of its die space for the new integrated NPU and so the raw performance benefits have taken a backseat this year. The Core i7-14700HX would have boosted raw performance much more significantly than the Core Ultra 7 155H, but it is also a more power-hungry processor.
The integrated NPU is unfortunately of very limited use as it is not compatible with Co-Pilot+; the Microsoft service requires at least a Lunar Lake processor or the AMD/Qualcomm equivalent. Most games do not yet utilize the NPU, either.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 6.2: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
CPU Performance Rating | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS -2! | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX -3! | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx -2! | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (9769 - 19007, n=46) | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (1496 - 1815, n=46) | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (3798 - 7409, n=44) | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (601 - 696, n=44) | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (1932 - 2880, n=49) | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (99.6 - 268, n=45) | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F |
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (175 - 381, n=42) | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 |
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (41739 - 70254, n=44) | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (4795 - 5621, n=44) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F |
Geekbench 6.2 / Multi-Core | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (7732 - 13656, n=49) | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
Geekbench 6.2 / Single-Core | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (1901 - 2473, n=46) | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (10017 - 13556, n=46) | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (1462 - 1824, n=46) | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (9.93 - 21.2, n=44) | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE |
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (40.9 - 79.2, n=43) | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS |
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
HP Victus 16-r0077ng | |
Acer Nitro 16 AN16-41-R7YE | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Omen 16-n0033dx | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
HP Victus 16-r0076TX | |
CSL GameStar Notebook VenomGamer G16 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (0.4457 - 0.53, n=43) | |
Lenovo Legion Slim 7 16APH8 | |
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7630 | |
MSI Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport A13VG | |
Asus TUF Gaming A16 FA617XS | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 |
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 6.2: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
Performance Rating | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H |
AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (6670 - 18470, n=44) |
AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (40905 - 93181, n=44) |
AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (1940 - 4436, n=44) |
AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (64698 - 94181, n=44) |
AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (5639 - 10647, n=44) |
AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (18236 - 47685, n=44) |
AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (45713 - 152179, n=44) |
AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (557 - 1250, n=44) |
AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (3569 - 9802, n=44) |
AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (32719 - 54223, n=44) | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 |
Stress Test
The CPU would boost to 3.2 GHz, 100 C, and 85 W when initiating Prime95 stress. After a few seconds, however, the CPU would drop to 2.6 GHz and 69 W and then eventually stabilize at 2.1 GHz and 57 W. Core temperature would cycle between 73 C and 100 C with thermal throttling detected according to HWiNFO. These high core temperatures are warmer than on the Razer Blade 16 under similar conditions and they're responsible for the very warm surface temperatures as well.
When running Cyberpunk 2077 on Performance mode, the GPU would stabilize at 2160 MHz, 85 C, and 80 W compared to 2010 MHz, 80 C, and 74 W when on the quieter Balanced mode. If your game is not CPU heavy, then running on Balanced mode may be preferable since the GPU is not heavily impacted. Note that Nvidia Control Panel lists a TGP of 105 W, but we're only able to reach a maximum of 80 W when gaming according to GPU-Z.
Overall core temperatures when gaming are much warmer than alternatives like the Blade 16. Our CPU and GPU would stabilize at 101 C and 85 C, respectively, compared to 78 C and 75 C on the Razer. Enabling Maximum fan mode would only reduce core temperatures by just a few degrees C without improving performance.
Average CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | Average GPU Temperature (°C) | |
System Idle | -- | -- | 48 | 40 |
Prime95 Stress | 2.1 | -- | 73 - 101 | 53 |
Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 1.1 - 1.4 | ~1785 | 75 - 95 | ~70 |
Cyberpunk 2077 Stress (Balanced mode) | 1.2 | 2010 | 79 | 80 |
Cyberpunk 2077 Stress (Performance mode w/ Max fan off) | 1.4 | 2160 | 101 | 85 |
Cyberpunk 2077 Stress (Performance mode w/ Max fan on) | 1.5 | 2055 | 98 | 82 |
System Performance
PCMark scores are comparable to competing machines like the HP Victus 16 or Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 to show that most day-to-day tasks don't run significantly faster or slower on the Maingear despite their specification differences. However, CrossMark and AIDA64 memory results are both lower than expected owing to our comparatively slower raw CPU performance and DDR5-4800 RAM. Competitors like the Blade 16 or Alienware m16 R2 ship with faster DDR5-5600 or LPDDR5-7467, respectively.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
WebXPRT 3: Overall
WebXPRT 4: Overall
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total
PCMark 10 / Score | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (7084 - 7761, n=4) | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F |
PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (10038 - 10393, n=4) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F |
PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (9192 - 9518, n=4) | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F |
PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (10100 - 13035, n=4) | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) |
CrossMark / Overall | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (1687 - 1848, n=4) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F |
CrossMark / Productivity | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (1589 - 1750, n=4) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F |
CrossMark / Creativity | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (1860 - 2014, n=4) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F |
CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (1424 - 1683, n=4) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV |
WebXPRT 3 / Overall | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (264 - 294, n=4) | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F |
WebXPRT 4 / Overall | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (247 - 257, n=4) | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F |
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 / Total | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (546 - 568, n=3) | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV |
* ... smaller is better
PCMark 10 Score | 7704 points | |
Help |
AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (62397 - 96791, n=44) | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 |
AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (60544 - 90647, n=44) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 |
AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (58692 - 93451, n=44) | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 |
AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (120.2 - 233, n=44) | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
LatencyMon reveals larger-than-expected DPC issues related to ACPI drivers even when on MSHybrid mode. Furthermore, we're able to record 33 dropped frames during a 60-second 4K60 test video when there should be zero especially considering the Meteor Lake-H CPU inside. These dropped frames manifest as stuttering when streaming 4K video and they suggest an underlying driver issue or poor management of background activities which can interrupt the main window.
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
The Maingear is one of the few systems to ship with 4 TB WD Black SN850X PCIe4 x4 NVMe options. Transfer rates are excellent at nearly 7000 MB/s with no throttling detected when stressed. We appreciate that the heat sink and thermal pads come standard to help dissipate heat.
Drive Performance Rating - Percent | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 5 16IRX9 | |
Alienware x16 R2 P120F | |
Razer Blade 16 2024, RTX 4090 | |
HP Victus 16 (2024) | |
Maingear ML-16 MK2 | |
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605WV |