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frontpageThangsanity posted Jan 08, 2023 08:29 PM
frontpageThangsanity posted Jan 08, 2023 08:29 PM

Micro Center: MAINGEAR Vector Pro 2 17.3" Laptop: Ryzen 9 6900Hx, RTX 3070 Ti

+ Free Store Pickup

$1,300

$2,500

48% off
Micro Center
45 Comments 36,383 Views
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Deal Details
Micro Center Stores [store locator] has MAINGEAR Vector Pro 2 17.3" Gaming Laptop for $1299.99. Available for free store pickup where stock permits.

Thanks to Community Member Thangsanity for finding this deal.

Note: Only available for store pickup. Availability will vary by location.

Specs
  • AMD Ryzen 9 6900Hx 3.3GHz Processor
  • 17.3" QHD 240Hz Display
  • 32GB DDR5 4800 RAM
  • 1TB Solid State Drive
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GB GDDR6
  • 10/100/1000/2500 Network
  • 2x2 Intel AX200
  • Back-lit RGB Keyboard
  • Microsoft Windows 11 Pro
  • Ports:
    • 2x USB 3.1 (Gen 1 Type-A)
    • 1x HDMI
    • 1 LAN RJ-45
    • Headphone/Microphone
    • microSD Card Reader
  • 5 lbs
  • 6-cell 7900 mAh Battery

Editor's Notes

Written by slickdewmaster | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • This price is $1200 less (48% savings) than the listed retail price.
    • While supplies last.
  • About this product:
    • 1-Year Warranty
  • About this store:
    • You can view Micro Centers' Return Policy here.
  • Additional Note:
    • Please refer to the Forum Thread for additional discussion regarding this deal.

Original Post

Written by Thangsanity
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Micro Center Stores [store locator] has MAINGEAR Vector Pro 2 17.3" Gaming Laptop for $1299.99. Available for free store pickup where stock permits.

Thanks to Community Member Thangsanity for finding this deal.

Note: Only available for store pickup. Availability will vary by location.

Specs
  • AMD Ryzen 9 6900Hx 3.3GHz Processor
  • 17.3" QHD 240Hz Display
  • 32GB DDR5 4800 RAM
  • 1TB Solid State Drive
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GB GDDR6
  • 10/100/1000/2500 Network
  • 2x2 Intel AX200
  • Back-lit RGB Keyboard
  • Microsoft Windows 11 Pro
  • Ports:
    • 2x USB 3.1 (Gen 1 Type-A)
    • 1x HDMI
    • 1 LAN RJ-45
    • Headphone/Microphone
    • microSD Card Reader
  • 5 lbs
  • 6-cell 7900 mAh Battery

Editor's Notes

Written by slickdewmaster | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • This price is $1200 less (48% savings) than the listed retail price.
    • While supplies last.
  • About this product:
    • 1-Year Warranty
  • About this store:
    • You can view Micro Centers' Return Policy here.
  • Additional Note:
    • Please refer to the Forum Thread for additional discussion regarding this deal.

Original Post

Written by Thangsanity

Community Voting

Deal Score
+37
Good Deal
Get Deal at Micro Center

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Top Comments

mordwho
34 Posts
14 Reputation
It's a tongfang design. Sold by many others as well. Schenker XMG, Eluktronics, and Xotic PC are a few others I've seen selling these laptops under their brands.

The 3080ti version is 175watts for the GPU, the 3070ti versions it's listed as "125w configurable to 150w" on this MicroCenter in-house review ( which also claims even the AMD versions have USB4/Thunderbolt 3 support!) https://community.microcenter.com...eup-review

I bought the 3080ti/12900/15.6" version in December when these were at their lowest prices (1600 for 3080ti, 1200 for 15" 3070ti AMD and Intel versions), but I'm regretting not getting this 6900/3070ti version in either 17 or 15 inch version as I think they'd have provided more than enough power at a lower price!

At least the 3080ti/12900 15" version is loud and hot, but not more so than other gaming laptops I've seen. It says "175W" for the GPU but i've never seen it maintain much more than 150 for any length of time. Build quality is pretty good, though not super premium by any means. I don't really like the keyboard on the 15" version, it's trying too hard to act like a mechanical desktop keyboard and ends up feeling too deep and spongey for a laptop. All in all, it's a great machine for the money! That said, I'm returning mine tomorrow because it's just too big and heavy for me and I found a good deal on a less powerful, but also smaller 14" gaming laptop I like carrying around much more.
ryujitsu
249 Posts
54 Reputation
Many people buy this laptop for its price, regardless of its poor quality design. If you do decide to get this, I would definitely get a laptop cooler for it and everything external.. like mouse and keyboard and monitor. This laptop is purely to replace a desktop, but fails at being a standalone laptop use. If you have all those externals and a cooler, then this would be okay for a desktop replacement.

I went to microcenter myself to look at it on display and decided to cancel my order afterwards lol. Still, the specs and price can't be beat with this laptop, best deal per dollar. However, if quality your looking for and using this as a standalone laptop without external mouse, keyboard, monitor... This is not the laptop for you in my opinion.

I went with the Asus 14" Zeph, got an open box for $999 with a 500 nit screen. I would go with the Asus Zeph 500 nit screen model or the Lenovo Legion 5 pro 500 nit screen if you want a standalone laptop.

I'll say it again, this laptop should only be considered if you plan on using all external mouse, keyboard and monitor. Make sure to get a laptop cooler as well since it has poor cooling. It is not portable and everything sucks on it as a standalone laptop. The only thing that doesn't suck is the specs inside it, which is why I recommend using it only with external needs as desktop replacement.

44 Comments

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Jan 08, 2023 08:43 PM
33 Posts
Joined Jun 2012
HippocratesJan 08, 2023 08:43 PM
33 Posts
Great specs, I agree, but I have never heard of this brand. Also begs the question how many watts to the GPU?
1
6
Jan 08, 2023 10:04 PM
34 Posts
Joined Feb 2020
mordwhoJan 08, 2023 10:04 PM
34 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank mordwho

Quote from Hippocrates :
Great specs, I agree, but I have never heard of this brand. Also begs the question how many watts to the GPU?
It's a tongfang design. Sold by many others as well. Schenker XMG, Eluktronics, and Xotic PC are a few others I've seen selling these laptops under their brands.

The 3080ti version is 175watts for the GPU, the 3070ti versions it's listed as "125w configurable to 150w" on this MicroCenter in-house review ( which also claims even the AMD versions have USB4/Thunderbolt 3 support!) https://community.microcenter.com...eup-review

I bought the 3080ti/12900/15.6" version in December when these were at their lowest prices (1600 for 3080ti, 1200 for 15" 3070ti AMD and Intel versions), but I'm regretting not getting this 6900/3070ti version in either 17 or 15 inch version as I think they'd have provided more than enough power at a lower price!

At least the 3080ti/12900 15" version is loud and hot, but not more so than other gaming laptops I've seen. It says "175W" for the GPU but i've never seen it maintain much more than 150 for any length of time. Build quality is pretty good, though not super premium by any means. I don't really like the keyboard on the 15" version, it's trying too hard to act like a mechanical desktop keyboard and ends up feeling too deep and spongey for a laptop. All in all, it's a great machine for the money! That said, I'm returning mine tomorrow because it's just too big and heavy for me and I found a good deal on a less powerful, but also smaller 14" gaming laptop I like carrying around much more.
3
1
Jan 08, 2023 10:54 PM
2,508 Posts
Joined Apr 2021
PowerfulClub4936Jan 08, 2023 10:54 PM
2,508 Posts
Quote from mordwho :
It's a tongfang design. Sold by many others as well. Schenker XMG, Eluktronics, and Xotic PC are a few others I've seen selling these laptops under their brands.

The 3080ti version is 175watts for the GPU, the 3070ti versions it's listed as "125w configurable to 150w" on this MicroCenter in-house review ( which also claims even the AMD versions have USB4/Thunderbolt 3 support!) https://community.microcenter.com...eup-review [microcenter.com]

I bought the 3080ti/12900/15.6" version in December when these were at their lowest prices (1600 for 3080ti, 1200 for 15" 3070ti AMD and Intel versions), but I'm regretting not getting this 6900/3070ti version in either 17 or 15 inch version as I think they'd have provided more than enough power at a lower price!

At least the 3080ti/12900 15" version is loud and hot, but not more so than other gaming laptops I've seen. It says "175W" for the GPU but i've never seen it maintain much more than 150 for any length of time. Build quality is pretty good, though not super premium by any means. I don't really like the keyboard on the 15" version, it's trying too hard to act like a mechanical desktop keyboard and ends up feeling too deep and spongey for a laptop. All in all, it's a great machine for the money! That said, I'm returning mine tomorrow because it's just too big and heavy for me and I found a good deal on a less powerful, but also smaller 14" gaming laptop I like carrying around much more.
Some people have cross-loaded bios or control software from different makes. Have you done any of those things?
Jan 08, 2023 11:18 PM
139 Posts
Joined Apr 2020
BlueWater605Jan 08, 2023 11:18 PM
139 Posts
Yeah, Micro Center brand. I've had good luck with their stuff. If I was in the market I'd consider this machine.
Jan 09, 2023 03:21 AM
34 Posts
Joined Feb 2020
mordwhoJan 09, 2023 03:21 AM
34 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank mordwho

Quote from PowerfulClub4936 :
Some people have cross-loaded bios or control software from different makes. Have you done any of those things?
I have not. But no doubt it's possible/easy if you've ever messed with firmware or BIOS before. I wouldn't be surprised if you could just install the XMG or Eluktronics management software directly if you try, they should be identical machines hardware wise.

This model with the 6900 and 3070ti is probably the sweet spot, the 3080ti can't run at its advertised 175W but can maintain 150+ indefinitely in most situations. Plus, who needs 64GB of RAM in a gaming laptop?

Really, I found it to be a very impressive machine, especially at the price. I'm only returning mine because I after carrying the thing for a few days I was sure I wanted a 14" laptop instead since I.m traveling almost constantly this year and was looking for a gaming laptop that will rarely see my desk. If you're looking for a desktop-replacement laptop, these are hard to beat since you'll have so much money left over vs anything else with the same specs, and nothing of consequence to complain about with the laptop itself.
2
Jan 09, 2023 03:32 AM
1,593 Posts
Joined Jul 2007
sabinJan 09, 2023 03:32 AM
1,593 Posts

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Some of the reviews were less than stellar describing overheating and issues with sleep/wake/hibernation. Sounds fixable through a BIOS update, but I've never heard of this brand. Who knows if the machine would ever get one?

17" for a laptop is a lot for portability. Tack on the 5+lbs this weighs, not exactly great for portability. Spec-wise though this checks a lot of boxes. Processor, RAM, QHD, high refresh rate — a lot to like with the specs in relation to the price.
1
Jan 09, 2023 04:15 AM
34 Posts
Joined Feb 2020
mordwhoJan 09, 2023 04:15 AM
34 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank mordwho

Quote from sabin :
Some of the reviews were less than stellar describing overheating and issues with sleep/wake/hibernation. Sounds fixable through a BIOS update, but I've never heard of this brand. Who knows if the machine would ever get one?

17" for a laptop is a lot for portability. Tack on the 5+lbs this weighs, not exactly great for portability. Spec-wise though this checks a lot of boxes. Processor, RAM, QHD, high refresh rate — a lot to like with the specs in relation to the price.
Having owned one for a few weeks, the heat and sleep/wake issues are no worse than any windows gaming laptop (I've tried things as premium as a Razer Blade, which was far worse at sleep/wake issues and got just as hot at a lower TGP due to being so much thinner). Which is to say, it's extremely hot, incredibly loud and rarely goes to sleep when you close the lid. As for Bios updates/fixes, apparently some of the other brands selling this design have better BIOS that you can easily load in, but I never had any issues other than 5lbs x 1" thick being too big for my needs.

It's not a premium product, which is why it's at such an aggressive price. If you want near-desktop Price/performance, these laptops are pretty good candidates.
1
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Jan 09, 2023 07:34 AM
9 Posts
Joined Dec 2017
7krb8okJan 09, 2023 07:34 AM
9 Posts
every review on the website looks like this laptop is unreliable and overheats...

I really really really want to love this laptop at this price, but it looks like a terrible decision
1
Jan 09, 2023 10:10 AM
249 Posts
Joined Mar 2013
ryujitsuJan 09, 2023 10:10 AM
249 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank ryujitsu

Quote from elliot.dy.lee :
every review on the website looks like this laptop is unreliable and overheats...

I really really really want to love this laptop at this price, but it looks like a terrible decision
Many people buy this laptop for its price, regardless of its poor quality design. If you do decide to get this, I would definitely get a laptop cooler for it and everything external.. like mouse and keyboard and monitor. This laptop is purely to replace a desktop, but fails at being a standalone laptop use. If you have all those externals and a cooler, then this would be okay for a desktop replacement.

I went to microcenter myself to look at it on display and decided to cancel my order afterwards lol. Still, the specs and price can't be beat with this laptop, best deal per dollar. However, if quality your looking for and using this as a standalone laptop without external mouse, keyboard, monitor... This is not the laptop for you in my opinion.

I went with the Asus 14" Zeph, got an open box for $999 with a 500 nit screen. I would go with the Asus Zeph 500 nit screen model or the Lenovo Legion 5 pro 500 nit screen if you want a standalone laptop.

I'll say it again, this laptop should only be considered if you plan on using all external mouse, keyboard and monitor. Make sure to get a laptop cooler as well since it has poor cooling. It is not portable and everything sucks on it as a standalone laptop. The only thing that doesn't suck is the specs inside it, which is why I recommend using it only with external needs as desktop replacement.
2
1
Jan 09, 2023 01:01 PM
10 Posts
Joined Jun 2022
UltraEJan 09, 2023 01:01 PM
10 Posts
I went to microcenter to grab the hp omen that was on sale there and I asked about this laptop. He said don't do it, specs are great but not worth it. The reviews are awful also.
Jan 09, 2023 01:02 PM
896 Posts
Joined Oct 2013
LordKelJan 09, 2023 01:02 PM
896 Posts
I'd buy this right now to replace my 1660ti Gaming Laptop if it was able to be shipped. I don't want to drive 3 hrs to my closest MicroCenter store.
Jan 09, 2023 01:04 PM
896 Posts
Joined Oct 2013
LordKelJan 09, 2023 01:04 PM
896 Posts
Quote from UltraE :
I went to microcenter to grab the hp omen that was on sale there and I asked about this laptop. He said don't do it, specs are great but not worth it. The reviews are awful also.
I don't know how MC works, but if there is commission involved you always have to be careful about what salespeople say. I know that Samsung, HP, and Sony used to give points to employees on items sold to their companies. Intel did too, and I got a lot of nice things for pushing them over others. If they are saying HP quality is better than this, then that is odd since most HPs are not that good of quality.
Jan 09, 2023 01:11 PM
10 Posts
Joined Jun 2022
UltraEJan 09, 2023 01:11 PM
10 Posts
Quote from LordKel :
I don't know how MC works, but if there is commission involved you always have to be careful about what salespeople say. I know that Samsung, HP, and Sony used to give points to employees on items sold to their companies. Intel did too, and I got a lot of nice things for pushing them over others. If they are saying HP quality is better than this, then that is odd since most HPs are not that good of quality.
Definitely commission involved but this laptop was 400 dollars more than what I bought.
Jan 09, 2023 01:31 PM
99 Posts
Joined Nov 2018
RichRuaneJan 09, 2023 01:31 PM
99 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank RichRuane

I bought this late last summer, and had massive problems with overheating. I bought a laptop cooling pad, didn't seem to make much difference, upgraded to one that had 5 fans on it, but the laptop would continue to throttle. Tried as much as i could to keep the thing cool (it was sat on my desk in a cool basement). Even the RAM would get super toasty, you could keep the keyboard heating up where the RAM was.

I ended up speaking to Micro Center, and they took the laptop back and gave me a store credit to get something else (I got a 15" MSI Pulse with a RTX 3070 & i7-11800H). The store clerk i spoke to advised me i wasn't the first person he had dealt with who had returned the laptop.
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Jan 09, 2023 02:22 PM
200 Posts
Joined Mar 2017
RuzarikJan 09, 2023 02:22 PM
200 Posts
Quote from Hippocrates :
Great specs, I agree, but I have never heard of this brand. Also begs the question how many watts to the GPU?
I have yet to witness a GPU reach full wattage in a laptop chassis.

The heatsinks simply do not have enough thermal mass to be able to release the heat fast enough to allow the GPU to run full throttle.

Would love to see evidence of a GPU that could though! If anyone's got it I'm all ears.

Personally I found myself undervolting and capping the CPU performance on my current laptop in order to give more thermal headroom to the GPU to dump it's heat into the heatsink more, and the most I could get were like 45 watts before it would hit the capacity of the heatsink and throttle itself

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